Sometime in the first few weeks of learning "Hallelujah," Sis. Applonie mentioned that it was rooted in the Sacred Harp style, referring to the brighter tone and alternative vowels we were using. I decided to do a bit of research on Sacred Harp and - to my delight - discovered some things about it that are reminiscent of the way we sing and love "Hallelujah" in class. Below are a variety of facts about Sacred Harp singing.- The original core music from this genre was published in The Sacred Harp in 1844, featuring tunes by New England composers.
- A group of traditional sacred harp singers, referred to as a "class," will gather and sit in a "hollow square" with different parts on each side.
- Many singers will beat or swing their hands in time with the conductor (or "leader") in an effort to support the leader and keep the class together.
- They often sing without instrumental accompaniment with a remarkable resonance, volume, intensity and enthusiasm.
- The purpose of singing, for traditional sacred harp singers, is for their own enjoyment and inspiration, not for a listening audience.
We have been given the opportunity to dedicate so many of our songs to other people in our lives (Jeanie, Under the Willow, Jehovah, etc.), but maybe this one can be for us - for our "own enjoyment and inspiration rather than [just] for a listening audience."
3 comments:
I love this! Had no idea it had so much history behind it. Awesome. :)
Fellow singers: You should know that Sacred Harp singing is going on all over the country and even in England. And most to the point, you can find singers right in Provo. According to the calendar at utahsacredharp dot org, there's a singing every second Tuesday of the month. Sacred Harp singings are free and open to the public, and everyone is encouraged to participate. (I'm a shapenote singer in the Northeast; we tend to be a bit evangelical about Sacred Harp!)
That is so interesting!!
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