For the book by William Faulkner, see. From a variety of perspectives, Faulkner examines the complex, changing relationships between blacks and whites, between man and nature, weaving a cohesive novel rich in implication and insight. When Israel was in Egypt land... Let My People Go! This page was last edited on 16 March 2021, at 01:33. The elderly Isaac McCaslin tells a story about what happened to his older cousin McCaslin Edmonds when McCaslin was a child in the first story “Was.” One day, McCaslin accompanied his Uncle Buck in pursuit of an escaped slave named Tomey’s Turl. Go down, Moses sung by Louis Armstrong. And tell King Pharaoh The phrase "Go Down Moses" is featured in the chorus of the, Avant-garde singer-songwriter and composer, The song, All You Zombies, by the Hooters, begins with these familiar words: "Holy Moses met the Pharaoh, Yeah, he tried to set him straight, Looked him in the eye, 'Let my people go.' share. marczali. That practice fits … Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. It describes the Exodus story and so it has become common for Jews to sing it during the Seder. This was a kindle purchase. "Go Down Moses" is a spiritual phrase that describes events in the Old Testament of the Bible, specifically Exodus 5:1: "And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me", in which God commands Moses to demand the release of the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. Faulkner has unusually keen insight into the racial tension that has plagued our country from even before the beginning, and it shows in his writings. Let my people go. It's origin is unknown but apparently from slaves themselves, after slave owners incautiously exposed them to Christian Church services that would have featured Bible readings or sermons relating the story of Moses bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. EMBED (for wordpress.com hosted blogs and archive.org item tags) Want more? As a long-time teacher of Faulkner, I bought this for a friend. The song also makes references to the Jordan River, which was often referred to in spirituals to describe finally reaching freedom because such an act of running away often involved crossing one or more rivers. 3:7-12) Music: Afro-American spiritual; adapt. "Go Down Moses" is a spiritual phrase that describes events in the Old Testament of the Bible, specifically Exodus 5:1: "And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me", in which God commands Moses to demand the release of the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. Humans do not remember history chronologically, the mind interweaves related events that are important into a bigger idea or story. Go Down, Moses, a collection of seven stories by William Faulkner, first published in 1942 as a novel under the inaccurate title Go Down, Moses, and Other Stories; the title was corrected for the second printing. Thus saith the Lord, bold Moses said, Let my people go, If not, I'll smite your first-born dead, Let my people go. "Thus spoke the Lord", bold Moses said, Let my people go! The most prominent character and unifying voice is that of Isaac McCaslin, "Uncle Ike", who will live to be an old man; "uncle to half a county and father to no one." Go Down Moses Chicago a cappella (Performer), Jonathan Miller, artistic director (Performer) Format: Audio CD. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Go down, go down, Moses, go down to the city of New Orleans. The song discusses themes of freedom, a very common occurrence in spirituals. [11] Sheet music was soon after published, titled "Oh! Let my people go Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. Going "down" to Egypt is derived from the Bible; the Old Testament recognizes the Nile Valley as lower than Jerusalem and the Promised Land; thus, going to Egypt means going "down"[7] while going away from Egypt is "up". White people who reported on the song presumed it was composed by them. Let my people go Go down, Moses, way down in Egypt land, tell old Pharao to let my people go! No_Favorite. Go Down Moses: A Celebration of the African-American Spiritual. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Black & African American Historical Fiction (Books). Faulkner's technique in Go Down, Moses is to present stories whose full significance in the overall history of his characters is not apparent until later in the book. I wish to return it for credit. Go Down, Moses is composed of seven interrelated stories, all of them set in Faulkner’s mythic Yoknapatawpha County. flag. ", "Summary of Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman", "BLACK MUSIC MOMENT: HISTORY OF "GO DOWN MOSES" ~ THE SONG USUALLY THOUGHT OF AS A SPIRITUAL", Black Recording Artists, 1877–1926: An Annotated Discography, Sweet Chariot: The Story of the Spirituals, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park, Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park, Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, The Railroad to Freedom: A Story of the Civil War, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Go_Down_Moses&oldid=1012375746, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with trivia sections from February 2017, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2017, All articles with vague or ambiguous time, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2015, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2015, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, A reference is made to the song in the film, On February 7, 1958, the song was recorded in New York City and sung by, The song has since become a jazz standard, having been recorded by, It is one of the five spirituals included in the, The song, or a modified version of it, has been used in the Roger Jones musical, "Go Down Moses" has sometimes been called "Let My People Go" and performed by a variety of musical artists, including, The song heavily influences "Get Down Moses", by, The song has been performed by the Russian Interior Ministry (. [12] However, the song was not included in Slave Songs of the United States, despite it being a very prominent spiritual among slaves. University of Illinois Press. People Get Ready! It is a format that reflects the human memory. Tell ol' Pharaoh, Let my people go. Clarkson N. Potter. 4.0 out of 5 stars 7 ratings. Go down, Moses It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. Jazz singer Tony Vittia released a swing version under the name "Own The Night" (2013). The text was irritating to read and spoiled the experience of the book for me. Darden, R. (2004). Mainly because Faulkner wrote so many highly-regarded novels, _Go Down, Moses_ has suffered neglect, except for the superb "The Bear." William Cuthbert Faulkner was born in 1897 and raised in Oxford, Mississippi, where he spent most of his life. There was a problem loading your book clubs. No more shall they in bondage toil, Although usually thought of as a spiritual, the earliest written record of the song was as a rallying anthem for the Contrabands at Fort Monroe sometime before July 1862. [16] Although others claim Nat Turner, who led one of the most well-known slave revolts in history, either wrote or was the inspiration for the song. Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! Go down Moses Other Title Old Negro spiritual Summary Male vocal double quartet, unaccompanied Contributor Names Brown, Leroy -- Vocalist -- Tenor Vocal Tuskegee Institute Singers -- Vocal Group Neely, Alvin J. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. and the refrain, probably in harmony. His southern point of view from the Jim Crow south is jaw dropping. [17], This article is about the song. ", The Golden Gate Quartet (Duration: 3:05; recorded in 1957 for their album, "Go Down Moses" was recorded by the Robert Shaw Chorale on. The lyrics refer to the biblical account of Moses parting the Red Sea in Exodus 14. This phrase is the title of the one of the most well known African American spirituals of all time. [13] The opening verse, as recorded by Lockwood, is: The Lord, by Moses, to Pharaoh said: Oh! Tell old Pharaoh Let my people go, The lyrics of the song represent liberation of the ancient Jewish people from Egyptian slavery, a story recounted in the Old Testament. EMBED. I can't believe that I am just now reading Faulker! Some historians believe that “Moses” in the song refers to Harriet Tubman, one of the leaders of the Underground Railroad, a group of abolitionists, both black and white, who formed a network of transportation and safe houses that assisted slaves in their escape from Southern plantations. 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