The shape note documentary I saw at St. Elmo Pres. (Awake My Soul) has left me craving more. I keep thinking of getting away to one of the local singings to try it out and I would LOVE to host a showing of the documentary and a sample singing at our church in Flintstone too. The community we're in would probably love it. At our church on Sunday, we sang a an old hymn that was adapted from the Sacred Harp hymnal. This hymn was also sung a few times during the documentary and I was so excited to sing it, even if the tune was slightly changed. Here it is, and I hope it edifies you and encourages you as much as it has me. Click on the link below to hear the tune. The organ doesn't really do the song justice, but you'll get the idea. It's hauntingly beautiful to hear it sung in the shape note way, with over a hundred people belting out the notes and keeping time together. For now though, I have to be satisfied with humming it to myself while I do the dishes.
I know that my Re-deem-er lives— Glo-ry, hal-le-lu-jah!
What com-fort this sweet sent-ence gives— Glo-ry, hal-le-lu-jah!
Shout on, pray on, we're gain-ing ground— Glo-ry, hal-le-lu-jah!
The dead's a-live and the lost is found— Glo-ry, hal-le-lu-jah!
He lives, He lives, who once was dead— Glo-ry, hal-le-lu-jah!
He lives, my ev-er-last-ing Head— Glo-ry, hal-le-lu-jah!
Shout on, pray on, we're gain-ing ground— Glo-ry, hal-le-lu-jah!
The dead's a-live and the lost is found— Glo-ry, hal-le-lu-jah!
He lives to bless me with His love— Glo-ry, hal-le-lu-jah!
He lives to plead for me a-bove— Glo-ry, hal-le-lu-jah!
Shout on, pray on, we're gain-ing ground— Glo-ry, hal-le-lu-jah!
The dead's a-live and the lost is found— Glo-ry, hal-le-lu-jah!
He lives, all glo-ry to His name!— Glo-ry, hal-le-lu-jah!
He lives, my Je-sus, still the same— Glo-ry, hal-le-lu-jah!
Shout on, pray on, we're gain-ing ground— Glo-ry, hal-le-lu-jah!
The dead's a-live and the lost is found— Glo-ry, hal-le-lu-jah!
http://members.toast.net/puritan/Hymns/Hymns.htm
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5 comments:
Eek! I did my dissertation on shape-note hymns. They're SOOOO beautiful!! Have you been to the website, fasola.org? They have lists of local singings all around the country.
I enjoyed the talks that you and Matt gave at Covenant College so much, and I was really touched by the presence of your baby in a situation like that. I wanted to tell you at the time, but we had to leave early. I'm transitioning from doing scholarship into staying at home with my toddlers, and sometimes it's hard, but I just felt like the way you talked about it really validated the way that our education prepares for mothering our children.
Oops, looking again, I saw that you had a link to fasola.org in your post. :-)
Really?! Wow, what an awesome subject for a dissertation! I would love to look at it sometime. Are you guys local? Maybe I asked that when I saw you last, but it would be nice to get together sometime and chat.
You are in a great town to learn about shape note singing. The movie Cold Mountain features shape note music, and I read a news story about how they found the musicians they needed in the Chattanooga area.
Here is a link to a shape note scene in CM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY6LPgY_Zw0
You might have seen this, but here is a link to a story about the resent Sacred Harp convention on Sand Mountain. I first learned of this music shortly after I started to teach in FL and a student gave a speech on the topic. His family is from Appalachia and shape note music was a family tradition. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2009/sep/19/sacred-harp/
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