A New Four-Shape Tunebook
About the Book
The inspiration for The Shenandoah Harmony was to create a collection of the best songs published by Ananias Davisson from 1815 to 1825 in the Shenandoah Valley.
These works include five editions of the Kentucky Harmony and three editions of the Supplement to the Kentucky Harmony, which combine New England composed tunes with the arranged folk melodies of the era.
Updates
Inclusivity
The Shenandoah Harmony Publishing Company and the co-authors of The Shenandoah Harmony are committed to building a welcoming and affirming shape note singing community. Currently, there is a much needed discussion about racial and gender inclusion in singing and we feel compelled to address this. Read more
Isaac Watts talk by Thomas Ward
Our friend, Thomas Ward, gives a lively and intense presentation…
Index To Recordings
Links to recordings of all-day singings
In Memory of John Bayer, Jr.
John Bayer, Jr. passed away on December 8, 2016 just over a year after the death of his wife, Loraine. They are survived by their children, Regina, Hans, and Jubal, and four grandchildren.
I first met John Bayer in September 1990 at the United Convention in Chicago (held for the first time out of the South!)
I first met John Bayer in September 1990 at the United Convention in Chicago (held for the first time out of the South!)
The Pros and Cons of Imitating the South
We recently came across this article in a copy of Shape Notes, a newsletter edited by Bob Hall and Ella Wilcox for several years in the Washington, D. C. area. Our good friend, Kat Kinkade wrote this in 1995. It still seems relevant today!
Did Lucius Chapin write the Amazing Grace tune?
The melody sung to John Newton's 1779 hymn "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound" is, without a doubt, America's best-loved hymn tune. An 1828 manuscript by Lucius Chapin (1760-1842), who was famous in his day as a hymn tune writer, raises the possibility that Lucius was its composer.
Consolation New
The song Consolation New appears on page 143 of The Shenandoah…
The (in)Complete Recordings
Here are over 450 recordings to help you learn songs from The Shenandoah Harmony. To download a song, click to start it playing and then click "Download."
Questioning the Unanswered Cadence
There's sometimes an audible gasp from the class after singing REDEEMING GRACE, THE HUMBLE PENITENT, or Allison Blake Steel's arrangement of HICKS' FAREWELL. Why the surprise?
Barring It All, Part 1
Thanks to some perceptive comments on fasola-songwriters and…
Meter, Rhythm, and the Most Awkward Farewell
Here's a sequel to my previous post on tune families. After…
Thoughts on Tune Families
In many early American churches---and some churches today---congregational…