Idumea

[ohsomecustard]

did you record each of these voices seperately without the aid of time-keeping equipment? because if so that is extremely impressive, to keep time so accurately across the entire song.

[AntiMusick]

very cool so see and hear the entire hymn of "and am i born to die?" by Charles Wesley.

en.wikisource org/wiki/And_Am_I_Born_to_Die%­3F

[matthewvaughan]

I just finished reading the Wikipedia articles on Shape Note and Sacred Harp, and subscribed to PLBrayfield. Thanks for the tip. I get 7-shape, obviously but I'm still confused about 4-shape notation. And great singing on this video, lo-fi video and all.

[nolicnotrut]

Hey, that's good!

I have never heard your additional verses before. I have this song from the English folk family, 'The Watersons'.

Educate me, please. Who wrote it?

One commentator attributes it to Wesley. I know it was published in the Methodist Hymnal, but CW is not acknowledged as the author.

Any thoughts?

Well done, anyway.

[muldoonspicnic]

@nolicnotrut @nolicnotrut Words byCharles Wesley, 1763; Music by Ananias Davisson from his 1816 hymnbook the  Kentuck Harmony.

It's rather strange to see men in singing lustily in the open air but hear a much more restrained indoor performance on the soundtrack. I certainly don't see any link with Georgian singing, as someone suggested! For purposes of comparison, the sound of traditional Sacred Harp singing can be heard on PLBrayfield's channel.

[nolicnotrut]

Thank you for that research. I remain sceptical about Wesley, but, for the time being, I'll take your word for it!

Best wishes.

[muldoonspicnic]

@nolicnotrut What's to be sceptical about? It's Hymn LIX in Wesley's Hymns for Children (1763). Google it if you like, or if you prefer printed sources look at the page scans from The Methodist Hymn-Book Illustrated on Wikimedia Commons or Wikisource (p428, sorry YouTube doesn't seem to allow posting of weblinks). Congratulations on your fine videos by the way.

[cinderellalifestyle]

amazing, truly!........., wow........

[keonepax]

Yoppy, you have the best ideas!  I imagine this one must have taken a lot of time and setting up!

[sparkyfiddle]

This is tremendous Yoppy. Well done and thanks!

[mjs004]

wonderful!

[YoppyKyabetsu]

Thanks!

[ihavenotea]

I wasn't infamiliar with Sacred Harp. Shape Note notation is really cool. (I wonder if lillypond has support for it)

Beautifully song, Yoppy. If I weren't so far away I would join you!

[YoppyKyabetsu]

There is always room for more here!

[HunterRobertson]

Excellent. I first heard that from an English group called The Young Tradition.

[YoppyKyabetsu]

Merci! I think my first was here on YouTube.

[mugambismonkey]

Wow... a whole choir this time! Yoppy you're the greatest!!

[YoppyKyabetsu]

Well, what I lack in greatness I try to compensate for with persistence. Been wanting to do a choir for ages.

[mugambismonkey]

I do can spot greatness in this video! Btw. septuplets have been born in Egypt a year ago. Maybe we will be able to listen to such a choir for real in a few years!

[krabbers]

brilliant

[okvolleyball]

Sacred Harp is so cool nice job .

[YoppyKyabetsu]

Thanks. I hope the tradition sticks around a bit longer.

[mctrmt]

Wow, Yopp. This is just amazing!

[YoppyKyabetsu]

Thanks, MA!

[hoosierhiver]

The whole tribe!

[YoppyKyabetsu]

Yep, we are multiplying like roaches.

[KenMiddletonUkulele]

Stunning performance. I've never heard of this style, but it seems right up my street. Love the words: they seem very much Bible-based. I have a very fundamentalist belief.

[YoppyKyabetsu]

The name "Sacred Harp" refers to the human voice and the style is very much rooted in fundamentalist protestant traditions.

I consider myself a fundamentalist.

[unclejeff64]

my wife and i went to a sacred harp performance this summer that turned out to be a sacred harp class. they insisted that we participate. got thrown in the deep end needless to say, but we really enjoyed ourselves. they were working on "the rose of sharon" which has a million words, a dozen time shifts and no refrain. thanks for posting yoppy!

[YoppyKyabetsu]

Thats very cool. I have been looking and it appears there is a regular meeting up in the northwestern corner of Arkansas. I may have to go check it out. It would be amazing to take part in one of these sings.

[PLBrayfield]

'a sacred harp performance . . . turned out to be a sacred harp class.' Don't be too surprised. Sacred Harp singing are not performances, they are group singings, traditionally called a 'class'. Just get together and sing a couple of hours - or all day - or all weekend . . .

Lots of Sacred Harp songs are posted on YouTube. Check 'em out!

[weegingayin]

Ancient and justified.

Once when I was in Boston I attended a shape note session and it was one of the best music sessions of my life.

Oh to be in the centre of that square and to have a hundred voices directed in towards you.

I was told that down south the baptists could sing for 3 to 4 hours solid. They would form a square and as the spirit led someone would step into the centre to lead the sides of the square in song.

Shape note singing on the interwebs if you want to know more

[YoppyKyabetsu]

In my neck of the south, the tradition has faded, sadly. I miss them.

[PLBrayfield]

'Down south the baptists could sing 3 to 4 hours solid' - Well, not only 'down south,' not only 'baptists' not only 'could' and not only '3 - 4 hours'! Sacred Harp Conventions are held regularly all over the country. For two days, singers call and lead one song after another, stopping for 10 minutes or so a couple of times a day, plus an hour out for 'dinner on the grounds.' Whoever shows up, sings in the group (or, as they call it, 'class'). Not a performance -more like  'community singing.'

[PeterDoughty]

Great. Btw, there is a road in my town named Yopp Rd!

[YoppyKyabetsu]

Sweet!

[floydbluethereal]

Awesome!!!

[YoppyKyabetsu]

Thanks

[boozelele]

wow, terrific stuff here.

[YoppyKyabetsu]

Thank you.

[GrumpyCoyoteTunes]

Sometimes I think I can't get enough Yopps, and sometimes it's bloody perfect. This is one of the latter.

I can't stop listening.

[YoppyKyabetsu]

Right back at you. That song you and Adelle wrote, Audible Awesome.

[theBradlands]

Wonderful harmonies Yop. You should do a tutorial on how you do harmonies like that.

[YoppyKyabetsu]

Thanks! Yopp tutelage. Am I the only person frightened by that concept?

[granniejans]

This is awesome! I love the ancient-ness of this singing. I think your video "quality" makes the seven of you look like angel spirits!

[YoppyKyabetsu]

That is probably one of the few times in life that I have ever been compared favorably to an angelic likeness. Thanks!

[russbuss415]

so awesome! i wouldn't even know where to begin with a vocal arrangement of this scope.

[YoppyKyabetsu]

First give up silly notions like having a life or sleep... Many thanks, Russ.

[lukuleles]

interesting way to show all of your wonderful singing. i can see why you like this style.

[YoppyKyabetsu]

Its the haunting, ancient (as grannyjans put it) feel.

[deach69]

That had to take at least 35 minutes! Amazing Yoppy!

[YoppyKyabetsu]

There are about 16 vocal parts, in addition to the 7 video takes. Yep, it took a while.

[kennymelodica]

5 stars for 'each' of You!

Great vocals and brilliant video

[YoppyKyabetsu]

Thanks, Kenny! That reminds me. Gotta let the girlie watch your "Eye of the Tiger" vid!