Old Ship of Zion!

Representative text cannot be shown for this hymn due to copyright.

Author: Thomas A. Dorsey

Thomas Andrew Dorsey was born in Villa Rica, a small rural town near Atlanta, Georgia. In 1919 he moved to Chicago. Most of his musical training was in the church, but he also studied and played jazz and blues. He later combined jazz and blues with religious texts, giving birth to gospel music. In 1931, along with Magnolia Lewis-Butts and Theodore Roosevelt Frye, he established the first gospel choir at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Chicago. He went on to lead the gospel choir at Pilgrim Baptist Church, which he led for 60 years. Dorsey was also instrumental in founding the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses (NCGCC) in 1933. The convention taught choirs all over the country how to sing gospel music. Dianne Shapiro, from "Gosp… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: I was lost in sin and sorrow
Title: Old Ship of Zion!
Author: Thomas A. Dorsey
Language: English
Refrain First Line: 'Tis the old ship of Zion
Copyright: © 1950 by Thomas A. Dorsey and assigned to Hill and Range Songs, Inc.

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 3 of 3)

Songs of Zion #189

Chalice Hymnal #539

The New National Baptist Hymnal (21st Century Edition) #534

Include 1 pre-1979 instance
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