Caffe Lena School of Music: Shape Note Singing

An Introduction to Shape Note Singing with friends of

Tuesdays Aug 30th - Nov 1st / 12:30pm - 1:30pm / $175.00

From the first session to the last, your guides to this uniquely American tradition will affirm that Yes, You Can Sing!

This series of ten classes is devoted to teaching four-part harmony acapella singing in the shape note style. We will cover not only the what but also the why of singing. Emphasis will be on the development of community that is inherent in this type of singing, to the extent that it is now an international experience with local singings from Berlin to Tokyo.

The ten weeks commence with two sessions of introduction, followed by eight sections of singing from shape note books.

• Session 1: What are the shapes? How do they fit on the scale? Introduction to Guido of Arezzo for Solmization - Ut Re Mi / Hymn to St John

17th century expanding complexity and round notes. Music in British North America- the Bay Psalm Book. The expansion of music from hymn books to songbooks. Singing Masters and American music composition.

American tune books from 1770 to 1820 - William Billings to Lowell Mason. The introduction of shaped notes. The migration of congregational / community singing to the west and south.References: https://sacredharpbremen.org/en/home/

• Session 2: A Pleasing Sound. Introduction to the various shape note books Singing and what keeps us together.

1. Pitch - initiate speaking voice tone, expand to note, expand to keying a song.
2. Beating time, Tactus. Foot tapping expanded to hand movement. Leading.
3. Accent. Expanding the breath…the difference between this and the choral style.

• Session 3: Sacred Harp, 1991 Denson
• Session 4: Sacred Harp, 1991 Denson
• Session 5: Cooper Book
• Session 6: Shenandoah Harmony
• Session 7: Christian Harmony
• Session 8: Harp of Ages /Gospel
• Session 9: Caffe Lena Sacred Harp Convention, Day 1. Brief introduction of protocols to include committees. Singing to follow including memorial lesson.
• Session 10: Caffe Lena Sacred Harp: Day 2 Singing

This class is organized with the help of the Albany Sacred Harp

Our guide for the introductory sessions is Kerry Cullinan. Kerry has been singing shape note music for more than a decade. Twice been chair of the Vermont Sacred Harp All Day Singing He has attended singing camps in Alabama, North Carolina, and in Poland as well as All Day Singings and Conventions across the US and Europe. He is passionate on community inherent in this activity.

Host or Publisher Caffe Lena