Many of the original publications are still available in reprints, such as "ORIGINAL SACRED HARP' (Denison Revision) 1971 Edition (the one I own),

Published by Sacred Harp Publishing Company, Inc. Cullman, Alabama.  This edition is perfectly legible to modern singers. If you want to rewrite the

music in completely modern notation, just work with Sibelius, easy.  

 

And go on a Google exploratin to find others. I'd start with a search for "early American shape note music."

Do you actually have a copy of THE SACRED HARP?  I'd start there to really familiarize yourself with the SH "style".  

You can easily find copies for sale on the internet...or your local library may have one.

Good luck...

                       t

Broadman Press published "The Sacred Harp" (facsimile of the third edition, 1859), copyright 1968.  Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 68-18032.  The book includes a historical introduction of the Sacred Harp by George Pullen Jackson.  The book contains approximately 200 hymn tunes in shape note, voiced in three-part and four part voicings, with explanations of what each shape represents.  Hopefully this will help you in your planning.

Marilyn Carver

Tawn:  It's true that the publications can be found and are still being reprinted.  But the sacred harp is much more than just a repertoire.  It is even moreso a matter of performance practice, and just having the notes on paper in front of you is never enough because you have to know how to distribute the parts, which octaves to put them into, and how to bring them to life.  And of course it also involves a type of vocal production that would in general make any competent voice teacher throw up!!!

 

When my son was with Chanticleer they did some Sacred Harp, and had an expert come in to coach them, but the result was still more sophisticated and "pretty" than any authentic Sacred Harp performance should be.  They were just too good as singers and as musicians!!

All the best,

John

Tawn, the website to look at for purchasing a copy of the most recent 1991 edition of the Sacred Harp book (and other shape-note books in print), links to a multitude of resources, and information about local and national singings (it would definitely behoove you to attend a Sacred Harp singing convention to get an up close feeling for the style) is: http://fasola.org.  Another collection of shape-note music you might want to look at when choosing repertoire is the Northern Harmony book (2012 edition, edited by Larry Gordon & Anthony Barrand) published by Northern Harmony Publishing Company.  For an excellent model for how to perform shape-note music in a concert setting (as opposed to the somewhat free-for-all communal singing convention setting), for just $10 you can order an mp3 CDR with 100 traditional and contemporary shape-note songs from the Northern Harmony  from:  http://www.villageharmony.org/store/details/NHBKCD.html

Oh, and you don't need to purchase copies of either book for your entire choir, although at the low $20 pricetag for either book you really should get several for your music library.  A simple email to the editors of either the Sacred Harp or the Northern Harmony will get you permission to make as many copies of your chosen song/s as you need for your ensemble.

 

Tawn: If you'd like any performing advice, sample recordings or suggestions for pieces, feel free to contact me offline.  I've been directing and performing this genre for nearly two decades with Village Harmony and Northern Harmony.  pattycuyler(a)gmail.com

All of the resources mentioned above will keep you busy for many seasons.  But if you really were asking for "arrangements" rather than "editions," see Brad Holmes's (from Millikin U.) "Weepin' Mary."

 

I do shape-note music often.  I seem to alterntate between:  

 

1) presenting the music as first published, using performance practices typical to the genre

2) Subtracting/recombining/revoicing the original parts in different ways on different verses, and using the dynamic, timbral, and phrasing variations typical of concert choral performance -- in effect, making my own "arrangement."

 

I find that both approaches are equally compelling in completely different ways.  However, I am always explicit in my program notes/stage comments about which approach I am taking, so as not to mislead anyone about the genre's original sound.

 

Enjoy!

 

Kristina

All good comments...

I must tell you, though, some of the most enjoyable singing for me personally, was to actually participate in a sing...in my case the Big Singing  in KY a few years back.  That one uses the Southern Harmony -- not Sacred Harp -- but both are great sacred music collections in our American history. You can find them in your state on the internet.  Ex:  http://www.math.ufl.edu/~wjm/sweetwater.html

If you ever get the time...you should experience one...

                    t

 

For some contemporary (by which I mean modern) retellings of SACRED HARP tunes, look for HYMNODIC DELAYS by Ingram Marshall.   These four a cappella masterpieces use old shape note hymns as their source of inspiration.   The group THEATRE OF VOICES recorded it for the KRONOS QUARTET "INGRAM MARSHALL" CD.

Nick Page

www.nickmsusic.com

The contemporary composer Martha Shaffer arranged five of the Sacred Harp hymns some years ago for the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus. They were published by Oxford University Press, and are still available from them, either in their regular cataglogue or as reprints (not too expensive!). The choir also recorded them on a disc "Singing St. Louis," details of which may be found here:

The five hymns are: Sweet Canaan; King of Peace; The Traveler; I Would See Jesus; Foundation.

You can hear a clip of the first on the website.

They have been performed by many choirs, especially community choruses, so they would seem to fit your nrequirements perfectly. They're fun and richly arranged, though the tune is never compromised. I've performed them in the USA and Europe, and they have always been warmly received by singers & audiences alike.

If you have a problem with OUP, let me know at <maltworm(a)inlink.com>

 

Philip Barnes

St. Louis (MO)

We commissioned Dr. William Averitt to write a new work (3 years ago) titled "Over Jordan". It is 15 minutes in length, scored for chorus and piano (four handed) accompaniment. Based on 4 shape-note hymns from the Sacred Harp. You would need two extremely fine keyboardists to perform this...chorus parts are not that difficult. Seems to me by your post this is what you are asking/looking for...not to do an entire concert of hardcore Sacred Harp "style" singing. This work (and others like it) are "based on" the Sacred Harp tunes, but certainly do not need to be sung 'completely in the style'. I'd be happy to share a copy of "Over Jordan" with you :-)

 

Michael Main

Winchester, Virginia

There's also this modern edition of hymn-like arrangements of some of the music, if you don't feel up to dealing with the original shape notation or creating your own version.

 

Bill Spencer

Baltimore, Maryland

I have done several arrangements or editions of Sacred Harp tunes for concert use. My goal was to retain the spirit and basic techniques (doubling at octaves, open chords, etc.) of this deeply-felt music, while giving it a bit of a modern twist.  The pieces are mostly SATB, with a few SSA as well. All have been successfully performed by community choral ensembles. If you would like to see copies, let me know.