An previous religiously impressed songbook that makes use of form notes for individuals who cannot learn music obtained a significant replace and is attracting youthful singers.
AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
A whole bunch of singers from everywhere in the world gathered in Georgia lately to debut a brand new music ebook referred to as “The Sacred Harp.” As Laura Atkinson, with the Appalachia Mid-South Newsroom experiences, it is central to shape-note singing, one of many oldest American musical traditions.
LAURA ATKINSON, BYLINE: In a church close to Atlanta, singers are eagerly cracking open their model new “Sacred Harp” track books, which they obtained simply minutes in the past. Then David Ivey, with The Sacred Harp Publishing Firm, steps as much as a podium.
DAVID IVEY: Welcome to this celebration weekend for the debut of “The Sacred Harp” 2025 version.
(CHEERING)
ATKINSON: The music contained in the ebook appears uncommon. The notes are shapes that correspond with syllables like fa, sol and la. It was in style with Christians within the south through the 1800s as a result of it taught untrained singers to learn music. At present, the songs are nonetheless sung with no rehearsal, no viewers and no devices.
UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTISTS #1: (Vocalizing).
IVEY: That is our lengthy historical past of teams of singers collaborating to supply our songbook, 176 years.
ATKINSON: The final time this songbook was revised was earlier than the web. The form-note neighborhood has modified and grown fairly a bit since then. A revision committee added 113 new songs out of practically 1,200 submissions from everywhere in the world.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Benefit from the celebration.
JOSE CAMACHO-CERNA: Superior.
ATKINSON: Throughout a lunch break, singers are so desirous to strive the brand new tunes out, just a few dozen type an impromptu group outdoors.
CAMACHO-CERNA: You’ll be able to sort of really feel how electrical the air is. Everyone’s simply so excited.
ATKINSON: That is Jose Camacho-Cerna. He wrote one of many new tunes within the ebook. He requested the group in the event that they need to check out his track, named “Lowndes,” after the county in Georgia the place he lives.
UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTIST #1: Yeah, yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTIST #2: Let’s do it.
CAMACHO-CERNA: Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh.
UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTISTS #2: (Vocalizing).
ATKINSON: This can be his first time listening to it within the wild.
UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTISTS #2: (Singing) The morning walks upon the earth. And man awakes to toil and mirth. All residing issues and lands are homosexual…
ATKINSON: Camacho-Cerna is a part of a youthful crowd that is discovered shape-note singing in recent times. He says the melodramatic lyrics about mortality and sin and the easy but highly effective chords made a simple transition from the music he was used to.
CAMACHO-CERNA: I used to be in a punk band (laughter). I do know. It is sort of loopy. And that is one thing that actually attracted me to it. I simply thought it was very metallic, the 1800s metallic.
ATKINSON: He got here for the music however stayed for the neighborhood. It is surprisingly numerous. Right here, girls with quick purple hair sing subsequent to males with lengthy white beards in four-part concord.
CAMACHO-CERNA: I really like the singing. I really like the neighborhood, and now I get to be a part of a, , historic legacy, ? So yeah, I am fairly joyful.
ATKINSON: The primary official singing from the brand new “Sacred Harp” is about to begin. Round 700 individuals confirmed up, and so they sing collectively for the primary time.
UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTISTS #1: (Singing) Jesus and shall it ever be, a mortal man ashamed of thee.
ATKINSON: David Ivey stands Within the again, wiping tears from his eyes. He says “The Sacred Harp” is greater than a set of songs. It is a image of unity.
IVEY: This ebook is treasured to individuals. The ebook is what binds our neighborhood, the diaspora of singers all over the place.
ATKINSON: Ivey says 50 years in the past, individuals thought that shape-note singing was on its manner out, however the replace of “The Sacred Harp” retains the ebook a residing doc.
For NPR Information, I am Laura Atkinson in Atlanta.
UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTISTS #1: (Singing) On whom my hopes of Heaven rely…
Copyright © 2025 NPR. All rights reserved. Go to our web site phrases of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for additional data.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts might differ. Transcript textual content could also be revised to right errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org could also be edited after its authentic broadcast or publication. The authoritative report of NPR’s programming is the audio report.
