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Across the Fence:  Shapenote/Sacred Harp singing  |
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emma.birdwhistle
True Blue Farmgirl
187 Posts
Elizabeth Ann
Ontario
Canada
187 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 24 2007 : 3:07:44 PM
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Are there any other shapenote-singing farmgirls here? I've been interested in this tradition (see www.fasola.org for more information) for years, but only got around to attending my first singing this past Wednesday. Now I'm starting a group in my own village. We'll be singing once a month. It's such a distinctive, beautiful, joyous sort of music! If you haven't heard of it, it's well worth exploring.
- Elizabeth Ann
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Thoreau
http://resolutelyoutmoded.etsy.com |
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sweetproserpina
True Blue Farmgirl
535 Posts
meg
Vinemount
Ontario
Canada
535 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2007 : 3:55:20 PM
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I've never heard of it, but it sounds so much like the singing school that Laura and Almanzo went to in the Little House on the Prairie books. I never knew these still existed, what a wonderful, fun thing to do, not only is there the joy of singing, but the chance of learning all kinds of new 'old' songs. The next time I'm in Ont. I'll have to come and listen to your group.. (And maybe join in too  )
"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world."
http://theprimroseway.blogspot.com/ |
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emma.birdwhistle
True Blue Farmgirl
187 Posts
Elizabeth Ann
Ontario
Canada
187 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2007 : 4:19:02 PM
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Meg,
We'd love to have you. We sing on the first Sunday of each month.  Really, I would love to meet you in person if you're ever in Ontario. As for shapenote singings in your area, I haven't been able to find any traces of them in BC. But here's a group that holds various singings throughout Washington State:
http://pnwshs.org/
And a group that sings in Portland, OR:
http://www.portlandsacredharp.org/
Just in case you get interested enough to warrant a rather long drive.
- Elizabeth Ann
P.S. I think there is a connection between shapenote singing and Laura and Almanzo's singing school. The shapenote method was developed (as far as I recall) for use in singing schools as an easier way of learning to read music.
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Thoreau
http://resolutelyoutmoded.etsy.com |
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nitere
True Blue Farmgirl
482 Posts
Amy
Hickory
NC
USA
482 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2007 : 4:34:34 PM
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elizabeth ann-so excited that you posted about this! a couple of my dearest friends, matt and erica hinton, recently finished a documentary entitled, awake my soul, about sacred harp. the film has been shown in various venues, including our public broadcasting stations. you should check it out at http://www.awakemysoul.com/ . For those of you who have never heard it, when you visit the website, it automatically will play a group singing in this style. it is a beautiful and haunting sound-it actually cannot be put into words. we actually gathered at their house this past week for a small singing. i am still a newbie and learning to sing this way, but it is all i can do not to belt it out!
http://www.buraellen.blogspot.com |
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emma.birdwhistle
True Blue Farmgirl
187 Posts
Elizabeth Ann
Ontario
Canada
187 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2007 : 5:40:58 PM
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I actually own the Awake My Soul documentary on DVD. It was a Christmas gift from my mother. I think it is absolutely wonderful - though I've only watched it once, because I lent it to my uncle who is now also interested in the Sacred Harp tradition, and he hasn't given it back yet. How nice that you personally know the filmmakers! I read somewhere that Erica Hinton does letterpress printing too, which interests me because I am eager to pursue this craft myself. So many fascinating things to learn about. I'm glad to see another new Sacred Harp singer here!
- Elizabeth Ann
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Thoreau
http://resolutelyoutmoded.etsy.com |
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sweetproserpina
True Blue Farmgirl
535 Posts
meg
Vinemount
Ontario
Canada
535 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2007 : 8:25:20 PM
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Oh wow! That singing sounds wonderful!
Thank you Elizabeth I'm actually in Ontario quite often as all my family lives there (it's just little old me on the wet coast!) And there are whispers of the Fella and I moving back to Ontario in the near future (within the year!)... so I may get to that shapenote-singing yet.
Cheers! - meg
"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world."
http://theprimroseway.blogspot.com/ |
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ByHzGrace
True Blue Farmgirl
348 Posts
348 Posts |
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emma.birdwhistle
True Blue Farmgirl
187 Posts
Elizabeth Ann
Ontario
Canada
187 Posts |
Posted - Mar 25 2007 : 10:05:45 AM
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*waving hello to Ellen* Greetings, fellow shapenote singer!
Meg - how wonderful to hear that you might move to Ontario! Of course, that would presumably mean leaving your living-history job that I'm always going on about ("you must have so much fun at work", etc!). But there are so many interesting historical sites around here as well. Have you been to Black Creek Pioneer Village in Toronto? I've visited there pretty regularly all my life, and volunteered in the costume department for a while when I lived in the city. It's a pretty place. Now that I'm a little too far away to be involved there, I'm looking at volunteer opportunities at a smaller pioneer village nearer at hand, as well as a local 19th-century house that has been closed for far too long and will hopefully be reopening to the public this summer. So there's lots to do in Ontario. Come and live here, won't you? 
- Elizabeth Ann
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Thoreau
http://resolutelyoutmoded.etsy.com |
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Sweet Harvest Homestead
True Blue Farmgirl
279 Posts
Lindy
Stanfield
NC
USA
279 Posts |
Posted - Mar 26 2007 : 07:49:08 AM
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Hey! great topic.
I have the Sacred Heart Song book around here somewhere. I went to a singing in Henderson, TX several years ago. Also, there was an old church near where I grew up that had an annual Sacred Heart singing and dinner on the grounds. I love the way it sounds and the good fellowship that goes along with it.
Lindy
www.sweetharvesthomestead.typepad.com |
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Kim
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
Kim
Pflugerville
Texas
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Mar 26 2007 : 08:32:09 AM
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I am listening to bits of it right now, from the web. It is beautiful, I will have to get the DVD and CD. I have never heard of this before. I have a rotten voice and am a great admirer of those of you that can sing (in tune).
Blessed Be!
farmgirl@heart
"Go confidently in the directions of your dreams; live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler." - Henry David Thoreau
http://chevy49girl.livejournal.com/
http://midwestmusings-kim.blogspot.com/
http://chevy49girl.deviantart.com/ |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Mar 26 2007 : 08:38:29 AM
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Sacred Harp singing - we have a group that meets at our church weekly. They will teach anyone who visits. I have visited once, but did not get the hang of it that first time. Everyone sits in a foursquare and takes turns singing and there is a leader.... The notes on the music are different too, which is why they are called shapenotes, I guess! Anyway, when I saw Cold Mountain, and a recent TV movie on the Amish, they were singing in this manner in the movie during the church scenes. It is very beautiful. The group that meets at our church to practice and sing are actually a Quaker group.
Hi Ellen! I have been to the bluegrass and music fectivals at White Springs and at Suwannee many times. So much fun. I have to go now and visit the web addresses you listed above! :)
Ephesians 1:17 |
Edited by - jpbluesky on Mar 26 2007 08:50:11 AM |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Mar 26 2007 : 10:13:54 AM
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| Very cool stuff. I've been interested in shape note music since I first heard about it a couple of years ago, so thanks for the links. I can't sing for beans, but I would love to try this. It just sounds like fun. Too bad that fast ferry service between Rochester and Toronto was discontinued so fast! I'll have to look and see if there is any group meeting in Western New York. |
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emma.birdwhistle
True Blue Farmgirl
187 Posts
Elizabeth Ann
Ontario
Canada
187 Posts |
Posted - Mar 26 2007 : 10:25:51 AM
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Amie - here's a website that might help you with finding a local singing group:
http://home.stny.rr.com/nysacredharp/
(Sacred Harp Singing in New York State)
It's so nice to see that so many farmgirls are interested in the Sacred Harp tradition. It's a wonderful thing to try, even if you don't think you can sing!
- Elizabeth Ann
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Thoreau
http://resolutelyoutmoded.etsy.com |
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Kim
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
Kim
Pflugerville
Texas
USA
146 Posts |
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emma.birdwhistle
True Blue Farmgirl
187 Posts
Elizabeth Ann
Ontario
Canada
187 Posts |
Posted - Apr 01 2007 : 10:35:25 AM
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Our first local Sacred Harp singing takes place this evening! I'm looking forward to it, and hoping for an excellent turnout. I'll come back tomorrow to report on the proceedings!
- Elizabeth Ann
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Thoreau
http://resolutelyoutmoded.etsy.com |
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Kim
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
Kim
Pflugerville
Texas
USA
146 Posts |
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emma.birdwhistle
True Blue Farmgirl
187 Posts
Elizabeth Ann
Ontario
Canada
187 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2007 : 06:29:04 AM
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Well, the singing was lovely. We had about 18 people there, including four from another shapenote group, which helped immensely to solidify things. The sound in the gallery (where the singing was held) was really wonderful, and I think everyone enjoyed themselves, in spite of the confusion of trying to sing from shapenote notation for the first time! I think this will become a really interesting community tradition. I'm already looking forward to the next gathering in May. Here's a link to a picture:
http://flickr.com/photos/emmabirdwhistle/443531551/
What a wonderful evening!
- Elizabeth Ann
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Thoreau
http://resolutelyoutmoded.etsy.com |
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ByHzGrace
True Blue Farmgirl
348 Posts
348 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2007 : 09:40:55 AM
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Lindy is right best fellowships are built around song.
The note are shaped to make it easier... ya don't have to read. Did the 4 from the group suggest songs? Wondering how you chose selections?
Hey Jpbluesky I learned/heard first on the porch of my Quaker family.I imagine we've been both at the same festivals... have you done the bridge to bridge trail on the suwannee?
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emma.birdwhistle
True Blue Farmgirl
187 Posts
Elizabeth Ann
Ontario
Canada
187 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2007 : 11:04:25 AM
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Ellen,
Yes, the four singers from Toronto helped a great deal in choosing songs. We started out with one or two that they considered easy to pick up, and then we launched into anything and everything that struck our fancy. I had also kept some favorites in mind from the previous singing I had attended, so we did some of those. There are so many songs in The Sacred Harp, and they're all wonderful!
I found that last night (being the second singing I had attended) I grew more accustomed to the shapenote notation. At first I had found it a little difficult to strike a balance between reading the music with the aid of the shapes and reading it as conventional music (the latter having been second nature to me for the past ten or twelve years!). But it somehow settled in last night, and I began to get a sense for the intervals between the shapes. Not to mention getting a little bit better at singing the shapes full-speed-ahead without calling a "mi" a "fa" and a "fa" a "la", and so on.
- Elizabeth Ann
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Thoreau
http://resolutelyoutmoded.etsy.com |
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Kim
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
Kim
Pflugerville
Texas
USA
146 Posts |
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Kim
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
Kim
Pflugerville
Texas
USA
146 Posts |
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ktknits
True Blue Farmgirl
582 Posts
Kathy
Northwest Indiana
USA
582 Posts |
Posted - Apr 03 2007 : 07:29:19 AM
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Hello, Kim, are you out there--whatcha doing tonight? There's a shapenote/sacred heart singing tonight from 7-9 in Geneva--only about a half hour away from you. www.woodbros.com/singings.html
Look for the Chicagoland singings, then for the one in the western suburbs. Every 1st & 3rd Tuesday. I'd love to go, but it's 100+ miles for me--don't know if that's too feasable. Check it out!
Kathy
http://ktknits.blogspot.com |
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Kim
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
Kim
Pflugerville
Texas
USA
146 Posts |
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Kim
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
Kim
Pflugerville
Texas
USA
146 Posts |
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emma.birdwhistle
True Blue Farmgirl
187 Posts
Elizabeth Ann
Ontario
Canada
187 Posts |
Posted - Apr 03 2007 : 1:08:15 PM
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Kim - there is also a big annual singing in Chicago (The Twenty-Second Annual Midwest Sacred Harp Singing Convention) on May 26 and 27 this year. There's information here if you scroll down:
http://www.woodbros.com/Singings.html
I've heard it's really a wonderful experience with a huge number of singers. I'd like to go some year!
- Elizabeth Ann
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Thoreau
http://resolutelyoutmoded.etsy.com |
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Phils Ann
True Blue Farmgirl
1095 Posts
Ann
Parsonsburg
Maryland
USA
1095 Posts |
Posted - Apr 03 2007 : 1:35:44 PM
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The Sacred Harp songs in "Cold Mountain" sent chills down my spine, they were so beautiful. I went to the internet to learn something about it after watching the movie. How cool that you are singing the music!
Ann
There is a Redeemer. |
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Across the Fence: Shapenote/Sacred Harp singing |
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Shapenote/Sacred Harp singing
