New From Ben & Rose: “Lily Of The Valley”
Ben & Rose are back with their rendition of “Lily of the Valley”, an old gospel classic. This is another track from their album, which they are just releasing a video for now.
And it’s another which dates back a good ways – written by Charles William Fry in England in 1881, for the Salvation Army. Here’s more on the interesting back story of the hymn:
Fry and his family were members of the Salvation Army organization founded by William Booth which was then in crisis. It is recorded that Fry did not like the abuse he saw hurled at the Salvation Army when they established their ministry in 1878 in Salisbury, where the Fry family lived.
Mr. Fry, who was a bricklayer, and his three sons offered to serve as bodyguards for the Salvation Army workers. The next day the four men arrived with their “weapons”. These weapons consisted of two cornets, a trombone and a small tuba.
In between fighting off the troublemakers, the Fry men played, and their music attracted a crowd for the Salvation Army preachers. This was the first Salvation Army brass band with Mr. Fry as the leader of the band as inscribed on his grave stone.
Fry took the term “Lily of the Valley” from the book of Song of Solomon 2:1 < I am the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valley …>. He used this verse of Scripture to represent the message of the preacher William Booth to the people during the protests of 1881 describing a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus.
Ben and Rose give us as usual a lovely take on the song, complete with steel guitar by Daniel Beachey.
Here are the lyrics in the version they perform here:
Lily of the Valley lyrics
I have found a friend in Jesus,
He’s ev’rything to me,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul;
The “Lily of the Valley,” in Him alone I see,
all I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.In sorrow He’s my comfort, in trouble He’s my stay,
He tells me ev’ry care on Him to roll;
He’s the “Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star,”
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.He will never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here,
while I live by faith and do His blessed will;
There’s a wall of fire about me, I’ve nothing now to fear,
with His manna He my hungry soul shall fill.Though all the world forsake me, and Satan tempt me sore,
through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal;
He’s the “Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star,”
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.Then sweeping up to glory, to see His blessed face,
where rivers of delight shall ever roll;
He’s the “Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star,”
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.
And as you see, they obviously filmed this one in a warmer time of year 🙂 Another great tune! Enjoy a listen here:
Ben and Rose
Where can you purchase their cd if they have one?