Shape notes

Subject: Shape notes
From: GUEST,Paul S
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 12:42 PM

Does anyone know anything about shape notes?

... or a site where I can learn more about them?

Thanks.

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: mousethief
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 12:49 PM

1. there are a ton of shape-note web sites; try searching in Google on "shape note singing" or "sacred harp"

2. There is bound to be a shape-note group somewhere near you; they are unfailingly friendly in my experience, and it's a lot of fun to sing. Where are you at? You can probably find someone near you on the websites.

3. To the best of my knowledge, there are 2 books primarily used in shape note singing; I forget the actual names of them but they are called "the red book" and "the blue book"; they arose from a common source but politics and such caused a split (isn't that just like American Christians?! :-P) See this page: books

Alex

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 12:49 PM

Let me recommend FsSoLa, which will introduce you to Shape Notes or give you more detail than you ever dreamed imaginable, including links to groups of people who sing and live the stuff on a regular basis.

--Charlie Baum

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: GUEST,Marymac90
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 12:54 PM

Charlie meant to say FaSoLa, although I suppose his link oughta work even if he slipped on the name. The red book is The Sacred Harp, 1991 Denson revision. The blue book is commonly called The Cooper Book. If I knew where you lived, Paul, I might be able to tell you where the group closest to you is.

Marymac

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: Burke
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 05:04 PM

Paul,
The Fasola site is my reference book & very easy to remember, but for an introduction I prefer the Sacred Harp Singing pages that Warren Steel has put together.

But first, what have you heard, & what do you want to know. Depending on where you live or heard it 'shape note' can mean a couple of different styles of music. The Sacred Harp books mentioned so far are oblong and use 4 shapes. The 4 shape books were originally published 1800-ca1860. In the later half of the 19th cent. 7 shapes were used in oblong books. In the 20th cent. many regular hymnal shape books were published using the Aiken 7 shape system. These later 7 shape books tend to be more the southern gospel style, while the 4 shape books predate gospel & have a lot of folk hymns. The 7 shape oblong books are sort of transitional having some of both.

The Sacred Harp is the 4 shape book most have heard of & it is still used. The oldest convention will have it's 150th session in Aug. this year. The National Convention starts tomorrow in Birmingham & runs through Saturday. There are groups that gather all over the country to sing from it. The Southern Harmony, a slightly older book is also available & there are a few singing from it. William Walker published Southern Harmony, but when he switched to 7 shapes called his book Christian Harmony. There are 2 editions of Christian Harmony in use, principally in Alabama and western North Carolina. Two other 7 shape oblong books are New Harp of Columbia used in Tennessee and Harmonia Sacra, a Mennonite hymnal. Look at the singing schedules at the site I mentioned above for locations of singings.

If you interested in the 20th cent. 7 shape, I can't really help you. I know a lot of southern hymnals were published using the shapes, including the Broadman, a standard Southern Baptist hymnal.

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: Burke
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 05:40 PM

I just remembered a couple of more sites you might like to look at directly.

A public radio broadcast Shaped Note Singing. It included 3 songs you can listen to.

Pulse of the Planet had 4 segments on Shape-Note singing. Look under, Culture, Customs and Traditions, then scroll to Shape-Note Singing. The interviewee, David Lee, will be at the New York Convention in October, we'd love to have you come.

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 06:15 PM

One thing that hasn't really been mentioned in this thread: this stuff is FUN!! (At least, it can be...I'm sure there are shape note groups that are dour and dreary, but such is life.) When I lived in Seattle, I was a member of a group that isn't mentioned on the Fasola site, probably because we tended to be loose and irreverent. The group was called the Sacred Cow Harmogenizers, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's still around. Maybe mousethief knows...

An excellent recording of shape note music is Rivers of Delight by the Word of Mouth Chorus, from Vermont (now defunct, I gather).

Reminder: if you want to order this, or any recording or book, from an online source, you can help the Mudcat at the same time. Click on the fish at the top of the page (which happens to be a mudcat, in case anybody is interested), and then click the link to amazon.com or whichever your preference is. That way a percentage of your payment comes back here. And now, back to our program...

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: mousethief
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 06:21 PM

You injure me, sir. I most distinctly said: There is bound to be a shape-note group somewhere near you; they are unfailingly friendly in my experience, and it's a lot of fun to sing.

Sacred Cow is still around! They tend to sing at stuff like Bumbershoot. They're a hoot! Or should I say a moo!

Alex

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 06:32 PM

Mudcat members also can participate in the Gospel Tape Lending Library, which now includes a whole set of Sacred Harp materials, thanks to Burke. She donated the red book as well as recordings. Read more about that project here:

CLICK HERE

Or contact me via e-mail. (There is a link to my e-mail in that thread.)

~Susan

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 07:59 PM

You're absolutely right, Alex. You did. It's just that my religion forbids me to read the even-numbered items in any list. So sorry. But I'm glad to hear the Cows are still around. One of my favorite bits was when the whole group would s-l-o-w-l-y fall to our knees while singing "When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down..."

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: GUEST,JohnB
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 12:51 PM

There is a bunch of Shape note stuff that goes on at the Old Songs Festival too. It will be my first visit there, so I can't tell you more until later. JohnB

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: Burke
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 01:31 PM

There are 3 or 4 Shape note events at Old Songs. Peter Amidon will lead a Friday Class 3-5. Singing from Peter's photocopies is both Saturday and Sunday morning at 9:00 in the Sheep Barn. It's the only workshop that starts when the gates open. Some of the people were gathering & starting to sing early anyway so they made it official. I don't have the schedule in front of me, but I think there will again be a singing from the Sacred Harp red book on Saturday afternoon. Unlike the morning sessions where Peter Amidon does most of the leading, it is structured more like a regular singing, where different leaders are called & they select the tune they want to lead. Some loaner books will be available. We usually call about 20 leaders.

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: mousethief
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 02:03 PM

There is a sound to SH singing that is unique. Very American, I'm thinking. You proabably couldn't stand four hours of it straight (like harpsichord solos!), but it does have great appeal in reasonable doses.

Alex

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: Burke
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 02:09 PM

Sacred Harp, like other kinds of hymn singing, is for the participants more than it is for any who might be listening. All of the Shape note events at Old Songs are fully participatory. Listening is of course allowed, but not encouraged ;-) Singing it all day for 2 or 3 days does not get boring. It is a lot of fun. It can, however, be exhausting.

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 03:01 PM

I'll second what Burke says. The joy is really in the participation -- kind of like old-time fiddle tune sessions. (Man, do I miss those, too...) Belting out those "primitive" open fourths and fifths just feels so gooooood! Alex, you should try to locate the Cows and give it a try! If you can't find them, send me a message and I'll see if I can locate some of my old address lists.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: Burke
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 04:19 PM

The best place for Alex, or anyone else, to start looking for what's available locally is the list of Regular Local Singings. You can get to it also from either Fasola homepage or the Sacred Harp Singing pages mentioned in earlier messages. There are 6 listed for Washington State, one in Seattle, but some of the others may be nearby.

Personally I feel the best way to try it for the first time is as part of a group that already knows it & big enough to sweep you along. It's also a lot better than trying to explain it with words. Old Songs is good for this. Conventions are even better. The Northwest Conventions happen in Feb. (Seattle), Aug. (Eugene) & Oct. (Portland).

Paul S. Where are you? I'd be glad to point you to something near you that might be coming up.

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: mousethief
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 04:26 PM

There's one near me, in Puyallup, the next town west of here, but it's at an unfortunate time (Sunday afternoons, one of the only times I actually get to spend time with my wife). All the others are quite a drive away. I have gone to a couple, and they were fun, but not ENOUGH fun to overbalance the disads.

Alex

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 05:55 PM

Hmmm...Burke, I don't see Hawaii on that list. Must be an oversight. Sigh...

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: Burke
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 04:25 PM

For some reason most of us have our monthly meetings on Sundays. We do it too. It's not a great day to do, especially if the weather is nice, but we haven't found a better one. Alex, if you've never been to the 2 day convention do try to go. It's the weekend of the 4th Sunday in Feb. A long way off, but if you plan for it now, maybe you'll get there. Singing for a whole day with a big group is exponentially better than a couple of hours even with a good sized group.

Mark, if you submit the Hawaii info I'm sure they'll post it. :-)

Burke, WhoisblatheringawaymostlybecauseGuest,PaulSmithmightbebackwithmorequestions

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: mousethief
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 04:30 PM

Burke, remind me in late January, will you? :-)

Alex

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 04:31 PM

That was a joke, Burke...as far as I know there are no shape noters in Hawaii. Nor much of any folk music, either, except for Hawaiian music--at least not here on the Big Island. There may be some on Oahu, but that's a 50 minute and $65 plane ride away. Still, one can dream...

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: mousethief
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 04:43 PM

Mark, you need a canoe.

Alex (grinning)

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: Burke
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 04:49 PM

Mark, I did put a smiley after my comment! I was going to suggest you try one of your neighboring states, like California. Alex's canoe is a good idea. I also know a couple who try to put together some kind of informal religious singing group where-ever they live. They had an all kinds of Christian music group in Bejing that had African, gospel, shape note, whatever. I think they're in Japan now, maybe you could give them a try?? (BG)

Subject: RE: Shape notes
From: Burke
Date: 22 Jun 01 - 10:32 AM

Just got this information that some of you will be interested in. Please note that there's a 44 page booklet you can read on the web.

Sweet is the Day: A Sacred Harp Family Portrait
Produced and Directed by Jim Carnes and Erin Kellen
60 min.

This is the story of the Woottens, one of the singing families who have helped Sacred Harp music survive and flourish for more than 150 years. The film intertwines scenes of singing conventions, family gatherings and farm life on Alabama's Sand Mountain with personal recollections and more than a dozen songs from the revered shape-note tradition. The songs, performed with technical mastery, emotional power and a breathtaking blend of voices, are central to "Sweet Is the Day."

As this film reveals, Sacred Harp singing has always been more than music. For inheritors like the Woottens, as well as a growing network of new singers, the tradition is a life-shaping force. The enclosed film guide further explains the history of Sacred Harp singing and discusses the many associated traditions, such as singing schools and "dinner on the grounds." It also looks beyond Sand Mountain to the large and enthusiastic community of Sacred Harp singers across the nation.

With enclosed 44-page study guide by John Bealle. You can check out the Guide now at http://www.alabamafolklife.org/afasweet.htm

VHS format: $20 Available June 20
DVD format: $20 Available July 1

Order from:
Alabama Folklife Association C/O ACTC 410 North Hull Street
Montgomery, AL 36104

(Make check payable to AFA and add one P&H fee of $2.50 regardless of number ordered)
Or order via Internet and charge card at www.alabamafolklife.org