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Shapes of America: A radio special about shape-note singing

Shape note singing is one of the oldest musical traditions in this country. It’s a practice that began in colonial America, and after centuries of ups and downs in ...
The Brown Daily Herald

A square of voices, shape-note group grows

About 30 students, faculty members and Providence residents gathered in the Steinert Choral Room last Thursday. The singers sat in a square — one voice part on each side — facing each other, with the ...
YDR

Sacred Harp singers are revamping an iconic pre-Civil War hymnal of shape-note music

Groups of Sacred Harp singers are working together to revise their hymnal The a capella tradition uses shape-note music to sight-read songs from the hymnal's 554 options Families pass the musical ...
Observer-Reporter

Old-time practice of shape-note singing finds adherents today

PITTSBURGH – Alexa Kay is a Quaker, a denomination which has embraced simplicity and shunned more extravagant forms of worship, even singing. Nevertheless, Kay likes to sing, and that’s what led her ...
WVXU

What is shape note singing? Here's an overview of this American tradition

Shape note singing is one of America's oldest musical traditions, and it is having a bit of a revival now because of an updated songbook. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) SIMON: Laura Atkinson and Justin Hicks, ...
Newsday

Takeaways from AP's report on why pre-Civil War hymnal 'The Sacred Harp' is getting an update

BREMEN, Ga. — “The Sacred Harp” is a pre-Civil War compilation of sacred songs that uses music notes shaped like triangles, ovals, squares and diamonds, and it is getting an update. Sung in four-part ...