Dark Afore Dawnin

Since we started out we've been inundated with songs, hymns, choruses and poems, all sent to us by people who'd found out about the sort of stuff we play. There's a real treasure of old Ulster-Scots and Scots language gospel material out there in people's collections. If you have any please send it to us as we intend to completely revamp our website and post a lot of this material there, musical notation and all.

Meanwhile as a wee taster here's one my da (Eric Thompson) gave us a while back, from an oul book he has somewhere at hame:

Dark Afore Dawnin
(by Etta Gracey Stoee - supplied by Eric Thompson July 03)

Dinna ye ken the signs o His comin?
Dinna ye hear the soun o His feet?
Ken ye na this is the dark afore dawnin?
Dawn o' the morn sae braw an sae sweet?

The nicht has been drear, but ne'er was it lanesome
E'en through the valley when shadows lay lang
His rod and His staff thegither gied comfort
Fitsair an weary, we aye had a sang

Can we forget, when we were aa greetin
The touch o His haun that wiped awa tears?
The promise He gied us, nae, niver tae leave us
Ne'er tae forsake us, it banished oor fears

Oor herts are sae sair, an' nigh sick wi langin
For the soun o His voice, an the sicht o His face
But the nicht is faur spent, an a bonnie day breakin
An then we shall meet Him - aye - saved by His grace

We have about 80 odd pieces like this gathered up. Hopefully the new site'll be live before Christmas with the whole lot online.