We are thinking about trying to start a sing in the Tampa area. In 2005 (while I was a Camp FaSoLa) I asked David Ivey if he would be willing to come down and help us..he said "yes", of course. We couldn't get people to commit but the time may be "right" now.
I grew up in the hills of Alabama and my mother and grandparents sang shaped note and sacred harp singing. Sitting in an old wooden, high-ceiling church house and listening to people sing in the "hollow square" is an incomparable experience. The "harp" sound comes from the chanted four part notes that are sung together and the sound is simply astonishing when the singers get warmed up.
this is GREAT!! i have been singing Sacred Harp since I was about four years old and still love it to this day! My college choir is traveling to Italy to sing next week and our director wanted me to pick a couple of sacred harps to learn for our trip and this is one of the two that i picked, the other was Pleyel's Hymn. The choir, with the exception of a/b two, had never heard of this style of music and hated it at first but now that we really have it down they LOVE it!
This song is what is called, in the shape note tradition, a 'fuguing tune.' Typically, the pattern of the song is a verse sung in 3 or 4 part harmony, followed by a 'fuguing section,' where the different parts enter at different points, then all unite again at the end. Also, you see here the custom of 'singing the notes' before singing the words - that is, a kind of 'solfege' using the scale 'fa, sol, la, fa, sol, la, mi, fa' (or, in some traditions, 'do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do.)
Thanks so much, PLB, for posting the video response to my video too. I thought this was excellent and agree that the person didn't know the tradition, etc. as you said. Youtube is so great that it has discoveries like this.
When I saw the first rating, I thought the same, and hoped another viewer or two would do justice to this video! Shape note singing isn't everyone's dish of tea, so probably a viewer who doesn't know the tradition or music happened on this video and mistook it for a badly disciplined out-of-control choir, waving their arms and singing at the top of their voices ;). Thanks for your encouragement. 'O come loud anthems let us sing . . .'
We are thinking about trying to start a sing in the Tampa area. In 2005 (while I was a Camp FaSoLa) I asked David Ivey if he would be willing to come down and help us..he said "yes", of course. We couldn't get people to commit but the time may be "right" now.
wurlic300 1 year ago
Comment removed
wurlic300 1 year ago
@wurlic300 So true! There's nothing like actually BEING THERE!
PLBrayfield 1 year ago
This is very fine singing. I attended Campa FaSoLa in 2005. Wonderful experience, something you can't get online.
wurlic300 1 year ago
They are singing in a "square". Tenors, sopranos sections kind of thing....very cool
fairman1952 1 year ago
I grew up in the hills of Alabama and my mother and grandparents sang shaped note and sacred harp singing. Sitting in an old wooden, high-ceiling church house and listening to people sing in the "hollow square" is an incomparable experience. The "harp" sound comes from the chanted four part notes that are sung together and the sound is simply astonishing when the singers get warmed up.
jimbonsf 2 years ago
this is GREAT!! i have been singing Sacred Harp since I was about four years old and still love it to this day! My college choir is traveling to Italy to sing next week and our director wanted me to pick a couple of sacred harps to learn for our trip and this is one of the two that i picked, the other was Pleyel's Hymn. The choir, with the exception of a/b two, had never heard of this style of music and hated it at first but now that we really have it down they LOVE it!
ctrapp123 3 years ago
Pardon my ignorance, but are they singing in a round? Whatever they are doing, it is beautiful.
lstdy 3 years ago
This song is what is called, in the shape note tradition, a 'fuguing tune.' Typically, the pattern of the song is a verse sung in 3 or 4 part harmony, followed by a 'fuguing section,' where the different parts enter at different points, then all unite again at the end. Also, you see here the custom of 'singing the notes' before singing the words - that is, a kind of 'solfege' using the scale 'fa, sol, la, fa, sol, la, mi, fa' (or, in some traditions, 'do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do.)
PLBrayfield 3 years ago
Thanks so much, PLB, for posting the video response to my video too. I thought this was excellent and agree that the person didn't know the tradition, etc. as you said. Youtube is so great that it has discoveries like this.
Beth
bethlynnbethlynnbeth 4 years ago
Out of control, indeed! LOL!!
dono509 4 years ago
Whoever rated this "poor" has no clue. Congratulations on a fine channel.
Don Wiley - dono509
dono509 4 years ago
When I saw the first rating, I thought the same, and hoped another viewer or two would do justice to this video! Shape note singing isn't everyone's dish of tea, so probably a viewer who doesn't know the tradition or music happened on this video and mistook it for a badly disciplined out-of-control choir, waving their arms and singing at the top of their voices ;). Thanks for your encouragement. 'O come loud anthems let us sing . . .'
PLBrayfield 4 years ago
@dono509
i did it...he he
ohjason10 1 year ago