Similarly, the roots of this music in the white communities predate 1776. Judge jackson and the colored sacred harp university of. Despite the name, it is not merely a revision of the sacred harp, but a collection of original compositions that could be considered a supplement to the sacred harp. Judge jackson, ozark al this book by judge jackson is a collection of songs created by the africanamerica sacred harp community. This 160page hardbound book with cd tells the story of judge jackson of ozark, alabama, who in 1934 published a small book of religious songs written by.
While judge jackson is given credit for its authorship, the colored sacred harp is best described as a community effort. Shape note or sacred harp music has been popular since its inception in fundamentalist churches in the south, where black groups once sang from a book called the colored sacred harp. Citeseerx document details isaac councill, lee giles, pradeep teregowda. King, is the chief printed repository for the living tradition and repertory of early american psalmody. Introduction prologue judge jackson and the colored sacred harp early days the morning trumpet broadside hymnody the colored sacred harp folk authorship black borrowers and creators a wagon load of song books work meets judge jackson byrds thesis did it need a. Judge jackson and the colored sacred harp joe dan boyd on. I describe the circumstances behind books publication in jim crowera southeastern alabama, the popularity of the wiregrass sacred harp singers a.
The songs refer to the history of their communities in alabama, their socioreligious experiences, and their aesthetic values. In his book judge jackson and the colored sacred harp, joe dan boyd identified four regions of sacred harp. The colored sacred harp is a collection of shapenote songs composed and arranged by africanamerican musicians in southeastern alabama and published in 1934. Jackson march 12, 1883, montgomery county, alabama april 7, 1958, ozark, alabama was an american sacred harp composer, songwriter, and educator. The work was first published in 1844 and has reappeared in. Sacred harp in the wiregrass african american rural. Includes unpaginated general index and index of first lines. It contains shapenote songs composed or arranged by jackson and other african american singers.
Such singing derives originally from colonial new england singing schools designed to teach musical notereading in order to improve congregational. Reflections on the colored sacred harp, in cdss news, i delve into the history of the colored sacred harp, a 1934 shapenote tunebook featuring the music of black alabamians, to shed light on the racial history of sacred harp singing. In the essay i argue that cultural, social and racial histories effect the choices we make about what. It has been traditionally used in the florida panhandle, the southern regions of georgia, alabama, and mississippi, and in texas. Alabama folklife association afa encyclopedia of alabama. This index contains the lyrics of all songs in the b. Judge jackson and the colored sacred harp book, 2002. A chief part of the black harp singing tradition is the colored sacred harp hymnal, composed and arranged by african americans in alabama and first published in 1934. This book that comes with a cd, contains essays on benjamin lloyds primitive hymns, a wordonly hymnal compiled and published in alabama in 1841 that has been in continuous use by primitive baptists since that time.
The colored sacred harp by judge jackson home facebook. The reader will note that the author refers to the colored sacred harp performers after that year, including the wiregrass sacred harp singers of today, as african americans. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Annual sacred harp singings university of mississippi. Please send corrections, updated directions, or other information. A chief part of the black harpsinging tradition is the colored sacred harp hymnal, composed and arranged by african americans in alabama and first published in 1934. Southeast alabama and florida union sacred harp singing. Dewey williams, 81st birthday singing, wiregrass sacred. Sacred mixed voices, unaccompanied worship and praise songs and music. The sacred harp, revised cooper edition online index. Stanley smith talks about colored sacred harp songbook and sings p. Sacred harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that originated in new england and was later perpetuated and carried on in the american south of the united states. White sacred harp cooper revision you may look up any song by title, page number, first line, composer, poet, or meter you may also look up words or verses using the word index. The sacred harp 1991 revision cooper revision christian harmony colored sacred harp.
Shape note singing ritual and worship musical styles. The colored sacred harp, by judge jackson of alabama, a cooper book singer, was published in 1934. Available in several editions and revisions since its first printing in 1844, the book unites most southern singers, black and white, who cultivate the tunebook tradition, as well as enthusiasts throughout north america who are. Recorded anthology of american music, new world records nw 804332. This 160page hardbound book with cd tells the story of judge jackson of ozark, alabama, who in 1934 published a small book of religious songs written by and for african american shapenote singers. Religious songs written by and for african americans in the style of the venerable shape note book, the sacred harp. Sacred harp books generally contain a section on rudiments, describing the basics of music and sacred harp singing. The colored sacred harp book and cd by joe dan boyd with an introduction by john bealle. Jacksonauthor and publisherozark, alabama in gold type, various font sizes. Wiregrass sacred harp singers the colored sacred harp.
Dewey williams talks about singing sacred harp music in southeast alabama, and his association with judge jackson, author of the colored sacred harp. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle. Judge jackson and the colored sacred harp book and cd joe dan boyd on. In addition to 25 recordings made or collected by boyd, the cd features a recording made at a sacred harp singing by folklorist john work in 1938 and one made by jackson and family at a coinoperated recording booth in dothan in 1950. Citeseerx the colored sacred harp new world records. These recordings and reprint editions of early hymnals have led to a revival in popularity of shapenote singing among contemporary urban singers across the united states, while the. A selection of songs from the colored sacred harp appears on a cd enclosed with the book. The wiregrass sacred harp singers during the recording of a 1993 new world records album, the colored sacred harp singing from memory in the piney low country of southeastern georgia, fifty miles back from the hotels and golf courses on the booming coast, there is a cooperbook group made up mostly of an extended family named lee.
Subsequently, the colored sacred harp was officially adopted by the alabama and florida union state convention and the dale county colored musical institute as a common collection of devotional songs. Born in 1883, jackson took a keen interest in fasolla singing as a teenager. The sacred harp, 1991 editioncooper book christian harmonycolored sacred harp info. The colored sacred harp national museum of african. In addition to the cooper revision of the sacred harp, which served as the primary shape note book for africanamerican singers in the region, the colored sacred harp, a 1934 collection of original compositions by black singers in the area compiled by judge jackson 18831958 of ozark, alabama, was also used. This 160page hardbound book with cd tells the story of judge.
With support from the alabama state council on the arts and humanities and the national endowment for the arts, a hardbound edition appeared in 1973. Sacred harp singing takes its name from the songbook, first published in hamilton, georgia in 1844. Bibb county singers adopted the south carolina tunebook christian harmony, and alabama singers revised the book in 1958. Check out the colored sacred harp by wiregrass sacred harp singers on amazon. Judge jackson and the colored sacred harp by joe dan boyd. The colored sacred harp a songbook by nineteenth century africanamericans performed by the wiregrass sacred harp singers, ozark. Recorded live at the annual jackson sing at the union grove baptist church, ozark, alabama, apr. Judge jackson and the colored sacred harp book and cd. Based on sacred harp singings 2019 and 2020, compiled by judy caudle, david ivey and samuel sommers and published by the sacred harp musical heritage association, with updates and corrections by annie grieshop and others. In addition, the afa assisted two groups of shapenote singers in reprinting the colored sacred harp and the christian harmony, two books central to their. The word index is currently not available for the songs on page 195 and above. Jackson, this small volume has much in common with the sacred harp. The colored sacred harp wiregrass sacred harp singers.
Saturday singing at hardeman is cancelled saturday, the 22nd 10 am. The name is derived from the sacred harp, a ubiquitous and historically important tunebook printed in shape notes. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. The colored sacred harp by wiregrass sacred harp singers. The afa also produced a video about sacred harp singing on sand mountain, a book and cd about primitive baptist hymn singing, and several volumes of its scholarly journal, tributaries. In 1934, judge jackson of ozark compiled the colored sacred harp, and the book became established among african american singers of that region. Unless otherwise noted all singings are in the 1991 edition of the sacred harp. The compact disc features 20 performances of hymns by primitive baptists in alabama, georgia, and north carolina. Like the denson and white hymnals, these songs are sung in fourpart shapenote style but sound different from other forms of harp singing. Dewey williams, 81st birthday singing, wiregrass sacred harp singers, film. Sacred harp exhibit january 2010 pitts theology library. The colored sacred harp national museum of african american.
The cooper edition is a tunebook descended from the 19thcentury sacred harp and initially published in 1902 by w. The colored sacred harp by wiregrass sacred harp singers on. It is famous for its cheese notes see notes to song no. His 1934 publication the colored sacred harp was later recognized by scholars such as doris dyen and new grove writer joe dan boyd as an important document of early twentiethcentury shape note singing practice. The colored sacred harps history and its current use have much. Notes this edition of the sacred harp was the forerunner of the 1936 denson edition the direct ancestor of the current 1991 edition. The colored sacred harp cd university of mississippi. Brief excerpts from autobiography of judge jackson.
Shape note singing lesson smithsonian folkways recordings. Boyd provides a personal and insightful study of the southeast alabama man who, during the great depression. Sings, i delve into the story of the colored sacred harp and share a song from the book to shed light on the racial history of sacred harp singing, one of the traditional music styles frequently programmed at cdss camps and dance weekends. White sacred harp and the colored sacred harp, the latter authored and published by jackson in 1934. Alabama has become an important repository for this oncenational tradition and. Shapenote hymns in judge jacksons collection the colored sacred harp 1934, rev.