'The power of a good hymn'

Gospel music is an important part of the bluegrass repertoire as it is of the culture from which bluegrass arose. So the BIB thanks once again Donal McKernan in Australia, who sends this link to an article by his father Joe, published ten days ago on the website of the Bruderhof international Christian community.

The article, 'The power of a good hymn', deals at some length with the many compositions of Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, and others, and includes an audio file of 'What a friend we have in Jesus', composed by Joseph Scriven (1819-86), who was born in Banbridge, Co. Down. The song was recorded on Soundcloud by Joe's son Geordie and his wife Dorie, with fiddle and guitar.