We wrote the other day about Canadian sax colossus Colin Stetson and the imminent release of his new album New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light, the final segment of his New History Warfare trilogy of recordings on Constellation.

Today’s particular highlight (it is Sunday after all) from the new album is the soulful cover of  Washington Phillips’ gospel tune What Are They Doing In Heaven Today?  featuring only Stetson’s circular-sax and the vocals of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon.  While Phillips’ songs have been oft-covered (by Ry Cooder, Gillian Welch, Ralph Stanley, Will Oldham, etc.), we had not heard this song before.  Sounds heavenly to our ears.  After the song are Phillips’ original lyrics, which have been redacted for Stetson’s cover.

And for more Sunday feel, check out at bottom the video released by Stetson’s camp this week in which Justin Vernon sings (at 1:36 in the video) the beautiful opening track of the album, And in Truth. You can order and read more about Stetson and the new album HERE.

Colin Stetson–What Are They Doing In Heaven Today?

09 What Are They Doing In Heaven Today_

What Are They Doing In Heaven Today?

“What are they doing in heaven today?
I don’t know boy
But it’s my biz to say it and sing about it

Chorus:
What are they doing in heaven today,
Where sin and sorrow are all done away?
Peace abounds like a river, they say.
What are they doing there now?

I’m thinking of friends whom I used to know,
Who lived and suffered in this world below
But they’ve gone off to heaven, but I want to know
What are they doing there now?

Oh, what are they doing in heaven today,
Where sin and sorrow are all done away?
Peace abounds like a river, they say.
But what are they doing there now?

There’s some whose hearts were burdened with care
They paid for their moment to fighting and tears
But they clung to the Cross with trembling and fear
But what are they doing there now?

(chorus)

And there’s some whose bodies were full of disease
Physicians and doctors couldn’t give them much ease
But they suffered ’til death brought a final release
But what are they doing there now?

(chorus)

There’s some who were poor and often despised
They looked up to heaven with tear-blinded eyes
While people were heedless and deaf to their cries
But what are they doing there now?”