AWAKE MY SOUL - THE STORY OF THE SACRED HEART "fascinating history" -The Oregonian
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“‘Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp’ is a fascinating history of a raw, overwhelming, unconventional form of Southern hymn singing.” -The Oregonian
“Spectacular… Get enough people singing weird harmonies at the top of their voices and you start feeling a little sorry for the devil.”
-Joe Dempsey, Washington City Paper
Sunday, August 9, 2:25 PM
Wednesday, August 12, 5:40 PM
Tickets $10
Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp is the first feature documentary to explore the history, music, and traditions of Sacred Harp singing, the oldest distinctively American form of music. This haunting music has survived over 200 years tucked away from sight in the rural deep South and occurs mostly at community singing events, which typically include anywhere from a dozen to a couple of hundred singers.
The events, called “singings,” emphasize participation over consumption since they are not generally performed for an audience. Sacred Harp singers begin each song by intoning syllables which are represented by specific “shapenotes” in their hymnal. To the casual observer, it is some foreign, unintelligible language, but to the Sacred Harp singers, it is the key that unlocks mysteries: songs of both beauty and sorrow, of life and of death, songs that cause feet to stomp and tears to flow, often at the same time.
Awake, My Soul aired nationwide on PBS in 2008 and was featured in TIME, Paste Magazine, NY Times, Pitchfork, SPIN, and on NPR. The film has now been remastered and re-edited for a new audience.
“Spectacular… Get enough people singing weird harmonies at the top of their voices and you start feeling a little sorry for the devil.”
-Joe Dempsey, Washington City Paper
Sunday, August 9, 2:25 PM
Wednesday, August 12, 5:40 PM
Tickets $10
Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp is the first feature documentary to explore the history, music, and traditions of Sacred Harp singing, the oldest distinctively American form of music. This haunting music has survived over 200 years tucked away from sight in the rural deep South and occurs mostly at community singing events, which typically include anywhere from a dozen to a couple of hundred singers.
The events, called “singings,” emphasize participation over consumption since they are not generally performed for an audience. Sacred Harp singers begin each song by intoning syllables which are represented by specific “shapenotes” in their hymnal. To the casual observer, it is some foreign, unintelligible language, but to the Sacred Harp singers, it is the key that unlocks mysteries: songs of both beauty and sorrow, of life and of death, songs that cause feet to stomp and tears to flow, often at the same time.
Awake, My Soul aired nationwide on PBS in 2008 and was featured in TIME, Paste Magazine, NY Times, Pitchfork, SPIN, and on NPR. The film has now been remastered and re-edited for a new audience.
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Where is it happening?
Liberty Theatre of Camas-Washougal, 315 NE 4th Ave,Camas, Washington, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Host or PublisherLiberty Theatre of Camas-Washougal
