I just got back from the East Midlands Sacred Harp convention in sunny Kegworth. Ooh, but it was fun.
For those of you who don't know, The Sacred Harp is an American Hymnal, first published in 1844. These formed the core of a tradition of choral harmony singing which survived in the southern states, but which has recently started to spread again.
The tunes are just great. Real belters with surprising harmonies and glorious fuguing sections. The words are usually cracking too, full of the old fashioned blood and thunder and that fine Righteous obsession with death and everything being better on the other side.
It was my first time actually singing this stuff 'properly' -- I've heard and sung some of the songs before in folk sessions (Amazing Grace, Wondrous Love...), but never 'sung the shapes' or sung a part that was written by someone else. And it was great.
If you sing and you hear of a Sacred Harp singing happening near you, I can strongly recommend you go along and join in; there's something about singing loud and in harmony that just leaves you with big grin and a general happy feeling about life. Don't worry if you're not a believer, it certainly didn't stop me.
I know what Sacred Harp is. I'm a participant in the Aiken-seven-shape system tradition, Sacred Harp's black sheep cousin.
Been slowly hacking on GNU Lilypond to make it print shaped notes; I think when I'm done it will do the 7 shape system and Sacred Harp.
Shaped notes are the best way in the world to learn to sing, especially if you're goal is singing for personal reasons, not to become a professional musician. There's something incredible about being able to produce the notes on a page properly with your own voice.
Re:Cool!
pdcawley on 2002-04-29T08:43:46
I'm not entirely sure I agree about shaped notes being the best way in the world to learn to sing, but then, I could sing before, but then I'm still a little unsure of the virtue of singing from dots/shapes in the first place, coming as I do from a folk tradition (well, sort of, I didn't learn my stuff at my father's knee, I learned most of it at my own CD player).
However, the sheer number of songs that I'd never sung before that we got through on Sunday was staggering (boy, are those songs short!). Admittedly, I was singing the tenor (melody) line so life was relatively easy. My wife, who is even less sure of the virtue of singing from dots than I am had a rather harder time among the altos. The altos have got some great sounding lines though.
