fragments of an attempted writing.

4 comments:

  1. Amen! The angels in Heaven done signed my name! Gospel is the liturgical music of the black Church. Even though I moved as far as one can get from black religion, songs like this continue to feed my soul.

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  2. ^ That's how I feel about shape-note -- and it's not even part of my upbringing. (I was teethed on "Tantum Ergo," "Come Holy Ghost," sappy Mary hymns, and Gregorian chant.)

    Southern shape-note is the province of Primitive Baptists and a few Churches of Christ, but it totally speaks to my soul. I think that's partly because it has its roots in chant and in haunting Celtic ballads, both of which are in my blood.

    But that's true of black gospel music, too, isn't it? I mean, the song in this YouTube clip sounds very chant-like to me. All of these roots are intertwined. Leastwise, that's what musicologists claim. :)

    I gave my pastor a CD full of VERY raw, authentic shape-note hymns, sung by the Alabama Sacred Harp Singers back during the '40s. His reaction: "This music is very liturgical." Primitive Baptists liturgical? Who knew?

    Diane

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  3. Yes, Diane, I agree. There is a black American equivalent of shape-note called hymn choir. It sounds like Ethiopian Orthodox stuff to me (although most black Americans people come from the opposite side of the continent.) Check out this link:http://youtu.be/JuaDb4_sc9s

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  4. Oh my gosh, that is freaking BEAUTIFUL. Chant-like, haunting, and eerie (in a good way--I love eerie). Thank you!

    Diane

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