Today I am taking us all the way back to Sunday School days. I remember singing this one over and over and over again. Then humming the tune on the way home. We sang it in church, in youth group, even in multiple churches as I moved around as an adult. It seems to be a joyous favorite no matter where you live. It is a true blessing to have a song bring you joy, fellowship and a sense of belonging no matter where you land.
I flooded the paper with inks, creating waves and motion. I then took a spritzer bottle and sprayed the entire page with water. I utilized a paper towel to ‘smear’ the colors together, then added more inks, brush marks, and a white wax crayon to add dimension. I had to let this one dry for days before even thinking about doing any lettering! The faint text behind the piece is a homage to my father…it was a line to a poem he had to memorize as a youth: water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink.
Here are the lyrics….me, me, me, me, meeeee….so let’s get singing!
Michael row the boat ashore – Alleluia!
– West Indian Spiritual
Michael row the boat ashore – Alleluia!
The river Jordan is chilly and cold – Alleluia!
Chills the body but not the soul – Alleluia!
The river is deep and the river is wide – Alleluia!
Milk and honey on the other side – Alleluia!
I remember moving to Atlanta and visiting a church on Sunday morning. This song was sung during worship, and not only was I excited that I knew the words and the tune, I was thrilled that the congregation were as excited to sing it as I was! Woo Hoo! How wonderful it is to find your people, you know the ones you click with more than you thought possible. In that church I joined a small group and am still friends with many of that small group more than thirty years later.
I hope you are enjoying the musical journey across our sing-a-long past! I had forgotten some of these songs, and am having fun bringing them to life! I am going to finish writing now and go sing this one to my granddaughter who lives in Japan.
See you tomorrow!!!!!
