The Sacred Harp musical tradition evolved in the American South from a particular way of producing congregational sacred choral music. This form of music uses a special kind of musical notation called shaped notes, which represent each tone within the octave as a distinct shape in order to facilitate sight reading.
The origins of Sacred Harp music are in sacred choral music, such as congregational hymns. Over time, Sacred Harp music has evolved into its own unique musical form that is distinct the originating music. In general the music is characterized by being conducted by a single individual, using relative pitch, emphasizing open fifths, parallel octaves and fifths, and by its polyphony. All of these innovations are outside the norms prescribed by modern academic music theory.
There are two forms of this music that are common, 'fuguing tunes' and anthems. The fuguing tune is not the same as the classic fugue, but rather a more simple, though similar, form. Like the traditional fugue, the voices enter one at a time, coming together in the creation of a collective piece. Anthems tend to be longer songs, containing only one verse.
Shape note singing evolved in the early 19th century in many different ways, with Sacred Harp singing being one of them. It was created and intended to make singing by sight reading easier for younger children and new singers without a music theory background. People who couldn't read traditional music loved the shaped notes and how easy they were to read. The old English form of four shapes within an octave was the approach that that this musical tradition uses. In the North, shape note systems lost out to the more traditional approach of classical academic harmony. However, in the South, shape note singing never disappeared. Harp singing has remained as a popular way for making ancient sacred choral music.
Practitioners of the art not only sing in traditional choral style, but they also participate in an active community of practitioners that is constantly creating new music in the genre. Additionally some might say that each individual practitioner is actively participating in the creation and evolution of this art form, as each performance is unique and collective. Thus this art form is one that is constantly changing.
This is an art form that embraces the spiritual. Those who practice it are able to combine the joy of singing with others who unite to amplify their relationships as well as to create a unique musical expression.
The sacred harp singing technique is only a small portion of the shape note singing that evolved in the early 19th century. It was originally designed as a method to make sight reading and singing easier for novices, including children. People unfamiliar with traditional musical notation were attracted. As a spiritual art form, it is a melding of technique and practice with inspiration and joy. It allows practitioners to come together as a group and gain strength in their relationships with each other and join voices in a united effort, creating a sound unique to this particular musical form of expression.
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