Article about shape-note singing

Subject: BS: Article about shape-note singing
From: GUEST,tracy f. harris
Date: 05 Oct 04 - 06:59 PM

Hi, I posted here a few weeks ago. In Tony Barrand's Folk Songs as Social History class at Boston University, we learned about shape-note singing during the past week. Now, for a journalism class I am taking, I'd like to interview people who are involved in shape-note singing.

If you're interested, please email me at tfharris (at) bu.edu

Also, I have only till Tuesday to turn in the article, so please email soon. Thanks!

Subject: RE: BS: Article about shape-note singing
From: Burke
Date: 05 Oct 04 - 07:40 PM

Hi Tracy,
I hope you enjoyed what you learned. There are a lot of Sacred Harp singers in the Boston area. Start with Boston Sacred Harp to find some local contacts. Try to get to the open sing if you can.

I hope you were told about & able to get to the New England Sacred Harp Convention last weekend. It was in Vermont.

I'd also like to invite you to the New York State Convention in Barneveld, New York; October 16 & 17. This is 10 miles north of Utica. Details Here

There are many previous threads. Here's a recent one. There are links at the top to others.
I sing Sacred Harp a lot & am co-chair of the New York Convention this year. Like many of us, it's hard to stop me when I get started. I can answer a few questions, but your time frame is pretty close. I think if you find one of the local singers you might do better.

Subject: RE: BS: Article about shape-note singing
From: GUEST,tracy f. harris
Date: 05 Oct 04 - 08:31 PM

Thanks for the reply; I'll be sure to check out the links.

Being somewhat musically inept, I've really enjoyed shape-note singing. Plus, Barrand told me I did a good job today -- I've never been complimented on my singing, so that was exciting. (Of course, in school I was always stuck in the soprano section, but now I'm singing tenor.)

I can do interviews over email or over the phone and while I don't have a huge amount of free time during the day, I do have tons in the evenings -- especially this weekend. I'll try to make it to the convention, but since I don't have a car up here it might be tricky. Barrand told us about the one in Conn.

Anyways, if you're interested in talking/emailing w/ me sometime this week, please drop me an email. Thanks!

Subject: RE: BS: Article about shape-note singing
From: Burke
Date: 05 Oct 04 - 08:43 PM

Tenor in Sacred Harp is pretty much the same as soprano. You get the melody & treble has the high harmony. I found out this summer that in Christian Harmony the staffs, top to bottom are called: Tenor, Alto, Lead & Bass. In both traditions, it's best to have men & women in octaves on the top & 'tenor' staff.

Tony will never sing treble & I'm not sure why. I think he'd be good.

Burke
e-mail from my hotmail account sent.

Subject: RE: BS: Article about shape-note singing
From: open mike
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 12:53 AM

there was a scene in the Movie Cold Mountain where they were doing shape note singing or sacred harp singing.
there is sacred harp history on the dvd...
Tim Ericksen, of Cordelia's Dad folk group was involved
in some of the sound track : http://www.greenmanreview.com/cordeliasdad.html
http://www.theoldtimes.com/past/1201_3.html
http://www.timeriksen.net/news/latimesarticlenov03.html

Subject: RE: Article about shape-note singing
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 05:34 AM

Tracy, isn't Tony a wonderful teacher? He was at BU when I was there, too many years ago, and one of my regrets is not taking his class. I have had the honor of learning clog morris from him and have great admiration for him as a teacher.

I'm not much of a shape note singer, but good luck on your project!

Allison

Subject: RE: Article about shape-note singing
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 09:59 AM

Norumbega Harmony, a shape note group that has appeared on Prairie Home Companion, meets at a college in one of western Boston suburbs, I'm fairly sure, and I believe they have a Web site. If you're schedule's tight, it shouldn't be too hard to line up phone interviews with some of the members.

Subject: RE: Article about shape-note singing
From: M.Ted
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 01:43 PM

Hopefully, you understand that there are folks who get together to sing Shape Note hymns because they like them, and folks who sing them as a form of worship--

Subject: RE: Article about shape-note singing
From: GUEST,tracy f. harris
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 04:20 PM

I do understand and that's why I want to talk to as many people as I can and find out who does it for what reason and why they sing these hymns as opposed to others. It's not like a research paper where I have some thesis to prove ... I just want to hear people's stories.

On that note ... If you have a story about shape-note singing, please email me!

Subject: RE: Article about shape-note singing
From: Burke
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 05:00 PM

Hopefully, you understand that there are folks who get together to sing Shape Note hymns because they like them, and folks who sing them as a form of worship.

Hopefully you also recognize that these are not mutually exclusive reasons for singing :-)

Subject: RE: Article about shape-note singing
From: GUEST,tracy f. harris
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 06:02 PM

I agree. I don't want to pursue any particular reason for singing -- I want to explore all the different reasons for it.

Subject: RE: Article about shape-note singing
From: Trevor
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 08:26 PM

Linda - you reading this for your Rapsquillion intros?

Subject: RE: Article about shape-note singing
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Oct 04 - 09:56 AM

Favorite shape-note story? The Golightly Sisters.

Subject: RE: Article about shape-note singing
From: Burke
Date: 07 Oct 04 - 07:00 PM

All of them!

Here's a picture of Ben & Thurza.