On Monday, May 3, 2004, at 07:33 AM, Arthur Ness (boston) wrote: > Yes, Jon, this is music for "that old-time religion." I expect the > practitioners today constitute a cult following, like those drum and > bugle > corps who choreograph all their march steps, or the Barbershop Quartet > Society.
The singing is the exact opposite to the micro-managed, microscopically-tweaked sound of barbershop singing. The best shape-note singing is loud almost to the point of pain, raucous and completely undisciplined. Control freaks have no power whatsoever at a shape-note sing! There are some "walking songs," and those who know the traditions underlying that hold a certain amount of sway over what goes on sometimes, but generally the group sits in a square with sopranos facing basses, and tenors facing altos. The tenor part gets the tune. It's fun stuff!! David Rastall
