Ben & Rose AND Mike & Marty: “Palms of Victory”

Ben and Rose have joined with Rose’s siblings Mike and Marty to do a lovely rendition of “Palms of Victory”. This just released today, and I bet it’s going to get a lot of listens 🙂

Rose was previously in a group with brother Mike and sister Marty, called Third Fret Harmony, which we’ve seen here before. Really neat to see them uniting/re-uniting on this simple, upbeat though subdued two-minute ditty.

“Ditty” probably isn’t the right word, as this is a proper hymn written way back in 1836 (!) That would be the oldest I’ve seen them do, by a good margin. Or, at least that’s the believed year of origin. From Wikipedia:

“Palms of Victory”, also called “Deliverance Will Come”, “The Blood-washed Pilgrim”, and “The Way-worn Traveler”, is a Christian hymn that appears to have been written in 1836 by John B. Matthias, a Methodist Episcopal minister in New York State.

And the song itself has a serious theme – of deliverance, with imagery of a wayward traveler struggling towards “the golden city…his everlasting home,” as the fuller version of the lyrics has it.

It’s a simple song and video to match, as the four occupy pews in Ragamuffin Hall, the former church-turned-studio of producer Conrad Fisher.

On this one, Rose and sister Marty sing the lead. One thing I really like about how this is produced is that Rose’s voice is a bit higher in the mix in the first verse, while Marty’s takes precedence in the second.

For the third, they sound about equal to my ear. Anyway, I’m sure Conrad could explain it a lot better 🙂 Meanwhile Ben plays guitar and Mike handles the mandolin.

Here are the lyrics, as they sing them in this version:

Palms of Victory Lyrics

I saw the wayward traveler
In tattered garments, clad
And stuggling up the mountain
It seemed that He was sad
His back was laden heavy
His strength was almost gone
But He shouted as he journeyed
Deliverance will come

Then palms of victory
Crowns of glory
Palms of victory I shall wear

While gazing on that city
Just o’er the narrow flood
A band of holy angels
Came from the throne of God
They bore Him on their pinions
Safe o’er the dashing foam
And joined Him in his triumph
Deliverance has come

Then palms of victory
Crowns of glory
Palms of victory I shall wear

It’s seems I hear the angels
Around the throne So Grand!
They’re shouting glad hosannas
We’ve reached the promised Land
When we have reached that city
Our race on earth we’ve run
We’ll all shout loud Hosannas!
Deliverance has come!

Then palms of victory
Crowns of glory
Palms of victory I shall wear

A wonderful listen that might just get stuck in your head, fair warning. And how neat to see them teaming up together on a song. Enjoy a listen below!