Shape Note Song: Rise, rise my soul and leave the ground . .

[APayne1979]

This is beautiful. Perfect tempo, imho. 313b is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Thank you!

[PLBrayfield]

@APayne1979 This song is by Arkansas shape note singer P. Dan Brittain. Others songs by Brittain posted on my channel include 'Hauff' and 'Novakowski'. If you don't know these, you might want to check them out - excellent songs with the authentic old-fashioned Sacred Harp sound.

[APayne1979]

@PLBrayfield Thank you for the info! I really like hearing that there are living composers of these songs. I'm trying to brush up on songs for the MN Convention in a few days!! : )

[yakyakyakyakyak]

The tune and arrangement reminds me of "Doxology". Am I alone in this?

[PLBrayfield]

The tune most often used for 'Doxology' is called 'Old Hundred,' and is in the Sacred Harp tunebook under that name. It is not (as this one) in minor mode, but its cadences might be heard as reminiscent. I'll post a video that has 'Old Hundred' in it as one of several Sacred Harp songs, so one can compare.

[PLBrayfield]

The video response I have posted is composed of clips of songs recorded at an all-day singing in Goshen, Indiana. If you like what you hear, check out my 'channel' where I have posted over 40 shape note singing videos.

[dono509]

Nice touch to add the poetry!

[PLBrayfield]

Thanks! Another interesting aspect of this song is that the music was composed in 1971 by a musician now involved in shape note singing, but that it sounds so much like the tunes and harmonies of shape note songs composed in colonial days.