Call and Response

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Grade Level
9-12, C-U
Region
Mississippi
Topics
call and response

Selection: O, Mary Don't You Weep

Suggested Activity #1:

  1. Listen to the first verse of ‘O Mary’.

    Q: What do you hear?
    A: A woman leading, a group responding, and a piano

  2. Listen to the first four lines of the song giving special attention to the response section.

    Q: Do any of the first four lines have the same melody?
    A: No.

  3. Listen to the first eight lines of the response section. 

    Q: There are some lines that have the same melody in the first eight lines even through the words are different. Listen closely and see if you can find the matching melodies.
    A: Lines 1-4 have the same melodies as lines 5-8.

  4. Listen to verse 1 followed by verse 2.

    Q: Do you notice anything about the melody of verse 2 compared to verse 1?
    A: The response melody is the same as verse 1.

  5. Have students sing the response for verses 1-3 with recording.
  6. Learn response melody for second half of song.
  7. Sing response for whole song along with recording.

Suggested Activity #2:

  1. Listen to recording of ‘O Mary’ again - sing response.
  2. Q: What words describe the quality of the lead singer’s voice?
    A:  Strong, raspy, shaky, loud.
    Q:  What does the lead singer do to make her performance strong?
    A:  Very emotional sound to voice, strong expression of pain or some similar strong feeling.
  3. Have small group (or soloist) sing the lead part, rest of class responds.
  4. Listen to other singers that have a similar vocal quality, i.e. Duffy “Mercy”, Mary J Blige “I’m Going Down”, Billie Holiday (any recording), Seamie O’Dowd on Mairtin O’Connor “Crossroad” - “Cedars of Lebanon”.
  5. Discuss stereotypes about what is considered a ‘good’ singing voice.

O Mary Don’t You Weep (Tyro) 9/23/1959
James, Viola [vocal]
Lee, H. C. [piano)
Piano intro

CALL

1.Well, I’m singing Mary
Tell Martha not to moan
Listen, Mary
Tell Martha not to moan
Pharaoh’s army
Got drownded in the sea one day
I’ve been hands and Mary
Tell Martha not to moan

2. God called Moses
Called him on the mountaintop
Stamped it low, now
Raised it right in Moses heart
Pharaoh’s army
Got drownded in the sea one day
I’ve been hands and mary
Tell Martha not to moan

3. If I could
Said I surely would, woo
Stand on the rock, now
Right, right where Moses stood
Pharaoh’s army
Got drownded in the sea
I’ve just hands and Mary
Tell Martha not to moan

Mary
Mary Martha was two sisters
And the Bible tell me that they had brother named Laz
One day while Jesus was away Lazarus died
And they tell me that Mary began to weep that day 
And at home Martha she began to moan
All at once I heard someone say, “Wait a minute, Mary”
Well, yon come Jesus
And he tells me that Mary went running to meet Jesus
She said, “ Well, Lord
Lord if you had a been here my brother would not have died”
And Jesus looked around and said, “ Hush, Mary,
For the benefit of you who don’t believe, I’m gonna

Whoa, Lazarus
Whoa, Lazarus
Whoa, Lazarus

I want you to get up right now and go home
And Jesus looked around and said, “Where Mary?”
I believe I’m gonna have to call her just a little bit louder
Whoa, Mary
Whoa, Mary
Tell your sister Martha not to moan no more

 RESPONSE

O, Mary, don't you weep
Tell Martha not to moan
O, Mary, don't you weep
Tell Martha not to moan
Pharaoh's army
Drown in the sea
O, Mary don't you weep
Tell Martha not to moan

God call Moses
Mountaintop
Stamped it low
Moses heart
Pharaoh's army
Drown in the sea
O, Mary don't you weep
Tell Martha not to moan

If I could
Surely would
Stand on the rock
Moses stood
Pharaoh's army
Drown in the sea
Oh, Mary don't you weep
Tell Martha not to moan

O, Mary, don't you weep
O, Mary, don't you weep
O, Mary, don't you weep
O, Mary, don't you weep
O, Mary, don't you weep
O, Mary, don't you weep
O, Mary, don't you weep
O, Mary, don't you weep
O, Mary, don't you weep
O, Mary, don't you weep
O, Mary, don't you weep
O, Mary, don't you weep
O, Mary, don't you weep

O, Mary, don't you weep
O, Mary, don't you weep
O, Mary, don't you weep

O, Mary, don't you weep
O, Mary, don't you weep
O, Mary, don't you weep
O, Mary, don't you weep
O, Mary, don't you weep
Tell Martha not to moan

Designed by Karen Howard