The Folk School of Chattanooga’s first shape-note singing workshop in January attracted about 40 participants.IF YOU GO
What: Shape-note singing workshopWhen: 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21Where: Folk School of Chattanooga, 1800 Rossville Ave.Admission: FreePhone: 827-8906Venue website: www.chattanoogafolk.com
In the 2003 historical romance “Cold Mountain,” news of the start of the Civil War arrives in the fictional North Carolina town, interrupting a church congregation practicing a musical tradition that, even in 1861, was already decades old.
Shape-note singing – also known as old harp, sacred harp or fa-so-la singing – traces its roots to 1801 in New England. Tonight, Feb. 21, the Folk School of Chattanooga will host a workshop to introduce newcomers to the practice, which also has deep roots in Appalachian culture, said executive director Christie Burns.
“It’s a bona fide tradition,” she said. “We’re still singing from the same books that were distributed 100 years ago, and the songs are sung with the same melodies and harmonies as they were then.”
Unlike traditional lyrics, shape-note singing is designed to be all-inclusive, so even illiterate vocalists can participate through harmonization.