As is common in the songs of Charles Ives, the composer borrowed the music for "At the River" (1916) from the an earlier hymn, "Beautiful River." "At the River" had previously appeared as the final few bars of the third movement of Ives' Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 4 (1906 - 16). For its incarnation as a vocal work, Ives gave the violin part to the voice and made necessary adjustments to the piano accompaniment. The melody follows the hymn tune closely, though the piano part is colored by caricaturistic Ivesian flourishes. The last line—a repetition of the initial question—takes unexpected rhythmic and harmonic twists, suggesting deeper, more ambiguous spiritual issues.

Text:

Shall we gather at the river,

Where bright angel feet have trod,

With its crystal tide forever

Flowing by the throne of God?

Gather at the River!

Yes, we'll gather at the river,

The beautiful, the beautiful river,

Yes, we'll gather at the river

That flows by the throne of God.

Shall we gather?

Shall we gather at the river?

—Robert Lowry

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