I have no words to describe how wonderful was the Sacred Harp two-singing I attended this weekend. These videos aren't from that event, though they are from the same location four years ago, and both feature songs we did. This is very much the same sound:
There were 80 people present on both days, including at least 40 or 50 active singers. Even better, the active singers included a hard core of old-timers expert in their singing. Almost best, a dozen very young children got up to lead. Some were so young they couldn't quite remember that they were supposed to call the song by its number. Some stood up with an adult to support, but others got right out there on their own. I've been attending these singings for nearly 30 years; I see no sign at all of their decaying.
At certain points in the program people stand to announce singings in other locations, not only here in Texas but all over the country. (There were singers present from a dozen or more states this weekend.) One old fellow announced his Alabama church's upcoming annual singing as its 179th or some such wild number, then explained that the number for "consecutive" annual singings was a little less than that; there was a period of a couple of years when they weren't able to have one, during the 1860s.
Love to listen to this. Good but regular voices.
ReplyDeleteRight, there are always a few people with really striking voices, but mostly it's quite ordinary singers and a lot of shouting.
ReplyDeleteI should see if such things exist in the wilds of Wisconsin.
ReplyDeleteThere are certainly singings in Wisconsin. Just Google "Wisconsin Sacred Harp."
ReplyDeleteLive music is different. Mostly from the aura of the people. Something animals pick up on, and which I've learned to analyze after picking it up from animals.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to people who perceive children dynamics. They call it the cruelty of children, but it is merely that monkey and ape matrix at work.
For singing groups, I often mentioned to them that I never had formal training as a singer. But the breathing controls and various other things are nearly indistinguishable from the training I received in martial arts and survival conditioning.
ReplyDeleteThe two great examples I like to use when teaching internal breathing from the gut is the mother learning to breathe to deliver a baby and the sniper that has to calm his aim. People don't like abstractions and can't figure out things beyond their field of expertise (usually their job). So I often shock em with two diametrically opposing fields, child birth and military marksmanship. And if that doesn't get through to their civilian senses, I'll start telling stories. No wonder Jesus of Nazareth liked to use parables instead of directly describing what was going on.