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North Jersey 8s & 7s

By Aldo Thomas Ceresa

Key
E minor
Type
Camp meeting tune
Time signature
2
4
Composed
2008
Text
The Christian's Magazine, 1760

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Description

This tune is named for the region of New Jersey where I was traveling when the melody was written. (I was on a bus at the time.) It was performed by The Art Mob in their Winter, 2008 concerts. North Jersey appears on p. 504 in the 2012 edition of The Sacred Harp, revised Cooper edition.


Text

See the leaves around ye falling,
Dry and wither'd, to the ground,
Thus to thoughtless mortals calling,
In a sad and solemn sound:

Sons of Adam, once in Eden,
When like us ye blighted fell,
Hear the lecture we are reading,
'Tis alas! the truth we tell.

Youth, tho' yet no losses grieve you,
Gay in health, and many a grace,
Let not cloudless skies deceive you,
Summer gives to Autumn place.

On the tree of life eternal,
Man, let all thy hopes be stay'd,
Which, alone, forever vernal
Bears the leaves that never fade.