Robin, there are often discussions of why staff if you have shapes, etc. What it comes down to is using the shapes to enhance the information on the staff rather than replacing it. If you can read the dots well, they don't particularly help, but should not hinder. I'm not a good reader so I've found them very helpful & will sometimes write the syllables in on regular notation when I'm having difficulty. Here's a good article explaining the usefulness of shapes.

Mostly with the shapes you don't need to watch key signatures so closely. Harp of Columbia, an early 7 shape book, actually omitted the key signatures. It's really disconcerting to not have the sharps & flats at the beginning of the line, even though I think I'm not looking at them. The later edition, "New Harp of Columbia" did use the key signatures for new music added but did not add them to the tunes being reprinted from the earlier edition. I think of it as an experiment that did not succeed.

I've heard of a Sacred Harp group trying to get going in Australia, but don't know how they are doing. In a quick look I did not find any information on the Sacred Harp web pages. I've never heard that the 4 shape oblong books made the crossing to Australia, but I suspect the 7 shape Stamps Baxter music did. If your memory is of oblong books I'd like to know more about it.

If you like your music lines linear rather than vertical, you'd probably like singing Sacred Harp music. There is much more of a 'tune' to all the parts than in most hymns, but much easier than the early music we sometimes sing in church choir. It's most obvious in the fuges, but is present in most of the music. New Jerusalem, that Dave mentioned, is a good example. Melody in on the tenor staff, sing the alto down an octave!

Dave, Larry Gordon will be touring the UK with his adult group--Northern Harmony, February 5 - March 16, 2004. His web site has more information.

I went to a Northern Harmony sing about 2 weeks ago. We did several of the West Gallery pieces that are in the book. I always enjoy them.