Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet

Gavin Bryars composed this orchestral arrangement for the voice of a hobo singing, in London in 1971. His friend was making a movie about down and out sort of people, many who would break into drunken song while they were filming them. This particular man was not drunk. Later..."When I copied the loop onto the continuous reel in Leicester, I left the door of the recording studio open (it opened onto one of the large painting studios) while I went to get a cup of coffee. When I came back I found the normally lively room unnaturally subdued. People were moving about much more slowly than usual, and a few were sitting alone, quietly weeping. I was puzzled until I realized that the tape was still playing and that they had been overcome by the old man's unaccompained singing."