Shape Note Singing 'Africa' of the Sacred Harp

Fairfield Prairie Harmony singing shape note song Africa by Billings. Sacred Harp 178 Shapenote music during the Fairfield Iowa First Friday's Art Walk in the Icon Gallery on 4Apr08.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Sacred
• Harp
• Singing
• Shape
• Note
• Music
• First
• Fridays
• Art
• Walk
• Fairfield
• Iowa
• shapenote

[brigadoondays]

@sgpnc I never realized that all these verses existed! Thank you for posting them.

[KE5HOB]

What do you mean its one of the few shape note performances worth listening to? There are plenty of Sacred Harp recordings that sound more full than this that I personally find easier to listen to. This is too thin for me.

[MarthaH605]

Sounds very choral.

[hipknitchic]

God on his thirsty Sion-Hill Some Mercy-Drops has thrown, And solemn Oaths have bound his Love To show'r Salvation down. Why do we then indulge our Fears, Suspicions and Complaints? Is he a God, and shall his Grace Grow weary of his saints? Now shall my inward joys arise, And burst into a Song; Almighty Love inspires my Heart, And Pleasure tunes my Tongue.

[sgpnc]

And here are the other three verses Can a kind Woman e'er forget The Infant of her Womb, And 'mongst a thousand tender Thoughts Her Suckling have no Room? Yet, saith the Lord, should Nature change, And Mothers Monsters prove, Sion still dwells upon the Heart Of everlasting Love. Deep on the Palms of both my Hands I have engrav'd her Name; My Hands shal raise her ruin'd Walls, And build her broken Frame

[sgpnc]

These folks did a great job. Here are the three verses performed here. God on his thirsty Sion-Hill Some Mercy-Drops has thrown, And solemn Oaths have bound his Love To show'r Salvation down. Why do we then indulge our Fears, Suspicions and Complaints? Is he a God, and shall his Grace Grow weary of his saints? Now shall my inwards joys arise, And burst into a Song; Almighty Love inspires my Heart, And Pleasure tunes my Tongue.

[kkallebb]

Thanks for posting this, it's one of my favorite tunes by Billings. It's also one of the very few shape-note performances on Youtube that is actually listenable. Thanks again. One small criticism: I missed the last stanza, the text of which (by Watts) is extremely moving.