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Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that originated in New England and was later perpetuated and carried on in the American South. Sacred Harp music was replaced by hymns in most of the country by the mid-19th century, but remained popular in the rural South. Two Sacred Harp songs were used in the film Cold Mountain, the story of a Confederate deserter trying to make his way home near the end of the war when the Confederacy was falling apart.
The name is derived from The Sacred Harp, a 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. This music was included in books using the shape note style of notation popular in America in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
Sacred Harp music is performed a cappella (voice only, without instruments). Sacred Harp music uses printed shapes to help untrained singers read the music. As one Sacred Harp singer noted,"It's not for listening...the beauty of this comes in the singing."
First in Cold Mountain is "I'm Going Home," part of the "We got our war!" scene:
https://www.facebook.com/245062974187/videos/cold-mountain-movie-scene/1255903769618/
Here is "I'm Going Home" by itself:
The other Sacred Harp song used in the Cold Mountain is "Idumea"
Sources for more history of Sacred Harp Music and Shape Notes:
en.wikipedia.org
The name is derived from The Sacred Harp, a 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. This music was included in books using the shape note style of notation popular in America in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
Sacred Harp music is performed a cappella (voice only, without instruments). Sacred Harp music uses printed shapes to help untrained singers read the music. As one Sacred Harp singer noted,"It's not for listening...the beauty of this comes in the singing."
First in Cold Mountain is "I'm Going Home," part of the "We got our war!" scene:
https://www.facebook.com/245062974187/videos/cold-mountain-movie-scene/1255903769618/
Here is "I'm Going Home" by itself:
The other Sacred Harp song used in the Cold Mountain is "Idumea"
Sources for more history of Sacred Harp Music and Shape Notes:
Sacred Harp - Wikipedia
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