Shape Note Fuguing Tunes from The Sacred Harp

[ScottishFiddleLesson]

what are they doing with their hands?

[PLBrayfield]

@ScottishFiddleLesson The singers are beating time along with the leader in the center. It's sort of like tapping your foot to the rhythm of the music, and some do it, some don't. Note that many or most of the singers will take a turn in the center, leading a song of their choice. Also, that since the leader is in the center of a 'hollow square' of singers and not equally visible to all, having the singers beat time along with the leader helps the group stay together as they sing. Why?Tradition!

[kdejong13]

what are the lyrics about to these songs?

[PLBrayfield]

@kdejong13 These songs are all on Christian themes. 'Russia' and 'Nativity' have words that praise God. 'Northfield' and 'New Jerusalem' have words referring to a belief that at the end of time, there is a 'promised day' when it will be as if heaven (the 'new Jerusalem') has come down to earth. The titles are the names of the tunes, not the title to the 'poetry' or words sung to that tune.

[rushiasingsfasola]

@PLBrayfield I think they might have been refering to placing the words on the screen...for those who don't have books to follow along. I love sending my friends to your channel when telling them about the music, this is because you usually do have the lyrics up and they don't come back to ask me "what the hell was that gibber all about?" Isn't it wonderful that we don't have to worry about diction at these sings?!

[rushiasingsfasola]

@PLBrayfield I think they might have been refering to placing the words on the screen...for those who don't have books to follow along. I love sending my friends to your channel when telling them about the music, this is because you usually do have the lyrics up and they don't come back to ask me "what the hell was that gibber all about?" Isn't it wonderful that we don't have to worry about diction at these sings?!

[PLBrayfield]

@rushiasingsfasola Yes, it's a great way to sing! Without audience, without stuff like not breathing in the wrong places - just get the pitch, feel the music, open your mouth and sing. As to the impression that it's 'gibberish,' I think maybe that comes partly from hearing us singing 'fasola' the first time through & partly from the fuguing parts. The rest, I guess, is that we don't worry about diction.It sure feels great!

[MunchkinGoddess86]

WOW thanks so much!!! this is Just WONDERFUL!

[yaesuham]

You are RIGHT PL.. LOVE this vid too. May God Bless You in your efforts to bring this beautiful music to everyone interested. Hard to find good entertainment thats worth watching, but your channel, Yes. its really worth watching.. over and over again !!

[chase82]

Wonderful. It looks like it would not only be a prayerful thing to do but also fun.

[gallusrex]

Very well done. A sing that happened in Wales, no less! Remarkable. The first time I heard Sacred Harp, I thought it was a Welsh Gymanfa Ganu.I need to get to another sing soon. In my church (RPCNA, "covenanter"), we use the tune "russia" for the last part of psalm 119.  It's a very popular arrangement to sing...though to the uninitiated, it can be tricky to follow! Thank you for this video.

--DP

[PLBrayfield]

Although I believe there is at least one Sacred Harp video posted that was made in Wales, this one is from Columbia, Missouri, USA. But like the Welsh, American shape note singers sing their hearts out!

Glad you enjoyed the video. Check out my channel if you'd like to see more Sacred Harp and other shape note videos!

PB

[gallusrex]

Whoops! Sure enough...this video is a *response* to a video of a sing at Gwehelog. Thanks!

[rushiasingsfasola]

@gallusrex currently studying @ Geneva College. 119X was my favorite when my family attended an RP church in Philly. The main difference is that the Sacred Harp tradition is a lot LOUDER! :D

[gallusrex]

@rushiasingsfasola Aha!-- I'm pretty sure we know each other, then -- I'm in Philly, too! (Duran Perkins)

[bluegrassbaby86]

That's the clearest Sacred Harp recording I've ever heard. You did a great job capturing the audio.

[PLBrayfield]

A lot depends on the room we're singing in, the size of the crowd, and where I can position myself & camera. I have a simple camera, and the sound of Sacred Harp singers belting it out in a crowded room freaks out the sound recording function. This was a small group so ironically, the sound recording is better. Right now a new camera is not in my budget - but I'm glad this one turned out clear.

Thanks for the comment!

[bangwezl]

Charles Wesley, writer of "Oh, For A Thousand Tongues" wrote over 5500 hymns. Arcane legend has it that there are over a thousand verses to "Thousand Tongues"; just about any hymnbook you pick up has ten or twelve, frequently all different...Hallelujah!

[PLBrayfield]

I got a laugh out of your comment. I wonder if there ever were congregations that sang all the verses of a Wesley or a Watts hymn! Or maybe the idea was that you could omit any verses you didn't subscribe to ;)

[bangwezl]

The idea just struck me: a book for each of Watts' or Wesley's containing one hymn and all it's verses. Maybe a shopping cart full of songbooks? Like an old friend of mine used to say, "Dinner all day, and singin' on the ground"

[PLBrayfield]

Those books might be a project for some University press, perhaps with a grant from a regional arts council.

'Dinner all day . . .' Well, I'll EAT to that!

[AMPeveto]

The leader of 'Northfield' is wearing an ACDC shirt and it makes me smile. :D

[PLBrayfield]

That young man has been involved in Sacred Harp singing since he was old enough to say 'fa-so-la.' He attended with his father, who is singing in the front row of the trebles (red shirt). There's no dress code - you see everything from 'Sunday best' to black leather and one earring at these singings - in my experience, everyone is welcomed.

[mudws]

All four of these songs are originally fuging-tunes.  NATIVITY, also known as LINGHAM, is a well-known English fuging-tune; the Sacred Harp prints an "de-fugued" version, but you can hear the original bass and tenor entries at "The triumphs of, the triumphs of his grace."