I Bid You Goodnight - Amidon Choral Arrangements - Starry Mountain Singers

You can hear, purchase, and download sheet music for this and other Amidon choral arrangements at:
http://www.amidonmusic.com. This is also available in the Amidons collection (book and companion sampler CD) "Fifty-five Anthems for the Small Church Choir" http://amidonmusic.com/books-cds-stor... .

The Amidons (Mary Alice, Peter, Sam and Stefan) learned the Bahamas spiritual"Bid You Goodnight" from the Watersons, a singing family from Yorkshire England. The Watersons learned it from the Pindar family of the Bahamas. Peter Amidon transcribed this arrangement from the singing of the Amidon family. This is wonderful song for a funeral. Slowed and softened, it is a fitting song for the bedside hospice sing.

The singers are, from left to right: Cora Neilsen Kelly, Mary Alice Amidon, Zara Bode (Stefan's wife), Suzannah Park, Emily Miller (soloist), Jeff Fellinger, Gideon Crevoshay, Stefan Amidon (Peter & Mary Alice's younger son) Avery Book and Peter Amidon.

lyrics (these are the lyrics the Amidons usually sing - Emily has a slightly different version on this Youtube)

Lay down my dear brother (sister)
Lay down and take your rest
Won't you lay your head down
On your savior's breast
I love you, oh but
Jesus loves you the best,
And I bid you goodnight,
Goodnight, goodnight.

A for the Ark the wonderful boat
Goodnight, goodnight....
She's ridden over land getting water to float
Goodnight, goodnight...
'
B for the beast the ending of the world
Eat all the children that would not be good

Remember right well, remember right well.
Good lord I go walking in the valley of the shadow of death

Goodness and mercy shall follow me
Bread and stones shall comfort me.