We started singing in May, 2009 with three singers (1 alto, 2 basses), and ended 2009 with eleven singers (3 altos, 3 basses, 3 tenors, and 2 trebles). Most of us are either: (1) new to group singing, or (2) new to Shape Note singing.We sing socially, for ourselves, completely unlike a choir, designed as a zero-cash flow situation.
We take turns calling songs from the 1991 Sacred Harp, the most widely used songbook for social singing in America today.
By "social singing" we mean: (1) We don't perform. (2) We "leave religion at the door"; i.e., we're singing mostly religious songs from a book that has been continuously in print since 1844, so to an outsider it looks & sounds like a prayer meeting, but we never discuss religion. It's like taking Yoga class, doing the breathing exercises, but without studying Hinduism. We come to sing.
If time allows, everybody has an equal chance ("musical human right") to call a song, including people visiting for the very first time. Suggestions below. But since we are still in the learning phase, we sing each part separately before joining the voices together, which slows us down to about 4 or 5 songs an hour. The goal is to sing 12 songs an hour, which will give everyone have an opportunity to call favorite at least 2x each evening.
If you just want to listen, that's okay. We prefer that you pretend you are a singer & sit among us, but you can also sit outside the circle.
We have some loaner books. Songbooks cost $20 each. Then you can keep a list of favorite songs in the inside covers. Everybody uses a different method of favorite song management.
| You can pass | You can chose not to call by passing. | |
| (Please don't say, "Oh, just skip over me.") | ||
Or, call any of the following. | ||
| Cold Mountain songs |
#49 ("Mear") -- minor-key song (in the movie, they don't sing the words; we sing the words) | |
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#282 ("I'm Coming Home") -- the one led by Reverend Monroe (Don Sutherland).
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The Ladykillers
| #408 Weeping Mary. "They crucified my savior"
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| Recorded by Anonymous Four |
On American Angels CD.
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#59 Holy Manna, #33b Abbeville, #159 Wondrous Love, #150 Jewett, #85 The Morning Trumpet, #86 Poland, #47b Idumea.
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| Recorded by Tim Eriksen |
Of the 21 songs in Northampton Harmony listen to samples here, the 1991 Sacred Harp has 7. | |
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#179 The Christian Warfare #48t Devotion #456 Sacred Mount #189 Montgomery #448t Consecration #268 David's Lamentation #198 Green Street | ||
| Cordelia's Dad "Spine" | #335 Return Again. | |
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| Cordelia's Dad "Comet" | #410t The Dying Californian. | |
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| Traditional hymns | S.H.I.N.A.H. Sacred Harp is not a hymnal, but it does include: | |
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#49 -- Old Hundredth #45 -- Amazing Grace (aka "New Britain") #159 -- Wondrous Love #59 -- Holy Manna (Brethren we have met to worship) #72 -- Bellevue (How Firm A Foundation) (Sometimes the melodies have been slightly modified so that each of four voices have something interesting to sing.) (Sometimes we are singing the oldest known version of the melody, which is different from the church hymnals.) | ||
| Laura Ingalls Wilder | Songs from the Little House on the Prairie and other books. | |
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#354 "Happy Land" (Ma's favorite song -- mentioned in every book) #65 "On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand" (She gets into a discussion with Pa about the meaning of "Canaan" in this song.)
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| Songs about social justice | Will Fitzgerald's social justice song list | |
| Compiled by singers in Michigan & Northern Indiana for Martin Luther King Day. | ||
| Beautiful alto line | #503 Lloyd | |
| Not too difficult, with nice harmonies and independent alto melody in "Phrygean mode". | ||
| Slow & satisfying | Entry-level songs with satisfying harmonies: | |
| #28b Wells #48t Devotion #34b St. Thomas
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| Slow and mournful: | #86 Poland | |
"God of my life, look gently down."
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| Slow and exuberant: | #178 Africa | |
"Now shall my inward joys arise, And burst into a song;"
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| Moderate and pensive: | #448b The Grieved Soul ("The Therapy Song") | |
"Come, my soul and let us try For a little season Ev'ry burden to lay by, Come and let us reason"
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| Minor key acceleration song: | #345b I’m On My Journey Home | |
Repeat the chorus a little faster each time until satisfied.
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| Any other song in the book | A list of all the 553 songs in 1991 Sacred Harp. | |
| Listed by popularity, nationwide: Song Use 1995-2008. Calling from the top of this list is preferred. (These statistics were compiled from average singers like ourselves.) | ||
| Anytime you hear a shape note song on a recording (historical or regional), you can call that song as long as it's in the book. Generally the songs are listed by tune name (often the name of a place associated with the composer), or the first line.
Lists of Shape Note Recordings |
Favorite song management.
Still not sure what to expect?
Contact: David Olson (310) 410-9033 for more details.
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Santa Monica Shape Note Learner's Group
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We're actually about one mile from Ballona Creek.
Culver City Bus Line #3