Denson edition of the sacred harp encyclopedia of alabama. This version of the sacred harp has gone through many changes since wilson marion cooper first launched it in 1902. White sacred harp 2000, revised cooper edition by vaughn, r. Published first by the sacred harp publishing company, founded by alabamian tom denson in 1933, the denson edition continues to have strong alabama ties in its later. I can hardly imagine what life would be like without sacred harp singing.
Cooper sh website you can also find out a little bit about the company here, who the board members are, and how to order the book from them mistakes. James retained almost all of the older songs from past sacred harp books, added new songs and, like the cooper book, included alto lines for all the songs. King in 1844, and went through four editions 1844, 1850, 1859, 1869. Copies of the sacred harp tunebook are available to borrow during the singings. You may also look up words or verses using the word index. We usually have between 2040 singers at any given singing. White sacred harp, known as the cooper book, descends from a 1902 revision by w. I sometimes call it my hobby but that is not correct because sacred harp singing is a community and has great fellowship. The sacred harp, a compilation of hymns and songs written in shaped notes, was put together for congregational singing by benjamin franklin white, the brother of my great, great, great grandmother. There are now copies of pages from the most interesting 19th century shapenote book the hesperian harp online at berkley moores hesperian harp, and a listing of most shapenote cd and tape. The cooper book, as it is often called, was revised by cooper himself in 1907 and 1909.
The new 2012 cooper edition is referred to as the cooper sacred harp or blue book to distinguish it from the denson book, or the red book. The book has been revised every generation since its first publication in 1844 and has always included the music of living composers. The most common nickname for this book is cooper book, with singers in georgia and florida also calling it the blue book. Cooper of dothan, alabama published his sacred harp revision based on b. For this edition 12 older songs were removed and 14 other songs were added 5 of them by living composers. Checks, made payable to the book company, may be sent to aplin at 200 s. Swannew harp of columbia 2001 facsmile book 1867 shape note sacred harp new. We sing from the 2012 edition of the sacred harp, revised cooper edition. The book is a rarity in part because it was rejected by most sacred harp singers, who felt that whites modernized harmonies and added gospel music ventured too far from tradition. Bostonsing shapenote resources bostonsing shapenote resources. The other three thursdays of the month, we will still sing from denson, but also from the missouri harmony, shenandoah harmony, and norumbega harmony. There is singing in the hyde park neighborhood every thursday. Revised cooper edition 2012 my song a glimpse of thee is included in the sacred harp.
It is famous for its cheese notes see notes to song no. The vancouver allday sacred harp singing will meet in 2019 on june 1 at grandview church, 1803 east 1st ave. The board of directors of the sacred harp publishing company has approved a revision of the sacred harp. The shenandoah harmony is a new shapenote book published in 2012. Welcome to the calendar site for sacred harp singing in the uk. The most common nationwide nickname for this book is cooper book, with singers in georgia and florida also calling it the blue book. Revised cooper edition are available from bill aplin, secretarytreasurer of the sacred harp book company. Cooper book singing this singing is held on the saturday before the second sunday in august. White sacred harp, revised cooper edition hardcover january 1, 1960 by b. The sacred harp, also known as the denson revision,has a smaller traditional territorythe upland northern parts of georgia, alabama, and mississippiand is a some what more traditional book. On saturday the denson book is used, and on sunday the christian harmony is used. The sacred harp, revised cooper edition online index. The utah sacred harp singers cordially invite you to the 39th session of the young peoples sacred harp singing on september 28 and the utah cooper book singing on september 29.
Notes this edition of the sacred harp was the forerunner of the 1936 denson edition the direct ancestor of the current 1991 edition. The sacred harp is a shapenote tunebook first published in 1844 in hamilton, georgia, and used for congregational singing. Cooper book singing is alive and well in this part of the country. This website is a learning resource for both experienced and new shapenote singers. Books fasola philadelphia sacred harp and shapenote. Whites three different attempts at revising the sacred harp between 1909 and 1911. Sacred harp in the wiregrass african american rural hymnody. Jul 26, 2019 the tunebook we typically sing out of most often is the sacred harp 1991 denson edition and occasionally other tunebooks as well, including the 2012 cooper edition of the sacred harp, d. A few of the songs are not recorded in a sacred harp class singing. The hesperian harp contains music mostly in the idiom of the most widely used contemporary fourshape tune book, the sacred harp, which appears in three different editions, or in any of several other in print four or sevenshape books containing similar music.
Young people organize the event, hence the name, but singers of all ages participate. It was the first of what were to be three descendants of the book that had been first published in 1844 under the editorship of benjamin franklin white and elisha james king. It is widely used in south georgia, north florida, and the gulf region extending to texas. Its roots lie in the singing school movement begun in new england during the 1720s, in which singing masters compiled books of music instruction designed to teach note reading for singing in churches.
Sacred harp singing in the pacific northwest particular to cooper sacred harp stuff the sh book company. Because of the similarity of alto lines in this book and the cooper. James known as the james book, this book was widely received in its day. The tunebook we typically sing out of most often is the sacred harp 1991 denson edition and occasionally other tunebooks as well, including the 2012 cooper edition of the sacred harp, d. Sacred harp, cooper book 505 cleansing fountain youtube.
White sacred harp, dark gray for the christian harmony, light blue for the georgian harmony, and light green for the social harp. The song appears on the last page of the book before the index and is retitled national blessings with an alternate text selected by the books revisors. White sacred harp, or cooper book, was ed in 2006, printed by quebecor. Welcome to the sacred harp publishing company the sacred. M cooper, dothan al the cooper book was the first sacred harp revision to include alto lines for all songs. This familiar shape note song is also in many american hymnals in round note notation. In two cases on the wootten family recording the poster gives the more accessible cooper book number, but i believe the family was singing from the white book, where they originally learned those songs. David lee and clark lee welcomed everyone and then led the class in singing. The sacred harp was first published by benjamin franklin white and elisha j. King in 1844 and went permanently out of print following the death of b. As mistakes have been uncovered in the latest printing, they have been listed. It is still used today throughout the south wherever there are gatherings for singing school. The sacred harp, cooper edition, and the shenandoah harmony.
Join us monthly to sing from the sacred harp on second sundays of each month. Annual sacred harp singings university of mississippi. Hoboken allday sacred harp singing cooper book hoboken, georgia saturday, march 18, 2000. See all 3 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. The sacred harp revised cooper edition, 2012 the new 2012 cooper edition is referred to as the cooper sacred harp or blue book to distinguish it from the denson book, or the red book. This site has a large collection of recordings of sacred harp tunes these are organized by the singing event where the recording was made. Allday singings pacific northwest sacred harp singers. Marion cooper was born in henry county, alabama, the son of w. It has been traditionally used in the florida panhandle, the southern regions of georgia, alabama, and mississippi, and in texas. Sacred harp in the wiregrass african american rural. Singers today are likely to use one of two revisions. The hesperian harp contains music mostly in the idiom of the most widely used contemporary fourshape tune book, the sacred harp, which appears in three different editions.
White sacred harp cooper revision you may look up any song by title, page number, first line, composer, poet, or meter you may also look up words or verses using the word index. Friday night cooper book singing at the masonic lodge in bristol. You may look up any song by title, page number, first line, composer, poet, or meter. Wilson marion cooper december 17, 1850 july 17, 1916 of dothan, alabama, was a notable musician and music teacher within the sacred harp tradition. Bostonsing shapenote resources bostonsing shapenote. More pages were newly typeset which process had been started in 2000. The 1909 sacred harp, fifth edition is the first of j. New editions include new compositions,but the publishers have held firm against modern harmonies.
This index contains the lyrics of all songs in the b. Songs from the sacred harp and other shapenote song books that can be played using melody assistant software. Jul 23, 2018 maine sacred harp singing weekend 2018. By 1902 the supply of sacred harp songbooks was critically low and w. This revision also included songs in the newer gospel style along with the older sacred harp songs. Mansfields the american vocalist, and the goshen book which are the four tunebooks well be singing out of for the maine allday. Several of its authors and contributors have ties to the philadelphia area. This edition has been periodically revised by a different circle of singers and their families from those who produced the denson and. And there are many monthly and annual singings throughout the region that draws together singers from across the globe. A small book of songs published in 1934, the existence of the colored sacred harp is a further example of the strength and place of shapenote singing among the africanamerican population of southeast alabama in the 1930s. Theres a handy index of these recordings, listed numerically by page number in the sacred harp also listed here are the regular singings and conventions in new england, and downloadable sheet music for various tunes, old and new.
The first thursday of the month will be a two book singing with the 1991 edition of the denson sacred harp and the cooper book. Officially titled the sacred harp, revised cooper edition, 2012. William hauser, 1848 welcome to my web site which contains links to all the music from the hesperian harp, the largest, and arguably the best, of the shapenote tune books of the nineteenth century. David lee and clark lee welcomed everyone and then led the class in singing the scale. Africanamerican sacred harp singers, although primarily users of the cooper book, also make use of a supplementary volume, the colored sacred harp, produced by judge jackson 18831958 in 1934 and later revised in two subsequent editions. The denson edition of the sacred harp 1991the denson book as it is generally calledis the most widely used of the hardback old song books used at shapenote congregational singings in churches throughout alabama.
The cooper revision of the sacred harp was widely adopted in many areas of the south, such as florida, southern alabama, south georgia and texas, where it has continued as the predominant sacred harp book to this day. The cooper edition is a tunebook descended from the 19thcentury sacred harp and initially published in 1902 by w. The hesperian harp, contents of website sacred harp. Based on minutes of the annual sacred harp cooper book singing conventions, compiled by victoria aplin, aubrey barfield, and eva padgett, and annual sacred harp singings in texas, compiled by gaylon l. The story of the sacred harp, 18441944 jackson, george pullen library binding. There are quite a few other shape note song books in regular use overseas. Cooper sh website you can also find out a little bit about the company here, who the board members are, and how to order the book from them.
While judge jackson is given credit for its authorship, the colored sacred harp is best described as a community effort. The sacred harp was first put together by benjamin franklin white and elisha j. The sacred harp, revised cooper edition is a tunebook descended from the 19thcentury sacred harp an. Shape note singing lesson smithsonian folkways recordings.
Jun 09, 2019 the colors correspond roughly to book color. White sacred harp cooper book the sacred harp was first published by benjamin franklin white and elisha j. The sacred harp, revised cooper edition, 2012 published by the sacred harp book co. Cooper met the need with his revision of the 4th edition, bringing it out in that year. The book is a rarity in part because it was rejected by most sacred harp singers, who felt that whites modernized harmonies and added gospel music ventured too.
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