With this being Thanksgiving week and me not being inspired by much of anything else, I turn to the default setting of the Sacred Harp…
You hear this sung periodically at the singing I go to, though more likely you hear it when someone has a specific thing to celebrate–the birth of a new baby, the announcement of an engagement, a wedding, gratitude that someone has recovered from an illness.
But, as with all songs that may be called at a Shape Note singing, someone might just want to lead it and hear it sung, without a particular occasion in mind.
I am thinking about Thanksgiving, Hubby returning from Singapore after a full seven days away, and about the fact that I’ve missed 3, maybe 4, weeks of my regular Tuesday night singing. I so look forward to going singing tomorrow night–you know the drill, right? 7-10 pm at Helen Hills Hills Chapel, Rte. 9, Northampton, Mass.
Here’s a video of the Wootten Family of Alabama, shot by none other than Alan Lomax himself (!!!). I’ve recently begun to learn about the Wootten Family, but can’t say much because, well, I am just learning.
twinklysparkles 
I didn’t know about your singing and am fascinated. This video is also fascinating. The singing reminds me of a cd I have of Shakers singing. There is also a tinge of the singing (that I absolutely adore) that comes out of Africa.
If you click on the phrase “Sacred Harp” in my “word cloud” (fancy!) to the right, you will pull up other posts about shape note/sacred harp singing.
I have been singing it for 7+ years and love it. I have sung my whole life, never in a choir. I also have never been exposed to Christian themes in music and it continues to inform my writing. I love Gospel and Spirituals though I don’t ascribe to the religion. I ascribe to the yearning.
The Sacred Harp music has a particular rhythm. If you youtube any shape note/sacred harp music, you will hear it again and again. A black Shape Note congregation often has an even more pronounced rhythm. Most of the African-American congregations I’ve found on youtube are singing from 7-shape hymnals. You can look up the Wiregrass Singers.
Apparently, the Wiregrass Singers and the above Wootten Family both developed more idiosyncratic singing styles because the families sang in huge generational clans somewhat isolated from other shape note groups. At least that’s the info I’ve gleaned. I could be wrong on those details…..
I have this on iTunes! I AM NOT ALONE!
go, EOB, go!