Music: Shape Note Orchestral

Shape note music is hard to describe. It's protestant a capella hymns from the 1800s that were written in an unusual music notation that was meant to be easier for people to read. Singing in a shape note group is a great experience and I recommend it even if hymns aren't your regular cup of tea. I found a video on YouTube that explains shape note singing in a way that's very similar to my experience: Art Zone: Kevin Barrans explains Sacred Harp singing.

I've been missing the music so I arranged a few of the songs in GarageBand and thought I'd share:

Africa by William Billings
Poland by Timothy Swan
Antioch by F.C. Wood
If you're curious about what shape note music is supposed to sound like, there are many examples on YouTube. Here are versions of these songs: Africa, Poland, and Antioch.

Really looking forward to a time when it's safe for people to get together and sing.
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Hi! You're reading a single post on a weblog by Paul Bausch where I share recommended links, my photos, and occasional thoughts.