Lent 19: Sydney Carter

Sing John Ball, and tell it to us all,

Tell of the day that is dawning,

I'll crow like a cock and I'll carol like a lark

For the light that is coming in the morning.

(From: Gentle Angry People, 10)

Sydney Carter was a Quaker and his best known hymn is probably Lord of the Dance.  We used to sing this one, Eve is a Queen and Adam is a King, in the Sheffield Liberation Congregation, about 20 years ago.  It had its origins in the 1981 500 years commemoration of the Peasants Revolt.  John Ball was a priest who is best known for the saying: 'when Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman?'  Gentle Angry People was published by the late lamented Alliance of Radical Methodists in 1987.

'All shall be ruled by the love of one another' has been the cry of radical Christians down the ages.  Reflect upon how readily Christians sacrifice the rule of love for the rule of law.

Comments

["Alternative Church Dave"]

Thanks to my online search in 2010 for information about "Sing John Ball", somebody else has copied your Lent 19 post on to the Mudcat Cafe discussion thread about the song that started back in 2002.
Will it ever end? Hopefully not. Keep the music alive.
Sooner or later the past informs the future.

[Chris Sissons]

Thanks Dave, I've found the Mudcat Cafe site but navigating it has defeated me. Do you have an address for the John Ball thread?

[Alternative Church Dave]

Try: http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=50452
There are 2 related threads on the same site but the one above has your Lent 19 blog quoted.

[Chris Sissons]

Thanks Dave, I've had a go at putting the verses on the site, not sure if they've actually appeared - it might be moderated.

[Alternative Church Dave]

Your comments are on the Mudcat site. There are 2 other threads there about John Ball and Sydney Carter.