Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow is an African-American Christmas spiritual. It’s about the message that drew the shepherds (well, at least one shepherd) to follow the Christmas star to find the Christ Child.
The spiritual is a “call and response” song – one way it’s been done in many Black churches is to have the soloist sing the “call” lines, and to have the choir reply with the “response” line “rise up, shepherd, and follow”.
A dear friend suggested this arrangement, so the dedication reads “For the Praise Ringers, Portage United Church of Christ, Portage, Michigan”.
| CALL | RESPONSE |
| Oh, there’s a star in the East on Christmas morn It will lead you to the place where the saviour’s born Leave your ewes and leave your rams Leave your sheep and leave your lambs Follow, follow Follow the star to Bethlehem Come on now |
Rise up, shepherd, and follow Rise up shepherd, and follow Rise up shepherd, and follow Rise up, shepherd, and follow Rise up, shepherd, and follow Rise up, shepherd, and follow Follow |
| Now, if you take good heed to the angel’s word You’ll forget your flock, forget your herd You gotta leave your ewes and leave the lambs You gotta leave your sheep and leave your rams Follow, follow Follow the star to Bethlehem |
Rise up, shepherd, and follow Rise up, shepherd, and follow Rise up, shepherd, and follow Rise up, shepherd, and follow Rise up, shepherd, and follow Rise up, shepherd, and follow |
| In a cradle of straw is a babe asleep Born that man no more will weep Leave your burdens, lay them down For you that child will wear a crown Follow, you got to follow Follow the star to Bethlehem |
Rise up, shepherd, and follow Rise up, shepherd, and follow Rise up, shepherd, and follow Rise up, shepherd, and follow Rise up, shepherd, and follow Rise up, shepherd, and follow |
| There’s a light in the sky shining crystal clear There’s a megaphone singing to my fear Rise and go, you’re being released Born this morning is the prince of peace You got to follow Rise and go, you’re being released (follow) Rise up, rise up, rise up (rise up) |
Rise up, rise up, Move on, move on Rise up, ’cause he’s born, he’s born Rise up, rise up, Move on, move on Rise up, I rise up, I rise up, rise up, Follow Rise up, rise up, rise up, You got to follow You got to follow, You gotta follow, yeah You got to follow, I follow, follow, follow |
Handbells (three or five octaves)
Level 3
Preview:
| Single Copy Version: | $5.00 US | |
| Handbell Choir Version: | $30.00 US | |
| Cajón part: | $4.00 US |
Also available for 12 handbells.
Purchasing the handbell choir version of this arrangement grants permission to print and maintain up to fifteen copies for your handbell ensemble; purchasing the single copy version grants permission to print and maintain one copy. Purchase also gives permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and video-sharing online. See our licensing agreement for full details, and please remember to mention the title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites, social media and any printed materials such as concert programs.
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