Sacred Harp Singing

[Lee Baucum]

Have any of you ever attended or participated in a Sacred Harp "singing"?

[Blake Hawkins]

Yes, It was very big in Cullman, Alabama.
I used to have a book of Sacred Harp Music which was published there.
We lived In Jasper with frequent trips to Cullman and there were several churches who had Sacred Harp Singing.
Sometimes we would play the tapes on our radio station.
It is, indeed, a unique sound.

[David Doggett]

If you are talking about the old "shape-note" church singing, I've seen the written music and heard it sung, years ago. It's basically simple old time hymns with simple harmony and a steady driving rhythm.

[Stephen Gambrell]

Sacred Harp and shape note singing are similar, but not quite the same. Sacred Heart singing waas taught in singing schools, held in churches. One notable teacher was Ralph Stanley's father. It's based on learning the basic do-re-mi scale, and then learning the intervals as they apply to a particular hymn. The bluegrass group Blue Highway did a sacred harp tune a few CD's back, and it was out of this world.
Shape note singing uses the shape of the note, rather the the position on the staff, to designate its pitch, although the shap notes are still placed on the staff, in the correct place.

[David Doggett]

But does Sacred Heart use shape-notes? I've seen the shape-notes in old hymnals (the old Cokesbury Methodist hymnal had them), and I've heard Sacred Heart singing. Seems like it was named after the Sacred Heart book, that may have been the basis for the lessons.