July 27, 2009 by Stacy McDonald
Awake My Soul!
10 Responses to “Awake My Soul!”
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That was interesting — I don't quite get your point. Loved the way the men were singing so fervently. Is this shape-note singing? M husband's aunt doesthat in Madison, WI.
Sincerely,
Susan
No "point," Susan. I just thought it was cool. :-) Yes, I beleive it would called shape-note singing. I'm wondering if it's also called Solfa singing. My daughters sing together something they call solfa that sounds very similar.
Hi,
I really enjoy your blog! My family and I go to a Primitive Baptist church in TN and this is how we sing. I just love it. We have singing school usually once a year where they teach the children how to read shape notes.
Why is it that the simplest of things bring tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing, that was beautiful!
That was beautiful! Such a precious glimpse of Southern culture. Thank you.
Beth Discher
I love that kind of music. My sister did that for awhile with her folklore society.
I don't think I've commented here before, but that video is lovely. I've met the man in the couple who produced it, and he's very kind (he actually teaches classes to homeschoolers as well!). I recently finished my dissertation on the tradition.
The tradition is known mainly as shape-note singing (using shapes to indicate the do-re-mi's in a hymn, or as you said, the solfege) or Sacred Harp music (after the most popular hymnal that uses the shapes). It started in the Northern US in the nineteenth century, and it spread South and West because of traveling singing school masters (I always think of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books), where it was preserved as a living tradition until today.
Many of the texts are beautifully reformed hymns (by authors such as John Newton, Isaac Watts, and William Cowper) that sadly aren't in many of our modern hymnals.
And the music is stunning, if you can find a live "singing," go! It's like being inside a pipe organ.
I loved the sound. I never heard it before.
I first heard this type of singing in the movie Cold Mountain. I bought the movie soundtrack, and found my favorite tracks were the Sacred Harp tracks. Since then, I bought a CD of this fabulous music that I really enjoy! Thanks for sharing the video.
I am from Alabama and grew up sing this with my grandparents. This is Sacred Harp (Old Book Singing) or typically called FaSola. This is sung using Fa-sol-la-fa-sol-la-mi-fa. Each note is shaped to aid reading. See Fasola for more info.
New Book singing is what most would recognize. It is sung using Do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do. Think about the Sound of Music song. This also uses shaped notes, just a few more of them. Many old hymnals would still have the New Book Shaped Notes (which aren’t so new anymore.)
There are singings all over the country that anyone is welcome to attend. Just check the above website. The hymns are fabulous old hymns with much deep meaning.
Berean Wife