"When They Ring The Golden Bells for You and Me"

(NB: If you're reading this on Facebook, the original post is from my blog). John Gray sang this at Carrowdore Mission Hall last Sunday night - a lovely rendition of an old hymn from the late 1800s. I found this version by Natalie Merchant (who sang with Wilco and Billy Bragg on the great "Mermaid Avenue" album of old Woody Guthrie songs).



And here's a very impressive guitar / instrumental version:



Glasgow man William McEwan, "the world's first great gospel singer", recorded a version in New York in May 1926; the brilliant Virginian singing Baptist pastor Alfred Karnes recorded it in 1927 (download his version free here) and the McCravy Brothers recorded it in 1930.