Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet
In 1971, when I lived in London, I was working with a friend, Alan Power, on
a film about people living rough in the area around Elephant and Castle and
Waterloo Station. In the course of being filmed, some people broke into drunken
song – sometimes bits of opera, sometimes sentimental ballads – and one, who in
fact did not drink, sang a religious song “Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me
Yet”. This was not ultimately used in the film and I was given all the
unused sections of tape, including this one.
When I played it at home, I found that his singing was in tune with my
piano, and I improvised a simple accompaniment. I noticed, too, that the first
section of the song – 13 bars in length – formed an effective loop which repeated
in a slightly unpredictable way. I took the tape loop to Leicester, where I was
working in the Fine Art Department, and copied the loop onto a continuous reel
of tape, thinking about perhaps adding an orchestrated accompaniment to this.
The door of the recording room opened on to one of the large painting studios
and I left the tape copying, with the door open, while I went to have a cup of
coffee. When I came back I found the normally lively room unnaturally subdued.
People were moving about much more slowly than usual and a few were sitting
alone, quietly weeping.
I was puzzled until I realised that the tape was still playing and that they
had been overcome by the old man’s singing. This convinced me of the emotional
power of the music and of the possibilities offered by adding a simple, though
gradually evolving, orchestral accompaniment that respected the tramp’s
nobility and simple faith. Although he died before he could hear what I had
done with his singing, the piece remains as an eloquent, but understated
testimony to his spirit and optimism.
The piece was originally recorded on Brian
Eno’s Obscure label in 1975 and a substantially revised and extended
version for Point
Records in 1993. The version which is played by my ensemble was specially
created in 1993 to coincided with this last recording.
Gavin Bryars.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mXrIH9QuZ8