The Sacred Harp: A Tradition and Its MusicOn any Sunday afternoon a traveler through the Deep South might chance upon the rich, full sound of Sacred Harp singing. Aided with nothing but their own voices and the traditional shape-note songbook, Sacred Harp singers produce a sound that is unmistakable--clear and full-voiced. Passed down from early settlers in the backwoods of the Southern Uplands, this religious folk tradition hearkens back to a simpler age when Sundays were a time for the Lord and the “singings.” Illustrated with forty-one songs from the original songbook, The Sacred Harp is a comprehensive account of a unique form of folk music. Buell Cobb’s study encompasses the history of the songbook itself, an analysis of the music, and an intimate portrait of the singers who have kept alive a truly American tradition. |
What people are saying - Write a review
We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.
Contents
The Tradition | 1 |
The Music | 30 |
The Background and Early History | 57 |
The Revisions | 84 |
The Conventions | 128 |
The Outlook | 149 |
Common terms and phrases
1st Sun 2nd Sun 3rd Sun 4th Sun alto anthems B. F. White bass black singers Calhoun County century Chapel Chattahoochee Convention Christian Harmony Cleburne County compiled composed Cooper book County Convention Cross Roads Cullman Dale County Denson book Denson revision District Sing edition fasola Florida four-shape fuging fuging tunes Georgia groups Harp Publishing Company Harp singers Henagar hymnal hymns Jackson James book James revision leader major melody Memorial miles east miles north miles northeast miles south miles west minor Mississippi Mount moves notation popular Primitive Baptist Church records rudiments rural Sacred Harp book Sacred Harp Musical Sacred Harp Publishing Sacred Harp singing Sacred Harpers session seven-shape shape-note shaped notes singing schools singing-school song book sound Southern Harmony Southern Musical Convention sung teacher tempo tenor Texas Thurman tion tones treble tune books voices volume W. M. Cooper Walker White Spirituals Winston County