Sacred Harp Shape Note singing is a uniquely American choral musical tradition that has a significant place in our cultural and religious heritage. It is a practice of singing a cappella (without instrumental accompaniment) what would usually be categorized as gospel songs. Such singing has typically been done in the context of corporate worship, and also in religious community “singings” in various settings, engaging in such fellowship, in part to perpetuate this practice.
Sacred Harp singing originated in 18th century New England singing schools to teach people to sing before then being perpetuated in the American south. The name is derived from “The Sacred Harp,” a ubiquitous and historically important tune book printed in shape notes. The work was first published in 1844 and has reappeared in multiple editions ever since. Sacred Harp music represents one branch of an older tradition of American music that developed over the period 1770 to 1820 from roots in New England, with a significant, related development under the influence of revival services around the 1840s in the wake of America’s “Second Great Awakening.” This music was included in, and became profoundly associated with, books using the shape note style of notation popular in America in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Some churches may still have old songbooks in their Sunday School rooms with the music printed in that shape note style.
It is characterized by three dynamics that are joined together as these hymns are sung. One is the actual performance. The vocal singing is done without any musical instruments and with all participants singing in four-part harmony. It is most often found in areas of Appalachia. A second is the historical religious experience. These worship practices and gatherings for such singing are usually found not by those merely preserving an historical practice, but within the context of intensely personal faith that is not only evangelical but also evangelistic. A third is the printed music itself in which each note in the octave (eight-note) scale is assigned a different shape, but not in the manner everyone learned as do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do.
Rather than that, in Sacred Harp singing, the shape notes designate different degrees of the scale, not their actual absolute pitch. The shape for fa is a triangle, sol an oval, la a rectangle, and mi a diamond. In Sacred Harp singing, pitch is not absolute. Thus for a song in the key of C, fa designates C and F; for a song in G, fa designates G and C, and so on; hence it is called a “moveable ‘do’ system.” When Sacred Harp singers begin a song, they normally start by singing it with the appropriate syllable for each pitch, using the shapes to guide them. For those in the group not yet familiar with the song, the shapes help with the task of sight reading. The process of reading through the song with the shapes also helps fix the notes in memory. Once the shapes have been sung, the group then sings the verses of the song with their printed words.
In 1844, “The Sacred Harp” was just one of more than 100 oblong hymn books published in the United States. It has been continuously updated ever since. Along with other hymn books from the era, a handful of which are also still published and used, its repertoire of over 500 four-part a cappella hymns, odes, and anthems is part of the foundation of our vibrant oral tradition. There are dozens of living composers still actively writing new tunes within the traditional styles and shape note format. Other shape note books still in use today include“Christian Harmony” (using a seven-shape notation), “New Harp of Columbia,” plus several others, including some entirely new collections such as “Northern Harmony.” Matt and Erica Hinton, singers and documentary filmmakers, have recently completed seven years of production on the first feature length documentary about the Sacred Harp tradition. People can visit the film’s web site at awakemysoul.com (although at last check this site is broken).
One example of a shape note hymn is “What Wondrous Love Is This,” a passion week hymn found in most hymnals today. The traditional tune was discovered by South Carolina composer William Walker (1807-1875) on his journey through the Appalachian region of America. The tune had been around for some time as an oral tradition before Walker decided in 1835 to include it in his collection, “Southern Harmony,” though the lyrics had previously been included in 1811 in a Lynchburg, Virginia camp meeting songbook. Most sources attribute the hymn’s melody to the 1701 English song “The Ballad of Captain Kidd,” which describes the exploits of pirate William Kidd. The melody itself predates the Kidd usage, however, possibly by more than a century. In addition, at least a dozen popular songs were set to the same melody after 1701. American composer Samuel Barber composed variations on “What Wondrous Love Is This” for organ in 1958. The hymn is sung in Dorian mode, giving it a haunting quality. The hymn has an unusual meter of 6-6-6-3-6-6-6-6-6-3. The song’s lyrics express awe at the love of God and are reminiscent of the text of John 3:16.
While there were originally seven stanzas, most hymnals today only include stanzas 1, 2, and 6.
Stanza 1 conveys a sense of amazement that God would so love any of us. It is expressed in the literary style of Psalm 103, the singer addressing himself, “O my soul.” And what is the curse which Jesus has taken on Himself? It is the curse of Numbers 21:22-23, cursed is anyone who dies on a tree. In taking on Himself that curse, He has suffered what we deserved.
What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this That caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse For my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse For my soul.
Stanza 2 is the voice of the convicted sinner who is “sinking down” under the embarrassment and guilt of sin. And this is not just a matter of “feeling” guilt, but rather of actually “sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown. And how amazing that this sinner’s soul was delivered by Christ laying aside His crown.
When I was sinking down, Sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, Sinking down,
When I was sinking down Beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown For my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown For my soul.
Stanza 3 moves from addressing one’s self to addressing “winged seraphs. We ask that they bear the wonderful news of our deliverance though the sky like a comet. What exuberance do we find here in this celebration that we hope will fill the vast eternity.
Ye wingèd seraphs fly, Bear the news, bear the news!
Ye wingèd seraphs fly, Bear the news!
Ye wingèd seraphs fly, Like comets through the sky,
Fill vast eternity With the news, with the news!
Fill vast eternity With the news!
Stanza 4 invites other redeemed saints to join in our song of praise. Here is a beautiful expression of honor for fellow believers, that they should be called “friends of Zion’s king.” It is the language of the Psalms that we invite these friends to “strike each tuneful string” in His praise.
Ye friends of Zion’s king, Join His praise, join His praise;
Ye friends of Zion’s king, Join His praise;
Ye friends of Zion’s king, With hearts and voices sing,
And strike each tuneful string In His praise, in His praise!
And strike each tuneful string In His praise!
Stanza 5 then turns to direct praise directly “to God and to the Lamb.” This is something that Christians often fail to do. We tend to talk about praising God more often than we actually praising Him! And who is He? “The great I Am.” Countless millions will join the theme. What a magnificent day that will be!
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing.
To God and to the Lamb Who is the great I Am;
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing;
While millions join the theme, I will sing.
Stanza 6 moves toward the future victory for believers, when, after all the struggles and sufferings of this life, they will finally and eternally be free, including being free from death. The joy of that promise is what gives the heart the ability to sing even now as well as “through eternity.”
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on.
Stanza 7 is then the marvelous conclusion to the hymn. There is a “bright world” into which we will arise, “free from all pain and woe.” That great cloud of witnesses of Hebrews 12 is “the happy throng” with whom we will “sing on.”
Yes, when to that bright world We arise, we arise,
Yes, when to that bright world We arise;
When to that world we go, Free from all pain and woe,
We’ll join the happy throng, And sing on, and sing on,
We’ll join the happy throng, And sing on.
Here is the song as sung by the word-famous St. Olaf choir under the direction of Anton Armstrong.