Say Brothers, Will You Meet Us?
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"Say, Brothers, Will You Meet Us", the tune that eventually became associated with "John Brown's Body" and the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" with the familiar Glory, Glory Hallelujah refrain, was formed in the Southern camp meeting circuit, with both African-American and white worshipers, throughout the late 1700s and early 1800s,
In May 1807, Stith Mead, a Methodist Episcopal minister, was one of the organizers of such a camp meeting in Boiling Spring, Virginia. The camp meeting inspired him to publish a collection of new and admired hymns, that he had heard there and at other camp meetings.
One month after the Boiling Spring camp meeting he published a new hymnbook in Richmond, Virginia titled: A General Selection of the Newest and Most Admired Hymns and Spiritual Songs Now in Use.
Among the songs in Mead's 1807 hymnal was Hymn 50, better known as the "Say Brothers" or "Oh Brothers" hymn.
I feel the work reviving (3x)
Reviving in my soul.
I′m on my way to Zion (3x)
The new Jerusalem
We'll shout and give Him glory (3x)
For glory is His own
Oh Christians will you meet me (3x)
On Canaan's happy shore
There we'll shout and give Him glory (3x)
For glory is His own
Oh Brothers will you meet me (3x)
On Canaan's happy shore
By the grace of God I'll meet you (3x)
On Canaan's happy shore
There we'll shout and give Him glory (3x)
For glory is His own
Oh Sisters will you meet me (3x)
On Canaan's happy shore
By the grace of God I'll meet you (3x)
On Canaan's happy shore
There we'll shout and give Him glory (3x)
For glory is His own
etc
This developed into the familiar Glory, Glory, Hallelujah chorus by the 1850's. The tune and variants of these words spread across both the southern and northern United States.
In 1858 words and the tune were published in "The Union Harp and Revival Chorister", selected and arranged by Charles Dunbar, and published in Cincinnati. The book contains the words and music of a song "My Brother Will You Meet Me", with the music and the words of the "Glory Hallelujah" chorus; and the opening line "Say my brother will you meet me".
Say my brother will you meet me (3x)
On Canaan’s happy shore?
Yes by the grace of God I’ll meet you (3x)
On Canaan’s happy shore.
Jesus lives and reigns forever (3x)
Forever, ever more
Glory, glory, hallelujah ! (3x)
Praise God forever more
Around 1885 William Steffe claimed he wrote this song in about 1856, with the "Say Bummers, Will You Meet us" words.
In a few letters to Richard J. Hinton, one of John Brown's biographers, Steffe states he originally wrote the song for the Goodwill Fire Company of Philadelphia, PA, whose members were known as "Bummers".
On December 11th, 1885, Steffe wrote: "...though I never claimed any notoriety in music I want to prove by the best evidence the origin of the music of the popular song. Those who prompted me to write it are all 'gathered to their fathers' most of those who sang "Say Brothers will you meet us" -- are 'beyond the river'...."
But, given the above facts, it appears that Steffe simply adapted the traditional camp meeting song and wrote a few new words. - Licensing
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