Over the weekend, the James River All Day Singing took place. A local singer, Mary P. Wright, had recently passed on and it was announced she wanted singers to have some of her books and recordings. There were only a few books, and many CDs and cassette tapes.
I picked up two thin books, and a CD or two. I didn’t want take much before others, some who knew her, had a chance to look over the table and take some things. At the next break I looked over the table and picked up a few cassette tapes, and then at the end of the day I picked up a few more things.
My thanks to the Richmond Shape Note Singers for their hospitality and hosting.
Kevin Isaac
On our online catalog, the books are noted:
“From the personal collection of Mary P. Wright, donated by the Richmond Shape Note Singers”
Table of Contents
Two books:
The Georgian Harmony: A Collection of Hymns & Fuging Tunes in the Shape-note Tradition
by Raymond C. Hamrick
I note here this is the 2008 spiral bound edition that was put out for test-singing. A hardback edition was later published.
john Hollingsworth writes about this book at the Sacred Harp Publishing Website here:
“The Making of The Georgian Harmony“
The Sacred Harper’s Companion
by Glen Wright (Editor). Susan Mampre (Editor)
Index by Tune Name (from archive.org)
Agawam (27) – Bruce Randall,1993
Angels, Roll the Rock Away (32) – Glen Wright,1993
At Rest (1) – John T. Hocutt,1973
Beard (15) – P. Dan Brittain,1981
Boulder (30) – Ted Johnson,1990
Chelton (26) – Judy Hauff,1988
Cumberland (25) – Jim Carnes,1987
David (2) – Glen Wright,1989
Fairhaven (41) – Glen Wright,1993
Glacier (11) – Dennis O’Brien,1992
Glastonbury (31) – Neely Bruce,1993
Immigration (35) – Glen Wright,1990
Leviathan (19) – Judy Hauff,1988
Life’s Troubles (4) – Hugh McGraw,1973
Millbrook (40) – Neely Bruce,1989
Noxubee (12) – Jim Carnes,1988
Oakley (33) – Bruce Randall,1991
Pembroke (36) – Dennis O’Brien,1992
Pilgrim’s Rest (18) – Raymond Hamrick,1986
Redemption’s Free (28) – Hugh McGraw,1973
Refreshment (10) – Mimi Stevens,1990
Rockland (6) – Bruce Randall,1988
Shepherd (14) – Raymond Hamrick,1992
Stow (22) – Glen Wright,1990
Waltham Common (38) – Glen Wright,1993
Waterton (8) – Robert Parr,1989
We’ll Sing the Praise (23) – John T. Hocutt,1973
A Pre-Publication “Review” (from archive.org)
Date: 16 Mar 94 18:52:48 EST
From: Paul Gauthier (paulgauthier@mindspring.com)
Here’s a copy of a message I sent out on the net back last September describing the book:
A new book of original shaped note tunes is in the works. Due out by October, the book is the work of Glen Wright and Susan Mampre of Rutland, MA (Glen’s “Natick” appeared in the new 1991 edition of the Original Sacred Harp. They’ve collected new songs from shaped note composers across the country and combined them into a collection of at least 25 new tunes centered in the OSH tradition.
I asked Susan Mampre the purpose behind their effort. She said “we wanted to collect and share new tunes from all over the country written by composers firmly grounded in the Sacred Harp tradition but who also let their own styles show through. A partial list of composers includes such notables as Jim Carnes and John Hocutt from Alabama, Glen Wright and Bruce Randall from Massachusetts, Judy Hauff and Ted Johnson from Chicago, Ray Hamrick and Hugh McGraw from Georgia, P. Dan Brittain from New York and others. The songs grabbed us. They were moving and also quite singable.”
The book is being typeset by computer and should be very clear and readable (Susan and Glen have actually started a business typesetting shaped note music for Sacred Harp groups and individual composers.) Norumbega Harmony has been singing through the new pieces and have become excited about a number of them.
Paul Gauthier
Image Softworks
Westford, MA
paulgauthier@mindspring.com
Five CDs:
The Waverly Consort
An American Journey: Bound for the Promised Land
Angel 1996
Lookout Mountain Convention 1968
2003 Squirrel Hill Recordings
The Alabama Sacred Harp Convention
White Spirituals from The Sacred Harp
New World Records
Mule Day, Winfield, AL, September 25, 2004
Joe Beasley Memorial Foundation
I Belong to This Band, Eighty-five Years of Sacred Harp Recordings
2006 Dust to Digital
Six Cassette Tapes:
Southern Traditional Singers
The Social Harp: Early American Shape-note Songs
1994 Rounder Records
One Accord
Pleasure Tunes My Tongue
1988 Alexianna Records
Northampton Harmony
The Hookes’ Regular Sing
1996 Hazmat Records
V/A
Bound for Canaan: Sacred Harp Singing from Sand Mountain, Alabama
1990 Hollow Square Productions
V/A
O May My Heart In Tune Be Found: The 1992 Potomac River Sacred Harp Singings Convention
1994 Steven L. Sabol
The St. Louis Shape Note Singers
Songs From The Missouri Harmony
1994 Wings of Song
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