Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet cover

Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet

Released

One of the oddest, most beautiful, and most deeply moving compositions of Gavin Bryars’ oeuvre is this piece, which is built on a field recording of a homeless man singing a few lines of the gospel song “Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet.” The vocal recording is looped, and on each repetition a string ensemble plays a slightly different accompaniment. The back story to this composition is worth seeking out, but even if you know nothing about its genesis, the music is utterly entrancing.

Rick Anderson

Recommended by

Suggestions
Searching for the Disappeared Hour cover

Searching for the Disappeared Hour

Mary Halvorson, Sylvie Courvoisier
Lucus cover

Lucus

Time Is A Blind Guide, Thomas Strønen
Nighthawks cover

Nighthawks

Erik Friedlander
Annunciation cover

Annunciation

Brooklyn Rider, Colin Jacobsen, Paul Barnes
Still Urban cover

Still Urban

Arte Quartett, Fred Frith
Statea cover

Statea

Murcof, Vanessa Wagner
Tatatu cover

Tatatu

Margherita Fava
Echo cover

Echo

Chris Russell
 Glass: String Quartets Nos. 1-4 cover

Glass: String Quartets Nos. 1-4

Carducci String Quartet