Weepin’ Mary’s & Singin’ Harry

Weeping Mary’s  

In the up-coming  Gospels we hear in the next days we meet two different Mary’s who are mourning profound loss of a loved one.  This Sunday we meet Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Lazarus has died and is buried, yet it is Mary’s name which appears more often in this gospel than the names of either Lazarus or Martha.   We see visiting friends from Jerusalem consoling her, we see here weeping at the feet of Jesus, weeping with such deep emotion that Jesus himself began to weep.  Jesus then approaches the tomb of Lazarus saying “Did I not assure you would see the glory of God?”  And so on Sunday we celebrate the Resurrection of Lazarus when we sing Weepin’ Mary Glory be to my God who reigns on high.

On the Tuesday of Easter Week the Gospel tells of a different weeping Mary—Mary of Magdala who, discovering the empty tomb in the garden on Easter Sunday, weeps and mourns the loss of her teacher, Jesus.  When a figure appears to her  she presumes he was a gardener.   The figure asks Why do you weep? Whom do you seek? As she begins to tell of her profound sorrow, the figure says simply “Mary” and she knew.  She knew he was the teacher, the Savior, the Christ, her Jesus risen from the dead.  And so on Easter we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord when we sing Weepin’ Mary O Glory Hallelujah! Glory be to my God who reigns on high.  

Singin’ Harry  

We sing this week and Easter Sunday Evening  of the heart-broken and  mourning souls of the two Mary’s.  We sing with the great baritone, African American composer, arranger, singer Henry “Harry” Thacker Burleigh  (1866- 1949).    His highly regarded arrangement of the spiritual,Weepin’ Mary helps us feel the deep agony of the loss of Lazarus and more--much more--of Jesus himself. And then to feel the astounding joy of the resurrection of Lazarus and the resurrection of Jesus.  

Harry Burleigh was the world-class musician who taught Dvorak “Plantation Songs”—melodies the Czech composer used in From the New World Symphony and the great American String Quartet.    Burleigh was an extraordinary singer who was hired to be soloist in an all-white New York City Church thanks to his great talent and the support of the banker, J. P. Morgan. His arrangements of over 100 spirituals were performed throughout the world.  Burleigh inspired and opened the doors for Paul Robeson, Marion Anderson, Leontyne Price, and two of my teachers, the great conductors and composers,  William Dawson and Jester Hairston.

JBS