February 18: Wednesday Night Folk

Sacred Harp is four-part a capella music characterized by haunting harmonies, traditional modes, serene hymns, fast fugues, and a certain unpolished sound. It began in the late 1700s in New England, survived in the US rural south, and has spread far beyond its heartland in recent decades. The Vancouver group was founded 16 years ago.

This style of singing is also called “shape note singing” because the musical notation uses note heads in 4 distinct shapes, designed to help beginners to read music. The Sacred Harp is the name of our tunebook and also refers to the human voice as an instrument. Originally a Christian tradition, as reflected in the lyrics, Sacred Harp is open to singers of any or no belief system. It is social, participatory music-making: no auditions, no director, no audience, and no performances.

Consider this feature a demonstration, rather than a performance. We will present a selection of characteristic songs and tell you a little about the history, traditions, and method. We’ll also give a quick lesson so that we can sing a song together.