You're Gonna Need a Friend

The Mt. Do-Well Hymn Choir. Recorded by R.A.M. in 1991 at Mt. Do-Well Baptist Church in McConnells, SC. www.hymnchoir.org (more)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• hymn
• choir
• prayer
• band
• music
• negro
• spirituals
• gospel
• black
• african
• american
• christian
• church
• baptist

[ministerzel]

Throughout rural churches in the south...we do sing like this. Every Sunday. I sing a lot of congregational hymns like this - ours is a Baptist Church, too. The beat is a little different than this, though. I think you are right when you say this particular style is "sharp note" singing. We call it that in our state in the south, too. That beat is more like that. All of these songs have been sung for generations, going back to slavery. I believe they are called "call and response" songs.

[Hymnchoir]

@ministerzel - my posting: Glory Land - New St John Vocal Choir is a black "shape note" song. Youtube user

H82c3G has several of that style posted too. It's interesting that yall use the term "sharp note" singing in your state. Some call them "O-one hunderds" We just call them "hymn choir songs" or "old timey" songs. They're all good!!

[psychicstalker2]

I always heard this type of singing referred to as "sharp", not "shape" singing. I think shape singing refers to the old music books with shapes for musical notes. Sharp singing is more "shamanic" than shape singing.

[Hymnchoir]

@psychicstalker2 - never heard that term.

[revrod100]

thank you lord.



[Quay506]

Yes shu!!!!!

[jerrellknox]

@Hymnchoir do you have anything with Mr. James Isom and Mrs. Mattie Jackson of Union Baptist Church in Rock Hill singing? I'd love to see it if you have it.

[alphashed]

If one closes his eyes and listens with an open heart it is not difficult to transport oneself back to a long ago era. An era when the slave had nobody to be a friend except God and one another.

[Hymnchoir]

I would love to hear that! Do you have recordings or know where I might find them?

[moderadonna]

It's not a regional thing. If you listen to some of the Native American Presbyterian churches, they sing the hymns in the same manner. This is a part of the OLD church.