Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child

Among the many spirituals, the African American traditional called "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" crosses over into other genres with a number of singers across many years to become a classic for everyone.

The song expresses the sadness and loneliness sometimes people feel during times of hardship.  But it is also in a way a song of celebration of the fact of humankind's link to common feelings and the search for finding the source of respite and help.  In this case, the answer is God.  Two of the more famous versions are done by Odetta and also Mahalia Jackson.

It is performed here with a solitary voice and guitar.

How Great Thou Art

One of the greatest hymns ever written was created in 1885 by a 26-year-old Carl Boberg, who wrote the words only of a poem entitled, “O Store Gud," that evolved in the song we know as "How Great Thou Art."

Boberg never intended the song become a hymn, but over the years the poem was read by a number of Christians and the melody added, then additional words.   It was a minister, Stuart K. Hine, who wrote original English words, and made his own arrangement of the Swedish melody.

Lawrence Welk once said it was the most requested song on his television program.

How Great Thou Art has been recorded by such singers as Johnny Cash, Mahalia Jackson, Elvis Presley and a host of individual singers and choruses for decades.

Here it is performed with a nylon string folk guitar and vocal only.