Awake, My Soul: The Original SoundtrackProduced by Matt Hinton

Recorded by Matt Hinton & Matt Goldman Mastered by Matt Goldman, Glow in the Dark, Atlanta, GA

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Help Me to SingExecutive Producer: Matt Hinton

Mastered by Alex Lowe, Red Tuxedo ProductionsConsultants: Michael Kauffman, Nick Purdy, Matt Goldman

Chief Advisor: Erica HintonLegal: Peter Irvine

Artwork/ Layout: Matt Hinton & Jennifer CastlesLiner notes: Matt Hinton & Tim Eriksen

Cover Star: Lorraine Miles, The Yodeling Schoolgirl Photos courtesy the family of George Pullen Jackson

All songs and images from “The Sacred Harp” courtesy the Sacred Harp Publishing Co.

Thanks: Erica, Anna, Eli, Bill & Sandy Hinton, Mary & Chip Morgan, Matt Goldman, Nick Purdy, Peter Irvine, Lee Bozeman, Chris Foley, Chris Lopez, Erik Rostad, Wesley Stace, Daniel Smith, Sufjan Stevens, Elisabeth Kauffman, Tai Anderson, Mac Powell, Steven Nichols, Josh Jackson, John Plunkett, Tim Eriksen, Rayna Gellert, Chris Scofield, Richard Buckner, David Edwards, Kelly Hogan, Mary Beth Hurst, Jim Lauderdale, John Paul & Mo Jones, Jeni & Billy, David Stith, Elizabeth Kauffman, Michael Edwards, Sam Amidon, Jesse P Karlsberg, Aldo Ceresa, St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Pat Sonnet, Michael Ivester, Jason Hoard, Bethany Dick, Wesley Stace, Rick Moody, Murry Hammond, Richard Buckner, Don & Karen Peris, Nina Katchadourian, Pam Helms, Lance & April Ledbetter, Elvis Perkins, Nick Kinsey, Raymond Hamrick, Richard Mauldin, The Sacred Harp Publishing Co.,

The Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association, Holly Springs Primitive Baptist Church, Liberty Baptist Church, Scott & Jeannette Depoy, Mike & Jane Spencer, David Ivey, Jeff & Shelbie Shepard, Rod Ivey, Hugh McGraw, Charlene Wallace and Ed Thacker

All Glory and Honor to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Savior.

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disc 1: Awake, My Soul: The Original Soundtrack

#’s following titles above refer to page number in The Sacred Harp

1 Blooming Youth, 176b Rayna Gellert & John Paul Jones 2 Weeping Pilgrim, 417 Elvis Perkins in Dearland 3 David’s Lamentation, 268 The Good Players 4 Africa, 178 The Innocence Mission 5 The Christian’s Hope, 134 Jim Lauderdale with Jeni & Billy 6 Help Me To Sing, 376 Mac Powell 7 Columbus, 67 John Wesley Harding 8 The Traveler, 108b Cordelia’s Dad 9 Abbeville, 33b Liz Janes 10 China, 163b All Things Bright & Beautiful

11 Essay, 157 Tenement Halls 12 Windham, 38b Richard Buckner 13 Sermon on the Mount, 507 Danielson 14 And Am I Born to Die? (Idumea, 47b) Doc Watson & Gaither Carlton 15 Kedron, 48b Sam Amidon 16 Consecration, 448t Woven Hand 17 The Grieved Soul, 448b Rick Moody and Nina Katchadourian 18 Vernon /Wrestling Jacob, 95 Tim Eriksen 19 Christian’s Farewell, 347 DM Stith 20 Bound For Canaan, 82t Murry Hammond

1 China, 163b 2 Russia, 107 3 Stratfield, 142 4 Jordan, 66 5 Marlborough, 228 6 Bear Creek, 269 7 Abbeville, 33b

8 Corinth, 32t 9 Lloyd, 503 10 Eternal Day, 383 11 New Britain, 45t 12 Delight, 216 13 Panting For Heaven, 384

14 New Jordan, 442 15 Restoration, 312b 16 Prodigal Son, 113 17 Schenectady, 192 18 America, 36t 19 Antioch, 277 20 Norwich, 362

21 Consecration, 448t 22 Poland, 86 23 Idumea, 47b 24 Cowper, 168

disc 2: Help Me to Sing a collection of songs inspired by the film Awake, My Soul

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to listen for it these days. This Tenor melody is congruous with the Sacred Harp’s relative antiquity, as it dates back to the vocal music of the Renaissance. And then, there is the willful disregard of many of the supposed “rules” of musical composition. You will hear countless examples of parallel 5ths and open, two-note chords. Guitarists call these “power chords,” and if you listen to it loud enough- as it was meant to be heard- you will see why.

For these, and other reasons, Sacred Harp is often called “singer’s music” as opposed to “listener’s music.” One can only get the full effect of it by singing it, especially in the middle of the “hollow square” at a Sacred Harp singing, surrounded by each part. And yet, there is value in recordings. Indeed, the first exposure to Sacred Harp singing that many devoted singers have had has been through recordings. We often need to know what we are listening to before we are able to evaluate it and and even appreciate it. In this case, you are listening to people (not a choir). And they are singing. But remember: a Sacred Harp recording may be the light, but a Sacred Harp singing is the sun... -Matt Hinton

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Awake My Soul: A Note on these RecordingsThe songs on “Awake, My Soul: The Original Soundtrack” were all featured in our documentary, “Awake, My Soul.” In general, our priority was to use the precise recording of each song that we employed in the film. In several cases, this proved to be impossible: The portions of the songs that we did not use in the film occasionally had technical problems (e.g. glitches in the recording, bumping of microphones, incomplete recordings, etc.). Also, in the film, there are elements which make a piece of footage visually compelling despite problems with the sound/ performance, whereas on a CD, the recording quality is obviously not offset by the image. So, in producing this soundtrack, we were forced to make compromises. Unless the track was simply unusable, we tried to use as many of the recordings from the film as possible, whether they had some “rough patches” or not- this is a soundtrack, after all. So, as you listen to “Awake, My Soul: The Original Soundtrack” you must bear in mind these issues, but also understand the characteristics which are intrinsic to Sacred Harp singing in general.

How to Listen to Sacred Harp SingingFirst, and most importantly, the recordings here are not the result of recording sessions. They are “field recordings”- documents of community musical events which would have occurred in much the same way whether we had recorded them or not. There were no second takes or “do-overs”. There were no rehearsals, other than a lifetime of singing for many of the participants. And, rather strikingly, each of these singings were probably the first instance in which that exact collection of folks had ever sung together. There is no audition nor membership. Anyone could walk off the street and sing if they wished- and they probably did. Thus, if you notice a lack of “tightness” or if each note is not perfectly in pitch, do not be alarmed: It is merely the sound of people singing together. This is what that sounds like. Of course, virtually every commercial recording that has been made in the past decade has been so “corrected” and auto-tuned that we sometimes forget what the real thing sounds like. But because Sacred Harp is completely democratic, participatory, and egalitarian, and because it is almost never performed for an audience, it is natural that it should be “rough and ready” as it is.

The other elements which make Sacred Harp singing potentially “difficult listening” are also built into its very nature: On the surface, the most puzzling thing is the “singing of the notes”. This is “shapenote singing”, and as such, the singers begin each song (with the sole exception, in this case, of the first track “China, 163b”) by singing syllables which correspond to different shapes on their printed music. The triangle is “Fa,” the circle is “Sol,” the square is “La,” and the diamond is “Mi”. Simple. Except that it can sound like a bunch of ducks quacking when you’ve got each part singing a different note at the same time. More significant, however, is that, unlike most modern music, in which there is a clear melody with, perhaps, supporting harmonies, Sacred Harp compositions tend to emphasize the importance of each of the four parts, so that they are written as “countermelodies” in very many cases. The result is that the individual melodic strands that make up each of the four parts braid themselves together, crossing paths as they do so. It is not unusual for the highest line (Treble) to go beneath the third line (Tenor) and vice versa, for example. This means that for the singers, each line is melodic and interesting on its own. It also means, for the listener, that the resulting sound can be perplexing. Just listening, one hardly knows which is the melody. Frequently, listeners will hear a “composite melody” made up of whichever happens to be the highest note during each measure of a song. This problem is compounded by the fact that even when there is a definite melody, it is nestled down in the Tenor section rather than in the Treble section (which is equivalent to the “soprano”) where we are accustomed 4

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Marlborough, 228Recording: Liberty Baptist Church, Henagar, AL July 2005Tune: Abraham Wood, 1793Words: Isaac Watts, 1719

Oh for a shout of sacred joyTo God the sov’reign King!Let ev’ry land their tongues employ,And hymns of triumph sing.

Bear Creek, 269Recording: Liberty Baptist Church, Henagar, AL July 2005Tune: William Billings, 1778Words: Isaac Watts, 1719

Lord when Thou didst ascend on high,Ten thousand angels filled the sky.Those heav’nly guards around Thee wait,Like chariots that attend Thy state.

Abbeville, 33bRecording: Holly Springs Primitive Baptist Church, Bremen, GA June 2005Tune: E. J. King, 1844Words: Benjamin Beddome, 1800

Come, Holy Spirit come,With energy divine,And on this poor, benighted soul,With beams of mercy shine.

(Melt, melt this frozen heart;This stubborn will subdue;Each evil passion overcome,And form me all anew.)

Mine will the profit be,But Thine shall be the praise;And unto Thee will I devoteThe remnant of my days.*verses in parentheses not used in this recording

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China, 163bRecording: Liberty Baptist Church, Henagar, AL July 2005Tune: Timothy Swan, 1801Words: Isaac Watts, 1707

Why do we mourn departing friends,Or shake at death’s alarms?’Tis but the voice that Jesus sends,To call them to His arms.

Why should we tremble to conveyTheir bodies to the tomb?There the dear flesh of Jesus lay,And vanished all the gloom.

Thence He arose, ascended high,And showed our feet the way;Up to the Lord our souls shall fly,At the great rising day.

Russia, 107Recording: Liberty Baptist Church, Henagar, AL July 2005Tune: Daniel Read, 1786Words: Isaac Watts, 1719

My spirit looks to God alone,My rock and refuge is His throne.In all my fears, in all my straits,My soul on His salvation waits.

Trust Him ye saints in all your ways,Pour out your hearts before His face;When helpers fail, and foes invade,God is our all-sufficient aid.

Stratfield, 142Recording: Holly Springs Primitive Baptist Church, Bremen, GA June 2005Tune: Ezra Goff, 1786Words: Isaac Watts, 1719

Through ev’ry age eternal God,Thou art our rest, our safe abode;High was Thy throne ere heav’n was made,Or earth Thy humble footstool laid.

Jordan, 66 Recording: Holly Springs Primitive Baptist Church, Bremen, GA June 2005Tune: William Billings, 1786Words: Isaac Watts, 1707

There is a land of pure delight,Where saints immortal reign,Infinite day excludes the night,And pleasures banish pain.Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood,Stand dressed in living green,So to the Jews old Canaan stood,While Jordan rolled between.

(Oh could we make our doubts remove,Those gloomy doubts that rise,And see the Canaan that we loveWith unbeclouded eyes.Could we but climb where Moses stood,And view the landscape o’er,Not Jordan’s stream, nor death’s cold floodShould fright us from the shore.) *verses in parentheses not used in this recording

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Eternal Day, 383Recording: Liberty Baptist Church, Henagar, AL July 2004Tune: J. P. Reese, 1859Words: Charles Wesley, 1759

Oh what are all my suff’rings here,If, Lord, Thou count me meetWith that enraptured host t’appearAnd worship at Thy feet?Give joy or grief, give ease or pain,Take life or friends away,But let me find them all againIn that eternal day.

Oh what hath Jesus bought for me,Before my ravished eyes?Rivers of life divine I see,And trees of paradise.I see a world of spirits bright,Who taste the pleasures there,They all are robed in spotless white,And conqu’ring palms they bear.

New Britain, 45tRecording: Liberty Baptist Church, Henagar, AL July 2005Tune: Columbian Harmony, 1829Words: John Newton, 1779/ final verse, Anon.

Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,That saved a wretch like me!I once was lost, but now am found,Was blind but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,And grace my fears relieved;How precious did that grace appearThe hour I first believed.

(Through many dangers, toils and snares,I have already come;’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,And grace will lead me home.)

(The Lord has promised good to me,His word my hope secures;He will my shield and portion beAs long as life endures.)

(The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,The sun forbear to shine;But God, who called me here below,Will be forever mine.)

When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we’ve first begun.*verses in parentheses not used in this recording

**last verse not included in The Sacred Harp

Delight, 216Recording: Liberty Baptist Church, Henagar, AL July 2005Tune: Simeon Coan, 1798Words: Isaac Watts

No burning heats by day,Nor blasts of evening air,Shall take my health away,If God be with me there.Thou art my sun and Thou my shadeTo guard my head by night or noon.

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Corinth, 32tRecording: Liberty Baptist Church, Henagar, AL July 2005Tune: John Massengale, 1844Words: Joseph Grigg, 1765

Jesus, and shall it ever be,A mortal man ashamed of Thee?Ashamed of Thee whom angels praise,Whose glories shine through endless days.

(Ashamed of Jesus! just as soonLet midnight be ashamed of noon;’Tis midnight with my soul till He,Bright morning star, bids darkness flee.)

Ashamed of Jesus, sooner farLet evening blush to own a star;He sheds the beams of light divineO’er this benighted soul of mine.

Ashamed of Jesus, that dear FriendOn whom my hopes of heav’n depend!No, when I blush, be this my shame,That I no more revere His name. *verses in parentheses not used in this recording

Lloyd, 503Recording: Liberty Baptist Church, Henagar, AL July 2005Tune: Raymond C. Hamrick, 1980Words: Isaac Watts, 1719

My Savior and my King,Thy beauties are divine;Thy lips with blessing overflow,And ev’ry grace is Thine.

(The smilings of Thy face,How amiable they are;’Tis heav’n to rest in Thine embrace,And nowhere else but there.)

Nor earth, nor all the sky,Can one delight afford;No, not a drop of Thy real joy,Without Thy presence, Lord.*verses in parentheses not used in this recording1991 Sacred Harp Publishing Company, Inc. Used by permission.

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The Prodigal Son, 113Recording: Liberty Baptist Church, Henagar, AL July 2004Tune: E. J. King, 1844Words: John Newton, 1779

Afflictions, though they seem severe,Are oft in mercy sent:They stopped the prodigal’s career,And caused him to repent.

Chorus:Oh, I die with hunger, here he cries,And starve in a foreign land,My father’s house hath large supplies,And bounteous are his hands.

(Although he no relenting feltTill he had spent his store,His stubborn heart began to meltWhen famine pinched him sore.)

(Chorus)

(What have I gained by sin, he said,But hunger, shame and fear?My father’s house abounds with bread,Whilst I am starving here.)

(Chorus)

I’ll go and tell him what I’ve done,Fall down before his face,Not worthy to be called his son,I’ll ask a servant’s place.

(Chorus)

He saw his son returning back,He looked, he ran, he smiled,And threw his arms around the neckOf his rebell’ous child.*verses in parentheses not used in this recording

Schenectady, 192Recording: Liberty Baptist Church, Henagar, AL July 2005Tune: Nehemiah Shumway, 1805Words: Isaac Watts, 1719

From all that dwell below the skies,Let the Creator’s praise arise;Let the Redeemer’s name be sung,Through ev’ry land, by ev’ry tongue.Eternal are Thy mercies, Lord,Eternal truth attends Thy word;Thy praise shall sound from shore to shoreTill suns shall rise and set no more.

America, 36tRecording: Liberty Baptist Church, Henagar, AL July 2004Tune: Truman S. Wetmore, 1798Words: Isaac Watts, 1719

My soul repeat His praise,Whose mercies are so great,Whose anger is so slow to rise,So ready to abate.

(High as the heav’ns are raised,Above the ground we tread,So far the riches of His grace,Our highest thoughts exceed.)

(His pow’r subdues our sins,And His forgiving love,Far as the east is from the west,Doth all our guilt remove.)*verses in parentheses not used in this recording

Panting For Heaven, 384Recording: Liberty Baptist Church, Henagar, AL July 2005Tune: S. M. Brown, 1869Words: Maria DeFleury, 1791

Oh, when will the period appear,When I shall unite in your song?I’m weary of lingering here,And I to your Savior belong.I’m fettered and chained up in clay;I struggle and pant to be free:I long to be soaring away,My God and my Savior to see.

New Jordan, 442Recording: Liberty Baptist Church, Henagar, AL July 2004Tune: The Easy Instructor, 1815Words: Samuel Stennett, 1787

On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand,And cast a wishful eye,To Canaan’s fair and happy landWhere my possessions lie.Oh the transporting, rapturous sceneThat rises to my sight!Sweet fields arrayed in living green,And rivers of delight.

There gen’rous fruits that never fail,On trees immortal grow;There rocks and hills and brooks, and vales,With milk and honey flow.All o’er those wide, extended plainsShines one eternal day!There God the Son forever reigns,And scatters night away.

Restoration (2nd), 312bRecording: Holly Springs Primitive Baptist Church, Bremen, GA June 2005Tune: Southern Harmony, 1835Words: Robert Robinson, 1758

Come, Thou Fount of ev’ry blessing,Tune my heart to sing Thy grace.Streams of mercy, never ceasing,Call for songs of loudest praise.

Chorus:I will rise and go to Jesus,He’ll embrace me in His arms;In the arms of my dear Savior;Oh there are ten thousand charms.

Teach me some melodious sonnet,Sung by flaming tongues above;Praise the mount — I’m fixed upon it —Mount of God’s unchanging love!

(Chorus)

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Consecration, 448tRecording: Liberty Baptist Church, Henagar, AL July 2005Tune: William S. Turner, 1866Words: Charles Wesley, 1749

There then to Thee Thine own I leave,Mold as Thou wilt my passive clay;But let me all Thy stamp receive,But let me all Thy words obey.Serve with a single heart and eye,And to Thy glory live or die.

Poland, 86Recording: Liberty Baptist Church, Henagar, AL July 2005Tune: Timothy Swan, 1785Words: Isaac Watts, 1719

God of my life, look gently down,Behold the pains I feel;But I am dumb before Thy throne,Nor dare dispute Thy will.

I’m but a sojourner below,As all my fathers were;May I be well prepared to goWhen I the summons hear.

But if my life be spared awhile,Before my last remove,Thy praise shall be my bus’ness stillAnd I’ll declare Thy love.

Idumea, 47bRecording: Liberty Baptist Church, Henagar, AL July 2006Tune: Ananias Davisson, 1816Words: Charles Wesley, 1763

And am I born to die?To lay this body down!And must my trembling spirit flyInto a world unknown?

A land of deepest shade,Unpierced by human thought;The dreary regions of the dead,Where all things are forgot!

Soon as from earth I go,What will become of me?Eternal happiness or woeMust then my portion be!

Waked by the trumpet sound,I from my grave shall rise;And see the Judge with glory crowned,And see the flaming skies!

Cowper, 168Recording: Liberty Baptist Church, Henagar, AL July 2004Tune: Oliver Holden, 1803Words: William Cowper, 1779

Forgive the song that falls so low,Beneath the gratitude I owe.It means Thy praise however poor,An angel’s song can do no more.

Great God, and wilt Thou condescendTo be my Father and my Friend.I, a poor child, and thou, so high.The Lord of earth, and air and sky.

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Antioch, 277Recording: Liberty Baptist Church, Henagar, AL July 2005Tune: F. C. Wood, 1850Words: Samuel Medley, 1775

I know that my Redeemer lives,Glory, Hallelujah!What comfort this sweet sentence gives,Glory, Hallelujah!

Chorus:Shout on, pray on, we’re gaining ground,Glory Hallelujah!The dead’s alive, and the lost is found,Glory Hallelujah!

He lives to bless me with His love;Glory Hallelujah!He lives to plead my cause above;Glory Hallelujah!

(Chorus)

He lives to crush the fiends of hell;Glory Hallelujah!He lives and doth within me dwell;Glory Hallelujah!

(Chorus)

Norwich, 362Recording: Liberty Baptist Church, Henagar, AL July 2005Tune: D. P. White, 1850Words: Isaac Watts, 1707

Oh, the delights, the heav’nly joys,The glories of the placeWhere Jesus sheds the brightest beams,Of His o’erflowing grace!Sweet majesty and awful loveSit smiling on His brow,And all the glorious ranks aboveAt humble distance bow.

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Help Me to Sing: What it is, and What it is NotThe songs on Help Me to Sing are adaptations of songs from the 19th Century shapenote hymnal, The Sacred Harp. It is not Sacred Harp singing. For that, you must turn to the first disc in this set, Awake, My Soul, The Original Soundtrack. That is real Sacred Harp singing, as it has been sung since the 1800’s (and in some cases, earlier), complete with the “Fa sol la” solfege beginning each song, four part harmonies, and with no instrumental accompaniment. Real Sacred Harp singing has, as Dr. Warren Steel puts it in the film “Awake, My Soul,” “just different priorities.” Most noteworthy of these differing priorities is an utter refusal to adopt the standards of singing associated with performance based music. Instead, Sacred Harp is purely participatory. There are no rehearsals and no concern for an audience- people are more than welcome to observe a Sacred Harp singing, just don’t come expecting a concert.

Help Me to Sing, however, is an altogether different thing. These are performances, in a variety of popular styles. Some might be tempted to snort and say, “Well, that’s not authentic Sacred Harp singing,” and of course they would be correct, but it misses the point. If we were trying to release a record of authentic Sacred Harp singing, these artists are not the people we’d get to do it. Instead, we’d get actual Sacred Harp singers. In fact, that’s what we did do! Again, see Disc One. Here, we are following the precedent laid out by a venerable patriarch of the Sacred Harp tradition, Whit Denson, when, in 1960, he employed a multitrack recorder (a new invention at the time) and recorded a Sacred Harp song, accompanying himself on piano, and singing all 4 parts himself. Was it Sacred Harp singing? Not really. In fact, when his son remarked, “Daddy, you can’t do that!” Whit is said to have retorted, “Son, you can’t, but I can!” Whit was simply taking a Sacred Harp song out for a spin (and the results are pretty incredible: See “I Belong to this Band”, released by Dust to Digital and Awake Productions for the evidence). In many ways, the songs on Help Me to Sing are just a natural progression of Whit’s experiment long ago. In fact, the contributions of John Wesley Harding, Richard Buckner and Woven Hand, to name only three, are similar to Denson’s, to the extent that they each feature one individual singing multiple parts (if not all) of a song. It is also worth noting that Christian’s Farewell and Lloyd on Disc 1 are the only songs in this collection written by a living composer. In this case they were written by Raymond Hamrick, a watchmaker from Macon GA who is featured prominently in the film, “Awake, My Soul”

Our purpose in commissioning the songs in this collection was to build a musical bridge. By recasting these songs in more familiar musical styles, we hope that the listener with little or no experience of Sacred Harp singing will be able to enter into another musical world and appreciate its beauty and power. The melodies and poetry of these songs are really undeniable, but when a novice is obliged to wade through the apparent miasma of real Sacred Harp singing in an effort to find those melodies, it is a difficult prospect (For more on the musical distinctives of Sacred Harp, see “How to listen to Sacred Harp Singing” on page 5 of this booklet.). Thus, by building this bridge, one can more easily hear Sacred Harp in a new way that is more accessible. After all, when I heard Robert Johnson for the first time, I had been prepared by Led Zeppelin...

In some of these cases, we “assigned” songs to artists that we knew could inhabit them excellently. In most cases, we selected several songs for each artist- songs that seemed to suit them- and asked them to choose. Then, there were those who knew what they wanted to do before we asked, probably. Our main request was that they be faithful to the Tenor melody line and to the original lyrics. With one exception, all of these recordings were commissioned for this collection and haven’t been available anywhere else. The exception is the Doc Watson & Gaither Carlton recording of “Idumea”, which is is almost certainly the first Sacred Harp song I ever heard, on an old record when I was little. If it hadn’t been for that recording, this CD might never have been produced. Matt Hinton, Atlanta, GA 2008.

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First of all, compared to Sacred Harp, “O Brother” might as well be the Doobie Brothers, no hyperbole or disrespect intended. But there’s a more important reason: Sacred Harp has nothing to sell! Just a heavy maroon tunebook you can get postpaid direct to your home by sending a check for $19.95 to the secretary of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company (rmauldin@att.net).

Yeah, there are loads of “field recordings,” but they have few of the characteristics music fans are looking for- no obscurely famous names, no vintage guitars, no new songs, no “produced by” or “featuring-” just a self selected bunch of people belting out the old beloved songs of the Sacred Harp. Even the most dedicated Americana fetishist has little need for more than one or two such things (preferably on wax cylinder). But for singers each recording calls to mind a place- Liberty, Holly Springs, Muscadine- a time: the “first Sunday of the month,” the “Saturday before the first fifth Sunday after the fourth of July”. They call to mind faces-some of the dearest on earth, some perhaps no longer with us. For many singers each recording is evidence of generations of connection and dedication to something unlikely, timeless and wonderful.

Does this sound like an anti-popular music flip flop? As I write this I’m on a train bound for Namest nad Oslavou, Czech Republic, to give a two-day “spivani podle tvarovych not” or “shape-note singing school.” This may sound strange, but I think most Sacred Harp singers would agree that it’s a good strange. There are people out there who would just love this if they knew it existed! And behind many such opportunities to let people know about this incredible tradition there is a door opened by something like a Hollywood movie, a documentary film or a tribute record. Interestingly, mass-mediated encounters with the Sacred Harp sometimes touch those who are closer to home but may be harder to reach in person. Anecdotally, I know of a number of folks- sisters who grew up next door to a Sacred Harp singing church, a Michigan policeman, a young Amish man, some folks described by Time Magazine as “urban hipsters”- who recently attended their first singing under the influence of such a mediated experience.

Those of us included here as performers may intend to honor something worth honoring, to broaden our musical horizons, to be part of a great project or make our work known to a new audience. I’m thrilled to be involved. But clearly the most exciting story this record has to tell is that Sacred Harp singing is alive and well, not in the interest of fame and fortune but thanks to the generations of dedicated singers who have answered the call emblazoned on the book’s title page to “seek the old paths and walk therein.” Will this record do for Sacred Harp what the movie “Juno” did for the Moldy Peaches? I can’t imagine what that would even mean. But it is sure to open some ears, help a few people find their way to a singing and offer provocative indications of the kinship between so many of our musical traditions and dialects. If nothing else, this wonderfully curated collection will bring home the fact that, as you’ll hear on Disc 1, Sacred Harp singing rocks harder than rock, though not always for the same reasons.Tim EriksenOn the train to Namest nad Oslavou, Czech RepublicJuly 22, 2008

Help Me To SingIf you haven’t figured out what Sacred Harp singing is yet, listen to Disc 1 of the thing you’re holding and watch the documentary Awake, My Soul:The Story of the Sacred Harp, to which it is the Soundtrack. There. Now you know, at least, that Sacred Harp is an incredible, living community tradition of singing from an old tunebook full of incredibly good songs- The Sacred Harp. As great as these songs are, they’re so well suited to their natural habitat that it’s really hard to adapt them successfully to other styles and contexts. Given the kid glove treatment of classical or early music they often turn to mush. As folk music, they can sound a little Tolkienesque. Maybe the fearless eclecticism and informality of popular music, broadly defined, gives it a better chance of meeting Sacred Harp’s own eclecticism and informality over a coke for an interesting conversation. You can listen to Disc Two and judge for yourself!

Help Me To Sing is the first ever collection of popular music adaptations of Sacred Harp songs, and the diversity of musical genres represented echoes the diversity of song types in The Sacred Harp itself. There are several shades of country ranging from Doc Watson to Elvis Perkins in Dearland. There’s anthemic indie rock from Tenement Halls and All Things Bright and Beautiful, and plenty of layered bedroom harmony (Woven Hand, Richard Buckner). There are settings that range in character from the mesmeric and pensive (Rayna Gellert and John Paul Jones, Murry Hammond), to the gentle and breezy (Innocence Mission, Liz Janes) and even the brilliantly offbeat (Danielson). Similarly, the array of Sacred Harp song types represented includes the compositions of early New England tunesmiths (“David’s Lamentation,” “China,” etc.) ancient melodies harmonized for social singing (“Idumea”) camp-meeting style chorus songs (“Bound for Canaan”) and, yes, examples of the brilliantly offbeat (“Sermon on the Mount”). It includes tunes that are well over a hundred years old but sound like they might have been written yesterday (“Essay”) as well as one that is practically brand new but sounds like it could have been written well over a hundred years ago (Christian’s Farewell). Not every kind of Sacred Harp song is represented and some, notably the fabulous but convoluted “fuging tunes,” are understandably much less prevalent in arranged form than they are in the The Sacred Harp itself or on Disc 1 (listen to the songs New Jordan, and Bear Creek to hear what I’m talking about). Still, the diversity of songs and sounds in this collection is remarkable and, what’s more, unlike many tribute records, this really is a tribute record. It even includes a whole separate disc that highlights the power and beauty of the real deal!

One of the really neat things about the arranged versions on Disc 2 is that they imply some of the many, perhaps surprising, connections- historical, aesthetic and philosophical- between the music of the Sacred Harp and that of its American vernacular music cousins. You might hear echoes of the Carter Family, Billy Holiday, classic Disney, Simon and Garfunkel, Buddy Holly, Southern gospel, The Beach Boys, maybe even a touch of Bob Mould, Sonic Youth or the Shaggs. Recasting the familiar can also have the effect of shining a spotlight on things we already know but don’t always notice. After listening to Disc 2, even some Sacred Harp singers may find themselves saying “Wow, what a great tune! What stunning lyrics!” to describe songs they sing every week.

Beyond providing some good entertainment and food for thought, what are the possible broader effects of a mass media endeavor like this on a rather humble and still underpopulated tradition? In the weeks surrounding the 2003 release of Anthony Minghella’s film, “Cold Mountain,” media ranging from the NY Times to CNN asked if the movie and its shape-note inspired soundtrack “might do for Sacred Harp what ‘O Brother Where Art Thou’ did for bluegrass and old-time country.” For the most part, Sacred Harp singers chuckled knowingly and yet, as has become customary, were happy to use this moment of public attention to bolster their local singings and encourage friends and family to come join the song. Why weren’t these singers giddy with excitement at the prospect of being the next big thing?16

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I had fallen under the spell of the song before I knew exactly what Sacred Harp was (can anyone ever know, exactly?) or that it belonged to any whole aside from an at least somewhat organized and benign universe. It was towards the middle of a seemingly endless series of tours that I began to self-administer through headphones the recording I had of it as a salve of sorts for worried mind, wayworn body, and restless soul. The first time I sang it within ear shot of Dearland, from the van’s way-back as we barreled down some highway or other, Nick turned around, asked what it was and confirmed my suspicion that we should all try playing it. Well, we did, and afterward we put it up on stages all across this land and those over seas. - Elvis Perkins

Elvis Perkins- acoustic guitar, voice, harmonica,harmoniumNicholas Kinsey- drums Brigham J. Brough- electric bassWyndham Deyo Boylan-Garnett- electric guitarRecorded and mixed by Paul Antonell, assisted byElijah Walker at the Clubhouse in Rhinebeck, NY.Elvis Perkins in Dearland appear courtesy of XLRecordings.

David’s Lamentation, 268the good playersTune: William Billings, 1778Words: Holy Bible: II Samuel 18:33

David the king was grieved and movedHe went to his chamber, and wept;And as he went, he wept and said,“Oh my son! Oh my son! Would to God I had diedFor thee, Oh Absalom, my son.”

I knew of shape note music long before I ever attended my first singing. I heard it mentioned first by my father, a Southern Baptist music minister. The church pianist even conducted a workshop on shape note theory. But I never really “got it” until I drove deep into the woods on a dirt road to a small church with no air conditioning. I felt the floor shake and the wind rush from the mouths of ordinary

people transformed. I stood in the turbulence of the hollow square’s center and felt at peace. There was no ego or self-awareness, only people genuinely lifting their voices.The music conveys the weightlessness of joy but also addresses, often without patent resolution, the doubt and temptation inherent to faith, a topic mitigated or altogether absent from the majority of sacred music. It was partly for this reason that I chose to rework one of the more melancholy selections from the Sacred Harp, “David’s Lamentation.” The original tune, penned by William Billings, is a raw and intimate portrayal of David’s grief after the death of his son, Absalom. The lyric of this psalm at once explores a very personal, singular moment of grief and taps significant archetypes of the Christian faith: Father, Son, and substitutionary atonement. For instance, the hymn climaxes in David’s lingering cry of “O, my son! Would to God I had died for thee…,” a phrase that portends the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, the Son of God.Consider this version a modern psalm where harps and horns as well as guitars and synthesizers accompany the human voice, the sacred harp. For this arrangement I imagined the instruments as various manifestations of the grieving process: weeping, screaming, moaning, cursing, pounding, quivering, pacing, mumbling, silence. Mourning is a slow motion. It is forced reflection. And tucked beneath the pervasive doubt, fear and isolation, maybe you rediscover that stuff that makes you get up in the morning. -Stephen Nichols

Produced, arranged, recorded and mixed by Stephen Nichols at As Elyzum StudioVoice, Instruments: Stephen NicholsBass Guitar: Mark NicholsAdditional Voices: Mark Nichols, Megan RoderickChorus: Grace Alexander, Beth Capecchi, Andre’ Crosby, Ryan Evans, Mary Ferris, Derek Higgins, Ryan Keith, Mark Nichols, Daniel Preston, Megan Roderick, Michelle Wiegers

Special thanks to Saint Elmo Presbyterian Church, Chattanooga, TN

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Blooming Youth, 176bRayna Gellert & John Paul JonesTune: Henry G. Mann, 1869Words: Thomas Gibbons, 1769

In the bright season of my youth,In nature’s smiling bloom, Ere age arrives, and trembling waitsIt summons to the tomb.

Remember thy Creator, God;For Him thy pow’rs employ;Make Him thy fear, thy love, thy hope,Thy portion and thy joy.

The Lord will safely guide thy courseO’er life’s uncertain seas.And bring thee to the peaceful shore,The heav’n prepared for thee.

Matt Hinton had sent us a glorious pile of Sacred Harp recordings to listen to in order to choose a song. John had told me the choice was mine, so I dove in and listened and listened. It was all so beautiful I didn’t have a clue how I’d ever make a decision about which song to work on. Then one night I was listening on headphones, and the beginning of “Blooming Youth” came on -- an old field recording of the Owen Family -- and I started weeping. I figured that was a pretty good sign I’d found the right song. -Rayna Gellert

Vocals: Rayna & JPJFiddles and electric guitar: RaynaProcessing of fiddles and mixing of the whole thing: JPJRecording engineer for Rayna: Steven Heller at Upstream Studios in Asheville, NC

Weeping Pilgrim, 417Elvis Perkins in DearlandTune: J. P. Reese, 1859Words: Anon.

You may tell them, madam When you see them I’m a poor, mourning Pilgrim,I’m bound for Canaan’s land.

You may tell them, Adam When you see them

Chorus:I’m a poor, mourning Pilgrim,I’m bound for Canaan’s land.I weep, and I mourn,And I move slowly on —I’m a poor, mourning Pilgrim,I’m bound for Canaan’s land.

You may tell them, father,When you see them I’m a poor, mourning Pilgrim,I’m bound for Canaan’s land.You may tell them, mother,When you see them

(Chorus)

You may tell them, brother,When you see them I’m a poor, mourning Pilgrim,I’m bound for Canaan’s land.You may tell them, sister,When you see them

(Chorus)

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Help Me To Sing, 376Mac PowellTune: B. F. White, 1859Words: Anon., found in Dover Selection, 1828

Ye souls who are bound unto Canaan,Come join in and help me to singThe praises of my loving Jesus,My Prophet, my Priest, and my King.His name is most sweetly melodious,’Twill help you most swiftly to move,While Jesus Himself is the leader,We’re bound by the cords of His love.

Throughout history there has been a plethora of great music & art that unfortunately has not been remembered or has not been widely known to begin with. Sacred Harp singing is most definitely one of these treasures. From the stirring

first lyric of “Help Me to Sing” to the closing of its chorus, it feels like a call to community, as well as an invitation to declare our praise and receive inspiration. I’m thankful to be able to be a part of this project, and join in with others, in not only making this music be heard again, but also being able to hear it and be moved by it myself. It is fitting that it impies that singing is a group activity. After all, “When two or more are gathered...” -Mac Powell

Mac Powell- VocalsMatt Hinton- GuitarJason Hoard- mandolinBethany Dick- fiddleAlex Peterson- bass fiddleMatt Goldman- drumsMichael Johnstone- background vocalsmixed by Matt Goldman Produced by Matt Hinton & Matt GoldmanMac Powell appears courtesy of Essential Reords

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A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A

Africa, 178The Innocence MissionTune: William Billings, 1770Words: Isaac Watts, 1709

Now shall my inward joys arise,And burst into a song;Almighty love inspires my heart,And pleasure tunes my tongue.

God, on His thirsty Zion’s hill,Some mercy drops has thrown;And solemn oaths have bound His loveTo show’r salvation down.

Why do we then indulge our fears,Suspicions and complaints?Is He a God, and shall His graceGrow weary of His saints?

We were moved by the original recording of “Africa” on first listen, with the many powerful voices of Sacred Harp singers. What a beautiful melody, the way it climbs upward as it goes along. Singing this melody with the words “Now shall my inward joys arise and burst into a song” is something I never grew tired of, though we recorded our version a good number of times. It would be impossible to sing those words and not be swept up in decisive joy and feel that this is just what you most want to express. -Karen Peris, 2008 Karen Peris - voice, piano Don Peris - voice, guitar Mike Bitts - voice, upright bass

The Christian’s Hope, 134 Jim Lauderdale with Jeni & Billy Tune: William Walker, 1835 Words: Anon., found in Social and Campmeeting Songs, 1828

A few more days on earth to spend, And all my toils and cares shall end, And I shall see my God and friend, And praise His name on high. No more to sigh or shed a tear, No more to suffer pain or fear; But God, and Christ, and heav’n appear Unto the raptured eyes.

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Then, Oh, my soul, despond no more:The storms of life will soon be o’er,And I shall find the peaceful shoreOf everlasting rest.Oh happy day! Oh joyful hour!When, freed from earth, my soul shall tow’rBeyond the reach of Satan’s pow’r,To be forever blest.

To earthly cares I bid farewell,And triumph over death and hell,And go where saints and angels dwell,To praise th’ eternal Three.I’ll join with those who’ve gone before,Who sing and shout, their suff’rings o’er,Where pain and parting are no more,To all eternity.

When I heard the song “The Christian’s Hope”, it really spoke to me and I wanted to record it. Originally, I had planned to do something a cappella, but on hearing this I thought of Jeni Hankins and Billy Kemp, who are two artists I admire a lot, and thought they would fit well on this. I had never recorded with them but thought it might work. It was a great experience and these two are truly a treasure. -Jim Lauderdale

Jim Lauderdale: Vocal & Rhythm GuitarJeni Hankins: VocalBilly Kemp: Vocal, Lead Guitar, Acoustic Bass Guitar & MandolinProduced and Arranged by Billy Kemp, Jeni Hankins, and Jim LauderdaleRecorded and Mixed by Billy Kemp and Jeni Hankins at Big Grey, Nashville, TN

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The Traveler, 108bCordelia’s DadTune: Absalom Ogletree, 1868Words: Anon.

Trav’ler haste, the night comes on,Many a shining hour is gone;Storm is gathering in the west,And you are so far from home.

Chorus:Oh, come, trav’ler, haste away,You must walk while it is day.Oh, come, trav’ler, haste away,You will find Christ in the way.

Far from home thy footsteps stray;Christ is the life and Christ the way.Christ the light, yon setting sun,Ere the noon is scarce begun.

(Chorus)

Rising tempest sweeps the sky,Rains descend, the winds are high,Waters swell and death and fearSets thy path no refuge near.

We--Tim with his black-painted fingernails, jewelry and dyed hair; Cath with her rattail hair and street-urchin hole-y stockings; and me, the New England Yankee--slept in a tent next to the church. With some trepidation I went inside for the singing, not sure what to expect in this little wooden box in rural Alabama. Who were these people who gathered to sing all day from an obscure hymn book from a previous century? They seemed reciprocally uncertain of us--our appearances and our comfort with slumbering in close quarters--but welcomed us into their sanctuary with unparalleled hospitality. Any cultural differences melted away in the intensity of the singing--a harmonic density deliciously akin to being in the midst of guitar amplifier feedback. We sang and ate and sang. Now, every good singing leaves me pining for the next repast. “Traveling” is central to Sacred Harp singing, in every possible sense of the word, bringing me to an enhanced sense of present and presence. - Peter Irvine, on attending the annual Young People’s Sacred Harp Convention, Winfield, Alabama, in 1994.

performed by Cordelia’s Dad Tim Eriksen: voice, banjo;Eliza Cavanaugh: voice; Peter Irvine: frame drum); recorded by Garrett Sawyer at Northfire Recording Studio, Amherst, Massachusetts.

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in his slightly grumpy faux-period style: “My conversation’s spiritless, or else I’ve nought to say”. There’s a hopelessness on the part of the narrator that I utterly believed in. He puts his face in ultimate salvation, but it seems more of a reflex than a reality, given his present situation. Of course no-one can pass over the chance to sing: “My bowels o’er them do cease to yearn...” The original idea was to perform the song with The Love Hall Tryst, but the four members are spread so far apart that this couldn’t be. So I sang it all myself. I hope this wasn’t ill-advised. Thanks to Rick Moody for bringing his Sacred Harp

hymnal over and whipping the Alto line into shape. -JWH

Produced, Arranged and Performed by John Wesley HardingRecorded on 26th February 2008 by Randel Osborne at RedShift Digital, Essex, CTFiddles by Erik Rostad and recorded by Matt Goldman at Glow in the Dark, Atlanta.Additional Production by Matt HintonMixed by Matt Goldman

A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A

Columbus, 67John Wesley HardingTune: Columbian Harmony, 1829Words: Anon., found in Mercer’s Cluster, 1823

Oh, once I had a glorious viewOf my redeeming Lord,He said, “I’ll be a God to you,”And I believed His word.But now I have a deeper strokeThan all my groanings are;My God has me of late forsook;He’s gone, I know not where.

Oh, what immortal joys I felt,On that celestial day,When my hard heart began to melt,By love dissolved away!By my complaint is bitter now,For all my joys are gone;I’ve strayed! I’m left! I know not how;The light’s from me withdrawn.

Once I could joy the saints to meet,To me they were most dear;I then could stoop to wash their feet,And shed a joyful tear;But now I meet them as the rest,And with them joyless stay;My conversation’s spiritless,Or else I’ve nought to say.

I once could mourn o’er dying men,And longed their souls to win;I travailed for their poor children,And warned them of their sin;But now my heart’s so careless grown,Although they’re drowned in vice,My bowels o’er them cease to yearn —My tears have left mine eyes.

I forward go in duty’s way,But can’t perceive Him there;Then backward on the road I stray,But cannot find Him there;On the left hand, where He doth work,Among the wicked crew,And on the right I find Him notAmong the favored few.

What shall I do? Shall I lie downAnd sink in deep despair?Will He forever frown,Nor hear my feeble prayer?No; He will put His strength in me,He knows the way I’ve strolled,And when I’m tried sufficientlyI shall come forth as gold.

My entree to Sacred Harp was through my blind love for group vocal singing. The Young Tradition, one of my favourite bands of the British Folk Revival of the ‘60s, was a prime influence on my one attempt at the genre, “Songs of Misfortune” made under the name The Love Hall Tryst with Nora O’Connor, Kelly Hogan and Brian Lohmann. The Young Tradition sang very stridently and beautifully in post-Copper Family style and, most importantly, looked fantastic. I recommend all their albums, particularly the eponymous first album, for a peerless British version of a cappella folk singing: Sacred Harp with three voices. Peter Bellamy, the ‘leader’ (or, at least, the most opinionated), went solo, a development I followed many years later. The first I ever heard of Sacred Harp (because it was noted as such on the cover) was a version of “Long Time Travelling (White)’” on the excellent career-spanning boxed set “Wake The Vaulted Echoes”.I combed the lyrics of the Sacred Harp book to find an appropriate song. The words of “Columbus” moved me: they’re hymn-like - but nothing you’d find in “Hymns Ancient and Modern”, the book with which I grew up. These words are much more wretched - the singer has been deserted by God. All he has in the everlasting present of earthly Purgatory which is his hopeless quest to reconnect with God, are memories of the “glorious view” he once enjoyed. The words are both specific and vague, like something Bob Dylan might write nowadays

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China, 163bAll Things Bright & BeautifulTune: Timothy Swan, 1801Words: Isaac Watts, 1707

Why do we mourn departing friends,Or shake at death’s alarms?’Tis but the voice that Jesus sends,To call them to His arms.

Why should we tremble to conveyTheir bodies to the tomb?There the dear flesh of Jesus lay,And vanished all the gloom.

Thence He arose, ascended high,And showed our feet the way;Up to the Lord our souls shall fly,At the great rising day.

Chose to work with “China” after a few attempts on other numbers. Not being a singer of Sacred Harp myself, I tried to translate the zeal that I hear in the music itself, which is powerful. The natural interpretation of this song is probably

more melancholy and quieter than what I attempted, but it is difficult to translate that power with a single voice and acoustic guitar. The transcendence of “China”, in particular, could only be communicated through a rather raucous rendition which is what we tried to get at. The process was a trial of finding the right sounds and knowing how much was too much. The song itself speaks about death and resurrection and a person’s response to it. It speaks about the hope inherent within Christianity and Christ’s conquering of death itself. And it is this hope that comes through in the emotion of the music. “Up to the Lord our souls shall fly at the great rising day.” I was reminded of Flannery O’Connor’s story “Revelation” and Mrs. Turpin’s vision of a great swinging bridge upon which all the multitudes were rushing toward heaven. I think this song fits the mood of that scene and the completeness of its impact upon a person. “Why do we mourn departing friends or shake at death’s alarms?” There is only joy and there is only happiness in the thought of it. -Lee Bozeman

Lee Bozeman - guitars, vocals, pianoFr. Christopher Foley - BassMatt Hinton- guitars, vocalsMatt Goldman- Percussion, recording/ mixing.Michael Edwards - Arrangement collaborationProduced by Lee Bozeman/ Matt Hinton/ Matt Goldman

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Abbeville, 33bLiz JanesTune: E. J. King, 1844Words: Benjamin Beddome, 1800

Come, Holy Spirit come,With energy divine,And on this poor, benighted soul,With beams of mercy shine.

Melt, melt this frozen heart;This stubborn will subdue;Each evil passion overcome,And form me all anew.

Mine will the profit be,But Thine shall be the praise;And unto Thee will I devoteThe remnant of my days.

I listened to many sacred harp songs in preparation for this project. So many of these songs are made of perfect poetry. The melodies, and vocal style of this tradition are quite obtuse and coarse to the contemporary ear. It becomes apparent upon listening, that this music truly belongs in a “Singing” and so does the listener. My final choice of “Abbeville,” was because of the natural country/ gospel melody, and ease with which I could relate to the lyrics. When my friend Daniel was passing through town with a 100 year old Xylophone, I knew the song was somehow forming itself. It had to stay quiet and spare - in contrast to the tradition from which it came. From beginning to end this project was a great experience, and opened wide a door to a genre of early American music I’d never have known about otherwise. -Liz Janes

Co-produced by Liz Janes and Daniel Dixon down in the Bunker, Indianapolis, IN. Sept. ‘07Liz - Voices, guitarDaniel - Guitar, BellsKipp Normand - Saw

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A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A

Windham, 38bRichard BucknerTune: Daniel Read, 1785Words: Isaac Watts, 1707

Broad is the road that leads to deathAnd thousands walk together there;But wisdom shows a narrow path,With here and there a traveler.

“Deny thyself, and take thy cross,”Is the Redeemer’s great command;Nature must count her gold but dross,If she would gain this heav’nly land.

The fearful soul that tires and faintsAnd walks the ways of God no more,Is but esteemed almost a saint,And makes his own destruction sure.

Lord, let not all my hopes be vain,Create my heart entirely new,Which hypocrites could ne’er attain,Which false apostates never knew.

I found Windham on one of my Smithsonian compilations. Team Hinton sent me a cleaner recording with more lyrics and helpful arrangement suggestions. I recorded this song at my home in upstate New York, using a Danelectro baritone guitar, a Fender Jazzmaster guitar, a Wurltzer electric piano, and a dented high school marching drum courtesy of eBay (strap included!). The track was mixed by Jon Marshall Smith in the wilds of Hendersonville, North Carolina (interrupted briefly by the visit of a black racer snake, evidently intrigued by the content of the session). The snake was escorted out of the studio (satisfied with the mix) and the track was finished. -R Buckner

Sermon on The Mount, 507DanielsonTune: A. M . Cagle, 1959Words: The Holy Bible: Matthew 5

And seeing the multitudes,He went up into a mount;And when He was set,His disciples came unto Him.He opened His mouth,There blessings poured outTo the children aboutAnd none were left out.

Blessed are the pure in heart,For they shall see the kingdom of heav’n.

The meek He blessed with righteousness,The weak, the dumb, the blind ones too,Will sing to His praise when we all reach home.(c)1960 Sacred Harp Publishing Company, Inc. Used by permission.

Matt and Erica suggested “Sermon On The Mount” for us and after trying a few others I realized that they were right. The song is kind of weird with parts that are 2/2, 2/4, 6/8, 3/4, and ends up 4/4 and the lyrics are just the best. I wanted to take the exact melody and harmony lines and have the instruments sing them and then the vocals could sit on top and pull it all together. Patrick, Josh, Ted, and Chris figured out the crazy sheet music and then Elin, Lilly, Ida and I sang and we mixed it all down. Please enjoy.-Daniel Smith

Patrick Berkery: DrumsJoshua Stamper: Upright BassTed Velykis: Electric GuitarChris Palladino: OrganElin K. Smith: VocalLilly H. Smith: VocalIda O. Smith: VocalDaniel Smith: VocalRecorded and Produced by Daniel Smith at New Jerusalem Recreation Room, Clarksboro, NJ.Arranged by Patrick, Joshua, Ted, Chris, and Daniel.

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Essay, 157Tenement HallsTune: A. C. Clark, 1840Words: Anon., found in Purify’s Selection of Hymns, 1826

See how the wicked kingdomIs falling ev’ry day!And still our blessed JesusIs winning souls away:But oh, how I am tempted,No mortal tongue can tell!So often I’m surroundedWith enemies from hell.

With weeping and with praying,My Jesus I have found,To crucify old nature,And make His grace abound.Dear children, don’t be weary,But march on in the way;For Jesus will stand by you,And be your guard and stay.

If sinners will serve Satan,And join with one accord,Dear brethren, as for my part,I’m bound to serve the Lord;And if you will go with me,Pray, give to me your hand,And we’ll march on together,Unto the promised land.

I promised that I would come to a singing so I naturally showed up on the sunday morning with saturday nite revelry still rolling through my mind. as I walked up the courthouse steps, I could hear singing seeping through the windows, but nothing prepared me for what I heard when I opened the heavy courtroom doors- a blast of sound and harmony from another time, another world. these folks were singing as loud as they could. I could only compare it to psychedelic gregorian chants about the spiritual life- pentecostal preacher penned hymns sung by medieval lungs--maybe it was the echoes off the marble walls or maybe it was the saturday nite-- but I swear I heard sounds that weren’t even there. - Chris Lopez

Chris Lopez- vocals, guitarsMatt Hinton- guitar, vocalsMatt Goldman- drum, bass, recording/ mixingProduced by Matt Hinton & Matt Goldman

Kedron, 48bSam AmidonTune: Anon., found in United States Sacred Harmony, 1799Words: Charles Wesley, 1762

Thou Man of grief, remember me,Thou never canst Thyself forget.Thy last expiring agony,Thy fainting pangs and bloody sweat.

O come and mourn with me awhile;See John and Mary by his sideAh! look how patiently He hangs

Jesus, our Lord, is crucified.Consecration, 448tWoven HandTune: William S. Turner, 1866Words: Charles Wesley, 1749

There then to Thee Thine own I leave,Mold as Thou wilt my passive clay;But let me all Thy stamp receive,But let me all Thy words obey.Serve with a single heart and eye,And to Thy glory live or die.

“Faith cometh by hearing, and by hearing the word of God. And that not of ourselves but it is a gift of God.”

The Sacred Harp tradition in my mind works off of this truth. Everyone involved together...speaking out- or singing out, in this case- the truth of the gospel to the body around them. Strengthening the faith in mind and heart. knowing always that the Word is a precious gift given freely to us who deserve it not.“Feather fell a voice,a calling answer there...to the hearing soul..the soul in the hollow square.”

Praise and Honor to the high king of heaven, Jesus Christ-david e edwards

recorded by robert ferbracheall music by david eugene edwards

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My parents got into Sacred Harp music when they first met in Cambridge, Massachussetts, in the ‘70s. They were soon swept up by Larry Gordon and his traveling Word of Mouth Chorus, with whom they recorded “Rivers Of Delight” and toured with Bread & Puppet Theater. I have vivid memories of monthly sings at my house growing up, and my teenage years were spent in large part as a member of Larry Gordon’s Village Harmony camp which was devoted to shape note music as well as Balkan village songs. I haven’t gotten to go to a singing for awhile, but I did get to put together a chorus of about 25 in a collaboration with the great psych folk/free jazz/rock ensemble Stars Like Fleas, which was an amazing experience. The wall of sound drone harmonies & ancient melodies of the songs in The Sacred Harp are like nothing else, and there are few musical experiences as visceral as singing “Kedron” or “Devotion” with a couple of hundred others. I hope everybody gets a chance to be in the middle of that square at some point in their lives. -Sam Amidon

Sung & played by Sam Amidon Recorded & mixed by Sturla “Mio” Þórisson at Greenhouse, Reykjavik, Iceland.

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And Am I Born to Die? (Idumea, 47b)Doc Watson & Gaither CarltonTune: Ananias Davisson, 1816Words: Charles Wesley, 1763

And am I born to die?To lay this body down!And must my trembling spirit flyInto a world unknown?

A land of deepest shade,Unpierced by human thought;The dreary regions of the dead,Where all things are forgot!

Soon as from earth I go,What will become of me?Eternal happiness or woeMust then my portion be!

Waked by the trumpet sound,I from my grave shall rise;And see the Judge with glory crowned,And see the flaming skies!

“My wife’s grandfather, Rev. Thomas Robins was a good singer and taught old-time singing schools at the church. He’d have maybe three or four days along in the Fall- usually after the crops were laid by, before time to harvest- they had what they called a “singing school” and he taught them shapenotes, and the sound of the notes, you know, so they could learn to sing the songs out of the old Christian Harmony and the other hymnbooks... My dad was the lead singer at the church and mama helped with the gospel singing at the church.... My first actual memories of music, when I think about it, is sittin’ on mama’s lap when I was just a little fella, maybe two years old, and hearing the singing in the church. And it was a great sound. The singing was very pure then- no vibrato in the voices at all, you know, just good straight harmonies. And some of those mountain people had voices like you wouldn’t believe...”-Doc Watson, 1964

Doc Watson, VocalGaither Carlton, FiddleRecorded by Ralph Rinzler & Daniel Seeger, September 1964.

“And Am I Born to Die” by Doc Watson & Gaither Carlton from the recording entitled Back Roads to Cold Mountain, SF40149 (c)2001

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Wrestling Jacob/ Vernon, 95Tim EriksenTune: Lucius Chapin, 1813Words: Charles Wesley, 1742

Come, Oh Thou traveler unknown,Whom still I hold, but cannot see;My company before is gone,And I am left alone with Thee.With Thee all night I mean to stay,And wrestle till the break of day.

In vain Thou strugglest to get free,I never will unloose my hold;Art Thou the Man that died for me?The secret of Thy love unfold.Wrestling, I will not let Thee go,Till I Thy name, Thy nature know.

Jacob was alone, in pain and terrified by what he had done, but he didn’t let go. He wrestled until he was transformed, and so became the father of a nation. Esau may well have been prepared to forgive him regardless, but Jacob went to meet his brother even if it meant his lawful death. My singing is influenced by a version of the song included in a gospel songster from Boston I found in the trash some twenty years ago. It includes several beautiful and triumphant verses in response to the original, but I most appreciate the poignant questioning of the two verses in the Sacred Harp. -Tim Eriksen

Tim Eriksen- Vocal, fiddle.

Christian’s Farewell, 347DM StithTune: Raymond C. Hamrick, 1989Words: Anon., found in Primitive Hymns, 1858

Brethren, farewell, I do you tell,I’m sorry to leave, I love you so well.Now I must go, where I don’t know,Wherever Christ leads me the trumpet to blow.

Here I have worked, labored awhile,But labor is sweet if Jesus doth smile.When I am done, I will go homeWhere Jesus is smiling and bids me to come.

(c)1991 Sacred Harp Publishing Company, Inc. Used by permission.

My father is a conductor -- I grew up watching him direct high school concert bands, church choirs and orchestras, brass ensembles; my father and my father’s father too -- Grandpa Stith at one time was the director of the Cornell University Wind Ensemble, and has conducted community bands in the finger lake region of NY state for the last 30 years -- I grew up with a sort of heavy reverence for that role, and fear of it too. And so I had a trembling recognizance before the body of a shape note community in NYC as I conducted my first hymn: I felt in all things led and willing, sternly resolute, but simultaneously nearly undone by rubber knees and a spinning mind. I should explain that I’ve long been shy about performing. And my family is full of strong performers. So in elementary school, when I started to recognize the expectation to perform, and recognize too that I would rather avoid the multitude of eyes at church on Sunday or wherever the Stith family agreed to perform, I took up visual art as a means to control the audience, to keep them out of the process. It’s not until 2007 that I performed my own music for anyone, and the same year too that I agreed, however with much fear, that I would conduct a shape note hymn.

Christian’s Farewell was the first shape note song I conducted -- I had just moved to NYC in pursuit of a fulfilling career, hoping for something which would involve my art or my music. Lots has happened in a year, but it’s all been regularly punctuated by goings and good-byes. -David Stith, Lovell Lake, New Hampshire, July 2008

Recorded & Performed by David StithMixed by Rafter

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The Grieved Soul, 448bRick MoodyTune: M. A. Hendon, 1859Words: Joseph Hart, 1759

Come, my soul and let us tryFor a little seasonEv’ry burden to lay by,Come and let us reason.What is this that casts thee down?Who are those that grieve thee?Speak and let the worst be known?Speaking may relieve thee.Troubled like the restless sea,Feeble, faint and fearful,Plunged in sin, a sore disease,How can I be cheerful?Think on what thy Saviour bore In the gloomy garden. Sweating blood from every pore, To procure thy pardon!

Although we’ve been singing together for a couple of years now in The Wingdale Community Singers, an urban folk band with an experimental flavor, “The Grieved Soul” came along at an early moment in both our friendship and our

musical collaboration. We were in the process of trying to stretch ourselves musically, to achieve that chemistry that seems to make for good harmony singing. And so on a depressing and drizzly February day we went to a singing in Manhattan. It was held in the back of a club on the Lower East Side, and we came late. Voices were already booming from the back room. The club in daytime was awkward, slightly melancholy; the conjunction of this music with the environment was initially strange, and we were foreigners to the community. We were given a loaner songbook and after an hour of bewildering sight reading, clinging onto the notation desperately through the fast numbers, someone called out “448!,” which turned out to be a gentler, slower piece, one with very sublime lyrics. We turned to one another immediately after, wordlessly attempting to register how moving--and how modern--the lyrics felt. The first verse is the only verse that appears in the current edition of THE SACRED HARP, and that was the verse we sang that day. We found the many other verses later on, from which we have cobbled a few extra lines here. “The Grieved Soul” has become a sort of a touchstone for us, a song to warm up with, but also a song that always seems to have something essential to say about how life should be lived. -Ricky Moody & Nina Katchadourian

Nina Katchadourian, vocals and guitar.Rick Moody, vocals and guitar.Recorded live at Nina’s place, March 28, 2008.Engineering help from Patrick McCarthy.

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Bound For Canaan, 82t Murry Hammond Tune: E. J. King, 1844 Words: John Leland, 1793

Oh when shall I see JesusAnd reign with Him above,And from the flowing fountainDrink everlasting love?

Chorus:I’m on my way to Canaan,To the new Jerusalem.

When shall I be deliveredFrom this vain world of sin,And with my blessed JesusDrink endless pleasures in?

(Chorus)

But now I am a soldier,My Captain’s gone before;He’s given me my orders,And bids me not give o’er.

I first heard a version of “Bound for Canaan” years ago on a recording by the great Doc Watson under the title “Faithful Soldier”, which was simply “Bound for Canaan” minus the Sacred Harp’s moving chorus and with a bit of a different melody. The words were plain and powerful, comparing the

Christian walk with an army’s march into the long battle with evil. Later, I found out that the verses of the song were included in a hymnal used by Union Army chaplains to hold meetings in the Union camps both on Sundays and in the hours prior to battles. This fact has always given such verses as “...but now I am a soldier, my captain’s gone before, he’s given me my orders and bid me not give o’er...” a certain weight, as I try to imagine what it must have been like for some scared young man to sing such words of comfort on the eve of what he knew might be his march into eternity. With the happy discovery of the Sacred Harp chorus that I hadn’t

known existed, I felt that the song took on even more power.

The producer Mark Neill and I decided a single droning harmonium, and a multi-layered but two-part vocal harmony, would capture both the feel of the community singing of the sacred harp version, and the melancholy and solitary voice we felt lurks at the heart of the song.

It has been a special experience for me to - in my mind at least - try to combine my own voice in some way with the Sacred Harp tradition, and to hopefully paraphrase some of the beauty that I’ve found there. I plan on making this song a frequent part of our music at my home church, and now I’m truly intrigued at what other gems I’ll find among in The Sacred Harp. -- Murry Hammond, 2008.

Murry Hammond - Vocals, harmoniumMark Neill - Noises, foot stomping, hand clapsRecorded and produced by Mark Neill, a Soil of the South Production.Murry Hammond appears courtesy of New West Records.

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Sacred Harp,” like the popular “Southern Harmony” before it, is typical of this blend of New England hymnody with the southern-tinged and often ancient, modal melodies which were being added to these books.

For a variety of reasons, but especially because of the tenacity of its compiler, B.F. White, and those who followed in his footsteps, “The Sacred Harp” has survived the various attempts in the past 150+ years to render it obsolete by the introduction of newer, more “progressive” types of hymns. However, for most of the time since its publication, it has remained “under the radar:” Always in some danger of extinction, but never in any real danger of being co-opted by those who would attempt to tame it and make it more musically “correct” and “pretty.” In many ways, the story of “The Sacred Harp” is the story of its stubborn refusal to give up its old ways as well as the story of the subversion of the cultural and musical norms of the society that does not understand it. It has been sung in annual all day “singings” and conventions, complete with the traditional “dinner on the grounds,” every year since its publication, usually in old country churches. While its traditional home has been in the south, (especially Georgia, Alabama, Northern Florida, Mississippi, and Texas) there has been, for the past 30 years, a remarkable revival of interest in this old music throughout the rest of the country. More and more, people are coming under the spell of this haunting, powerful, and deeply spiritual music which is as old as America itself.

Sacred Harp singing is most often found in the context of “all-day singings,” which are neither performances nor rehearsals for a performance. They are just singings. At an all-day singing, which usually last from 9:30-3:00, anyone present may stand in the midst of the singers and lead any of the more than 500 songs in “The Sacred Harp” hymnal. These leaders, are constrained only by the traditional rule that a song may not be led more than once in a day-long singing. Each leader will stand in the center of the “hollow square,” which aptly describes the space in the center of the room created by the unusual seating arrangement. The singers sit in sections, according to the range of their voices, and each of the four sections, which correspond to the four staves of music in the book, face one other section. That is, the Tenors (who consist of both men and women, singing an octave apart) face the Altos (usually only women), and the Basses (only men) face the the Trebles (men and women, singing an octave apart). The leader stands in the midst of this whirlwind of sound, which has been called “old fashioned surround sound,” and leads the song he has chosen while keeping the class on the same rhythm by “beating time” with his hand. The hollow square is the best place to hear this powerful music. As Richard Ivey describes this experience in “Awake, My Soul”: Sometimes, I feel that I’m just being lifted up off the ground.” All-day singings consist of two basic elements: singing and eating. The singers bring food, in oftentimes comical proportions. Half “regular” food, half deserts. There has never been a singing yet recorded where a singer went home hungry. There is no membership or fees associated with Sacred Harp singing and anyone is welcome to attend any of the numerous singings which can now be found in any region in America and in some foreign countries. While Sacred Harp singing is clearly a part of the Christian tradition, anyone is welcome to sing, regardless of her faith or lack thereof.

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About Sacred Harp Singing“The Sacred Harp” is a 19th century shape-note songbook which contains many of America’s earliest songs. Published in Hamilton, Georgia in 1844, “The Sacred Harp” was one of the last of the old fashioned “four shaped” oblong songbooks compiled in America. The term also refers to the type of a cappella, four part, participatory singing associated with this and other similar songbooks. No instruments are used. Only the one given by God, the human voice: That is, the “sacred harp.”

One might say that “The Sacred Harp” was the crowning achievement of a trajectory of American music which began during the American Revolution, when itinerant, and largely self-taught, singing masters began offering singing schools to communities across New England. These singing school teachers, such as William Billings, filled a real need in early American communities. The congregational singing in the churches, according to contemporary accounts, left much to be desired. The congregations were, by and large, musically illiterate and the number of tunes that they knew by heart was small. The singing masters taught people to sing and ultimately provided new songs which they themselves composed. These new songs were compiled, often alongside songs written by others, in tune-books. Through these singing masters and their tune-books, a vast body of music emerged in the late 1700’s and into the 1800’s.

The teaching methods employed by these early singing masters seem to have been similar to those of their English counter-parts: students learned musical scales through the use of solfege, the practice of associating each musical tone with a different syllable. The early American singing masters taught the version of solfege which was in current use in England: Fa, Sol, La, and Mi. This differed from the continental seven syllable version which is in modern use to this day and which will be familiar to anyone who has seen the “Sound of Music:” Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, and Ti. Soon the American teaching methods began to distinguish themselves from all others with the advent of “shaped notes.” The first of many shape-note songbooks was published at the turn of the 19th Century. These new songbooks associated four distinct shapes (triangle, circle, square, and diamond) with the four syllables then in common use. The written music looked like conventional musical notation apart from the fact that the note-heads each had different shapes rather than standard oval notes. This innovation allowed students to sing the notes of an unfamiliar tune without being burdened by concentrating on the words at the same moment. Therefore, the practice of “singing the notes” -in order to fix the tune in one’s memory- before singing the words, began. This is a practice which has survived to the present day in the Sacred Harp tradition and is one of the real distinguishing marks of this music.

Over time, the “homespun” music associated with the singing schools fell out of favor in the Northeastern region of America and it began to travel to the frontier- South and West. Many of the northern elites who were influenced by the cultural and musical norms of Europe found this music to be unsophisticated, old fashioned, and even unscientific. Many of the musical elements which make the music so distinctive, so “ancient-sounding,” and yet so compelling to modern ears, were the very elements which the “better music” leaders, as they were called, found so objectionable. And indeed, the music clearly disregards many of the rules of musical composition which have ruled the day since the time of Bach. However, this strange music found a home in the south, in particular, and this movement south introduced new (and old) songs to the shape-note songbooks which were becoming increasingly popular in these areas. The camp-meeting songs, and so-called “folk hymns” (which were often related to tunes which had been passed down for generations and which originated in the Old World) became an important part of the shape-note songbooks which were published in the first half of the 19th century. “The

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Also available at www. awakemysoul.com

“Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp” on DVDThe 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. This Two disc Special Edition includes over 5 hours of bonus features.

“Awake, My Soul features some of the most raucousgroup vocals that have been recorded.”-Pitchforkmedia.com

I Belong To This Band: Eighty-five years of Sacred Harp Recordings on CD“I Belong to this Band” collects Sacred Harp recordings from the earliest days

of commercial recordings to the present.

“Spectacular... Get enough people singing weird harmonies at the top of their voices and you start feeling a little sorry for the devil.” -Washington City Paper

Buy the Sacred Harp songbook: www.originalsacredharp.com/Go to a singing school: www.fasola.org/camp/

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