Who
We
Are
Our
group sings a Capella four part shape note
music, and uses the "Sacred Harp," a
collection of sacred songs, and anthems,
published continuously since 1844. The
music is written in standard musical
notation, but is supplemented by shaped
note heads, originally intended to
accommodate those who could not read
music.
About the music.
Music from the "Sacred Harp" does not
follow rules of conventional harmony, but
uses a polyphony style in which no one
part stands out . Often the chords in the
harmony change with every note, making the
harmony freely moving or dispersed.
The music includes 18th century New
England fuging tunes, anthems, folk
and gospel hymns, camp-meeting songs from
the 19th century, and some modern
tunes in these traditions. Shape note
singers gather for enjoyment, not
in preparation for performance. There is
no need to proficiently read music,
and all are welcome.
We meet the 2nd
Thursday of each month at 7 PM to
sing. We welcome new
singers. Map
Email
For more
information call 814-352-8029 OR
814-926-3142
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Sacred
Harp is a haunting form of shape note
hymn singing with deep roots in Early
America that has survived over 200
years.
The first feature
documentary about Sacred Harp, Awake My
Soul captures both the history and
the vitality of a music that is utterly
unlike any music most have ever heard.
Over the course of seven years, two
Atlanta film makers, Erica and Matt
Hinton, have painstakingly amassed
hundreds of hours of traditional Sacred
Harp singings in the southeast as well
as interviews with the most prominent
traditional Sacred Harp singers and
composers.
Sacred Harp has seen
increased exposure and attendance as
traditional singings have grown
over recent years. For more information,
please go to www.fasola.org
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