Reportedly seven years in the making, the musical documentary awake my soul offers a glimpse into a littleknown and seldomdiscussed form of a capella music christened sacred harp singing that relies on an alternate set of musical notations called shape notes. Sacred harp singing is the oldest surviving american musical form. It follows the folk tradition of sacred harp singing, a type of shapenote singing, kept alive by amateur singers in the rural american south. A hymn a dayvolume 5 comprises 75 hymns arranged by hugh callison for solo lever harp. Chris tomlin awake my soul with lecrae lyrics youtube. Clayton state university to host free, old fashioned sacred. The story of the sacred harp is the first feature documentary about sacred harp singing, a haunting form of a cappella, shape note hymn singing with deep roots in the american south. Audio clips may be downloaded from a rose ensemble website as well.
I was particularly taken by the portions of the film featuring raymond hamrick. The story of the sacred harp times favorite theater button overview. Awake my soul is a film that captures both the history and the vitality of a music that is utterly unlike any music most viewers are likely to have heard. It has brought people together to sing in living rooms, churches. Clayton state universitys worldfamous spivey hall will host its sacred harp singing school on friday, july 15 and saturday, july 16. Then he said to me, prophesy to these bones and say to them, dry bones, hear the word of the lord. If youre a fan of american roots music, you wont want to miss awake my soul the story of the sacred harp, airing sunday at 3 p. The other disc has contemporary folk musicians reimagining sacred harp songs. Aaron girard american music university of illinois press. Awake my soul sheds light on sacred harp singing paste. It is a wonderful documentary and does an impressive job telling the story of sacred harp.
That year it was at poplar springs primitive baptist church near bowdon, georgia, brittain said. Singers and history buffs alike will thoroughly enjoy. A few years ago a friend in georgia told me about a documentary that featured his sacred harp group, about the history of sacred harp shape note singing, etc. The story of the sacred harp, poignantly documents this american singing tradition that connects individuals across regional, national, and international boundaries. Awake, my soul is the first feature documentary about the sacred harp singers, a lost tonal tribe who, in the deep south, continue to sing some of the oldest songs in america. Providing a 75minute journey into the wondrously vivid and idiosyncratic music known as sacred harp or shapenote singing, awake, my soul tells the story of what. Share your knowledge of this product with other customers. They were recently featured on the awake, my soul soundtrack, a documentary about the sacred harp. Because this christian worship music originated in rural churches of the american south, the program travels to these venues and. This volume includes songs for lent, easter, pentecost, and general worship. A documentary about the sacred harp tradition which is kept alive by amateur singers in the south. The story of the sacred harp gives viewers a history, from its 17thcentury puritan beginnings to its contemporary resurgence.
See more ideas about singing, folk music and songs. To improve this article, please refer to the guidelines. The story of the sacred harp, the critically acclaimed documentary as seen on pbs stations and featured on npr, in time magazine, pitchfork, the chicago tribune, atlanta journal, the oregonian, etc. Jan 04, 20 awake, awake, awake my soul, god resurrect these bones.
Insofar as sacred harp is among the earliest music in america, its history is incredibly rich. Download a pdf of the american church harp from 1856 1860 sacred harp download movie trailer for awake my soul. Awake, my soul the story of the sacred harp youtube. Sacred harp singing is getting a fair amount of press these days, thanks to the awake my soul documentary to which the first disc of the compilation is a soundtrack, as well as articles in. Masons sacred harp or eclectic harmony 1835 edition pdf download a pdf of the american church harp from 1856 1860 sacred harp download movie trailer for awake my soul. Awake, my soul the story of the sacred harp american. Just a few miles away in harris county is the beech spring baptist church. Awake, my soul is a documentary about the sacred harp tradition, kept alive by amateur shapenote singers in the rural south. Matt has a masters degree in theology from emory university in georgia and he.
A documentary about sacred harp singing, a haunting form of a cappella, shapenote singing with deep roots in the american south. The story of the sacred harp is the first feature documentary about sacred harp singing, a haunting form of. Hugh callison came to the harp as an adult after retiring from 40 years as a music educator. As a bonus i offer you to listen the rounder lp called the social harp which features songs from another historical shapenote book. The story of the sacred harp courtesy of awake productions. The story of the sacred harp by matt and erica hinton, standard onedisc and special twodisc editions the hintons, filmakers and sacred harp singers from atlanta, georgia, produced a featurelength documentary film and dvd, released in 2006, on the history, music, and traditions of sacred harp singing. Providing a 75minute journey into the wondrously vivid and idiosyncratic music known as sacred harp or shapenote singing, awake, my soul tells the story of what may be americas oldest. Matt hinton, sacred harp singer and maker of the documentary awake, my soul. All have been edited for harpability and are playable on a harp with a full set of sharping levers which goes to the g which is one and.
Describes recordings and other resources relating to sacred harp. Its subtitle would seem to claim that awake, my soul is primarily about a tunebook. The story of the sacred harp and listening to the justreleased soundtrack, ive been trying to imagine what it would be like to hear a sacred. The story of the sacred harp, courtesy of awake productions. Dan brittain, composer of sacred harp songs including cobb and mcgraw, pp. Start studying american folk music midterm dates only learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Many assume that this practice is unique to sacred harp singing, but evidence from early sources suggests that our current leading style has origins in prerevolutionary days. I am far from being qualified to contribute any commentary about this beautiful and unique musical art form, but i hope those who look at this board will read or listen to the remarks by those who are. Article topics have included the lyricism of charles ives, henry cowells sliding tones, bernsteins trouble in tahiti, henry brants spatial.
Sacred harp singing at wilmingtons cameron art museum april. Story of the sacred harp dvd, 2008, 2disc set, special edition at the best online prices at ebay. This article is within the scope of wikiproject film. Since watching the 2006 documentary awake, my soul. Hugh mcgraw, raymond hamrick, richard delong, rodney ivey. Sacred harp singing is a form of a cappella singing that regularly takes place in communities across the united states and beyond. His arrangements, for upper intermediate players, are interesting and have lovely harmonies. The onehour documentary captures the vitality of this intense and haunting music genre popularized by the recent. I will expect a citation from awake my soul the story of the. Seven years of filmic devotion by directors matt and erica hinton poured into awake my soul, a thorough examination of the history of sacred harp singing. The sacred harp encounter abc radio national australian. For example, william tansur, whose writings were widely known in new england, wrote in his melody of the heart or the psalmists pocket companion 1737. The story of the sacred harp, pbs documentary about sacred harp singing. Awake my soul is careful to point out that this music has been preserved in small communities.
The story of singing is integrally associated with the story of music education. It is no easy story to tell as it is such an unusual music form that the only way to really, truly get to know what it is all about is to experience it. The story of the sacred harp told the story of the origins of shape note singing, and of the sacred harp collection in particular, as. Carlene had a dry sense of humor and saw the joy in life. Somehow i missed the original airing on pbs, but a few weeks ago stumbled across a site that mentioned this documentary awake my soul and i had to. Individual songs can be downloaded at no charge in mp3 format. Robert robinson, 1758 southern harmony, 1835 this particular version was recorded in 2007 as a demo for matt hintons soundtrack to awake my soul. The story of the sacred harp the acclaimed 2008 documentary by matt and erica hinton has aired on many pbs stations in recent years. Come all christians be committed georgia baptist mission board. The story of the sacred harp is streaming for this week only at. Project muse american musicvolume 27, number 1, spring 2009. A hymn a day volume 5 by digital sheet music for voice,harp. Voice, harp advanced intermediate digital download arranged by hugh callison. Certain characters, like raymond hamrick, a watchmaker from macon, georgia who has been singing and songwriting for over fifty years, remind one of how crucial storytelling is to rural southern culture, where sacred harp singing currently thrives.
Awake, my soul is the first feature documentary about the sacred harp singers, a lost tonal tribe who, in the deep south, continue to sing. Shape note singing has survived over 200 years tucked away from notice in the rural deep south, where in old country churches, singers break open the sacred harp, a 160 year old shape note hymnal. These songs are sung unaccompanied by any musical instrument, save the instrument given by god. Disc one of the soundtrack to a film telling the story of the sacred harp, awake, my soul, comprises songs sung a cappella, in the traditional form. Pauls are organized by hinton and his wife, erica hinton, producers of awake, my soul. The story of the sacred harp chronicles the tradition of shape note singing, which stretches over two centuries but has largely been hidden away in the pockets of the deep south.
Sacred harp singing, based on four notes, or shapenotes sung in different octaves and a cappella rounds to form otherworldly harmonies, has survived since early colonists rebelled against. Stub this article has been rated as stubclass on the projects. Sacred harp singing, 19982006 from a variety of southern allday sacred harp singings. In 1785, by the request of the general association of connecticut, he corrected and revised watts version of the psalms, supplying. Documented in the 1844 publication of the sacred harp. Sacred harp is a haunting form of a capella hymn singing that has deep roots in the south. Intense and haunting, it has recently gotten a new boost of popularity after being featured in the films cold mountain and gangs of new york. Shapenote singing has survived over 200 years tucked away from. Mostly the 1st saturdays of each month, best to contact susan to verify when the singing is.
To use this banner, please refer to the documentation. The story of the sacred harp is a 2006 documentary film directed by matt and. The story of the sacred harp is a 2006 documentary film directed by matt and erica hinton, and narrated by jim lauderdale. Come all christians be committed georgia baptist mission. The story of the sacred harp, the original soundtrack.
Luxury documentary biography autobiography kickstarter. The story of an old watchmaker whose musical masterpiece came to him in a dream seemed the stuff of folk legend, like robert johnson selling his soul at the crossroads. Jul 5, 20 i have over the years truly learned to appreciate sacred harp music. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see lists of open tasks and regional and topical task forces. Oct 21, 2008 since watching the 2006 documentary awake, my soul. Dec 05, 2010 theres also a nice documentary called awake my soulthe story of sacred harp available on dvd. Welcome to the michigan regional shape note singing site. It will be introduced by cleve callison, station manager of whqr and producer of sacred harp singers, an awardwinning radio documentary on sacred harp singing for npr. I will expect a citation from awake my soul the story of the sacred harp this from econ philo 1 at university of texas, brownsville. The story of the sacred harp, took them seven years to complete and has been released on dvd. The story of the sacred harp twodisc special edition. Arranged in vocally accessible keys, all have been edited for playability on a harp which goes to the g that is one and.
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