"Shape Note" singing refers to Sacred Harp singing.  Another term for it is
"Fa-Sol-La" singning.  The term refers to the shape the notes are given to
help the singer identify the note.  Fa is a triangle, sol is an oval, la is
a square, etc.  The chorus of the song is first sung by the name of the
note -- for exampe, "Amazing Grace" is sung as, "Sol Fa La-fa La" during the
first chorus, and then the words are added on the second chorus.  It's hard
to explain without hearing it, but to me it has a very ancient and moving
sound.  (The singers always seem to sing loud and strong!)  If you remember
the movie "Cold Mountain", the singers in the church scene were singing
Fa-Sol-La music; it was actually a group from outside Birmingham.  Yes,
there are still groups around that hold "Sacred Harp" singing conventions.

If you Google "Sacred Harp", I'm sure you can find some sites that explain
it better than I can.  You may even find some sound files you can listen to!

Jean

----- Original Message -----
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, January 07, 2007 1:13 PM
Subject: Shaped Notes


> Does anybody know what "shaped notes"were/are?
> I heard of them but have never been able to figure out what they are,
> exactly.
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Sunshine49" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, January 07, 2007 11:43 AM
> Subject: Re: OLD PRONUNCIATIONS OF NAMES
>
>
>> I've heard about that style of singing. Almost extinct, isn't it? I
>> hope someone preserves these old styles and cultural forms. I have a
>> good friend who is a native of the "Shan- a- doahr" Valley. They
>> don't pronounce it "Shen..." they say "Shan..."
>>
>> Nancy
>>
>> -------
>> I was never lost, but I was bewildered once for three days.
>>
>> --Daniel Boone
>>
>>
>>
>> On Jan 7, 2007, at 10:55 AM, Clara Callahan wrote:
>>
>>> I do subscribe and it's a very good read, no matter the subject
>>> being addressed.
>>>
>>>   My father's family is from Pike County in eastern Kentucky and my
>>> grandmother used to pronounce chimney "chimbley," which sounds
>>> close to what you are describing.  Whenever I go into those
>>> mountains, I still love the sound of their voices.  During my last
>>> trip I went to an Old Regular Baptist meeting, in this case a
>>> memorial dedicated to my aunt's father.  If you haven't heard lined
>>> out hymnody, you haven't lived.
>>>
>>>   http://www.elderly.com/recordings/items/FOLKW40106.htm
>>>
>>>   My aunt told me it is the closest thing to the old English way of
>>> singing.  No books, no music, no instruments, just voices.
>>>
>>>   Clara
>>>
>>> [log in to unmask] wrote:
>>>   I don't know if you folks realize it but one can subscribe for
>>> about $50.00
>>> per year to the William & Mary Quarterly Online and it is downright
>>> fun!
>>> Almost every, if not all, issue of the Quarterly is on there and
>>> there are
>>> some fascinating articles from the days when the Quarterly did a
>>> lot of
>>> genealogical work. One of the issues has an article on the old
>>> pronunciations of Virginia names and that is like a trip down
>>> memory lane! I
>>> live in York County but I grew up in Warwick County which was and
>>> should
>>> still be pronounced "Warrick" but newcomers (who seem to be
>>> everywhere now)
>>> insist on saying, "Wor-WICK", which is an abomination to my ears.
>>> Old timers
>>> in Yorktown and York County pronounce "York" like "Yawk". A few
>>> years ago I
>>> was visiting in Yorkshire England and I was tickled to hear those
>>> people
>>> pronounce the word "yawk". Another word that Yorkshire people say
>>> the way I
>>> remember it being pronounced when I was growing up was "chimney".
>>> They say
>>> "chimley" which is how I said it until I went to school and was
>>> taught to
>>> say it the way it is spelled. Recently I was visiting in Lynchburg
>>> and heard
>>> a man say "Charlottesville" like "Shaw-vul". And he wasn't even
>>> very old!
>>> Baby-boomer vintage.
>>> Some of the names listed in the Quarterly comparing names with
>>> pronunciation
>>> are:
>>> Spelt:
>>> ARMISTEAD pronounced UMSTEAD
>>> BERKELEY.......................BARKLEY or BARTLETT
>>> BERNARD.........................BARNETT
>>> BROCKENBROUGH........BROKENBUROUGH
>>> BLOUNT........................... BLUNT
>>> BURWELL.........................BURRELL
>>> BOOTH..............................BOWTHE
>>> CALLOWHILL..................CARROLL
>>> CHAMBERLAINE.............CHAUMBERLIN
>>> CHISMAN.........................CHEESEMAN
>>> CRENSHAW......................GRAINGER
>>> DEGGE or DEGGES...........DIGGS
>>> DREWRY............................DRUITT
>>> ENROUGHTY.................... DARBY
>>> FARRAR-FERRER..............FARR
>>> FAUNTLEROY...................FANTILROY
>>> FONTAINE,,.......................FOUNTIN
>>> FULGHAM..........................FULLJUM
>>> GEDDY................................GADDY
>>> GILLIAM.............................GILLAM
>>> GOODWIN..........................GOODIN
>>> GOOCH...............................GOUGE
>>> HAIRSTON..........................HARSTON
>>> HEYWARD..........................HOWARD
>>> HAUGHTON-HAWTHORNE........................HORTON
>>> HARWOOD.........................HAROD
>>> IRONMONGER...................MONGER
>>> JAMES..................................JEEMES
>>> LANGHORNE......................LANGON
>>> LEIGH...................................LEE
>>> MALLICOTE.......................MALICUT
>>> MAURY...............................MURRY
>>> MICHEAUX.........................MISHER
>>> MONTFORD-MUNFORD...MUMFORD
>>> PATRICK.............................PARTRICK
>>> RANDOLPH.........................RANDALL
>>> SEWELL-SEAWELL............SOWEL
>>> TALIAFERRO......................TOLIVER
>>>
>>> That's a few listed.
>>> When I send this to the List I don't know what format it will come
>>> through
>>> as but I did my best to line everything up clearly.
>>>
>>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
>>> instructions
>>> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>>>
>>>
>>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
>>> instructions
>>> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>>
>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
>> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>>
>
> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html

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