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.