More about the history and significance of African American Spirituals and Shape-Note Singing
These two rich American traditions of hymnody and music learning form the basis for our Good Friday worship this year at 7:30pm. Learn more about the fascinating history behind the music...
From Ken Burn's 1990 documentary 'The Civil War" this stunning spiritual of that era by Bernice Johnson Reagon. She was born October 4, 1942 & is a singer, composer, scholar, and social activist, who founded the a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock in 1973. The daughter of Baptist minister J.J.
Spirituals
It's hard to overstate the importance of spirituals in African-American culture. Here are some starting places to learn more about this rich heritage of music and its significance.
- Read about the history of spirituals on the Library of Congress website
- Learn about how spirituals were and are an important part of Christian education in this article from Yolanda Smith, Assistant Professor of Christian Education at Yale Divinity School.
© Great Smoky Mountains Association 2012. An old tradition that is alive and well in the Great Smoky Mountains, shape note or "Old Harp" singing blends a unique singing style with tunes from the old world.
Shape-Note Singing
- The Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association sponsors a fantastic website packed with resources at fasola.org
- DigitalHeritage.org (sponsored by Western Carolina University and the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area) has some wonderful information on how shape-note singing is part of Appalachian culture
- Smithsonian Folkways provides a detailed Shape Note Singing Lesson plan and associated resources intended for grades 3-8
Detail from a page from an early edition of The Sacred Harp, a shape-note hymnal. Source: The Library of Congress (loc.gov/item/ihas.200038829).