Gathering the exhilarating harvests of Psalm 126:6 into Gospel music

Knowles Shaw’s parents were both Scottish, though he was raised in Indiana, US. In his childhood, he learned how to play the violin and he always provided music to dance to for his community. He entered the ministry of the Christian Church which made him move in the West and the South of the US. In those parts, he was known as the “singing evangelist” because he sang beautifully. He sang as he preached to his ministry. Later on he began composing and writing music. He created a total of five singing books: Shining Pearls, Golden Gate, Sparkling Jewels, The Golden Trumpet, and the Morning Star. One of the last songs Shaw penned was “Bringing In The Sheaves”.

Although Shaw also wrote a music accompaniment to “Bringing In The Sheaves”, American George Minor composed the music (1880) that’s currently attached to it. Minor was part of the Baptist Church and facilitated Sunday school singing. This was just the beginning of the popularity of this favorite Gospel song. It has an Allegro tempo which fits the words lifted from Psalm 126:6 “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping bearing seed for sowing shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” It’s all about harvest time, the joy of reaping what you toiled over for some time. It is also a bit about seeing the fruits of sharing the good news in your spiritual work and getting feedback that many are finally finding the good path.

So popular is Shaw’s “Bringing In The Sheaves” that it was included in musical scorings of many TV series such as “Quantum Leap”, “Two and a Half Men”, “Little House on the Prairie”, ”The Simpsons”, “The Flying Nun”, “Petticoat Junction”, “The Andy Griffith Show”, also on movies like “Batman”, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, and “Night of the Hunter”.