Sacred Shapes

In March 2020, just days before the entire United States went into a lockdown in the battle against COVID-19, a singing was held in the memory of the Godsey Sisters and Sandra Spradlin. The gathering took place deep in the Bankhead National forest in Double Springs, Alabama, off a country road, in a cabin from the late-1800s. The cabin was built and lived in by folk who sang Sacred Harp and passed down through the family of generations of singers. I had the privilege of documenting this last singing before the world changed and choral gatherings were banned.

An attendee of the memorial singing holds up a sacred harp book that has been in his family since the late 1800s. Pictured on the left is Benjamin Franklin White, a famed shape-note singing master and one of the first to compile tunes for the Sacred… — An attendee of the memorial singing holds up a sacred harp book that has been in his family since the late 1800s. Pictured on the left is Benjamin Franklin White, a famed shape-note singing master and one of the first to compile tunes for the Sacred Harp songbook.

The host of the singing stands in the middle of the group leading her song.

A singing attendee sits in her vocal section with her book and handwritten song notes.

Antique, Victorian-style pump organ from the late 1800s in the host’s log-cabin.

A seasoned Sacred Harp singer leading a song at the memorial singing in March, 2020.

Sacred Harp singings are never considered performances, nor do the singers consider themselves performers. What started as a means of worship, now is an important tool in community building and identity retention - especially among generational singers whose families can trace singers back to the earliest days of the practice.

The group is fashioned into a “hollow square”, with each vocal part (treble, alto, tenor, bass) on each side. As seen in the photo on the right, a young man stands with his palm raised in the middle of the group. To more traditional singers, the person standing in the middle is sometimes referred to as the “teacher” and the song they lead is their “lesson”.

The teacher is a remarkable position to find oneself in. It is not technical in any way. It mostly entails choosing the piece and swinging an open palm or both to keep the beat. Though, what makes it remarkable is being in the the center of that hollow square and having your chosen song semi-shouted at you from all directions. The teacher is literally walled in by music. The inward facing shouting, hand waving, and feet stomping of this practice make it in itself a form of musical meditation ritual.

Although Sacred Harp was originally performed in small churches primarily in Southern states like Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi, the tradition has become mostly secular in modern practices. The Sacred Harp book has found itself in the hands of singers all across the nation who sing in private homes, tiny theatre attics, and former military barracks. There are even groups in parts of Europe who hold Sacred Harp gatherings.

To listen to an album that includes some of the singers I met at the singing I recommend checking out their 1972 New Year’s Eve recording.

The same book pictured above. This attendee said he always carries this copy of the book around in the trunk of his car.

Musical notation for the corresponding audio clip “The Dying Boy”.

In shape-note music, the shape of the note head is the most important musical signifier. There are four note head shapes (square, oval, triangle, and diamond) which correspond to a syllable, fa, sol, la, or mi. For those familiar with solfege, the phraseology maybe the same, but the meanings differ. The various syllable/shape combinations other than mi are assigned to two distinct notes of the scale.

The pitch is therefore, not absolute. The shape combinations designate scale degree rather than a specific pitch. “Thus for a song in the key of C, fa designates C and F; for a song in G, fa designates G and C, and so on; hence it is called a moveable ‘do’ system.” 00:00-00:06 Hear the singers identify the moveable ‘do’ in the audio for The Dying Boy.

Before Sacred Harp singers begin a song, they sing once through using only syllables to recognize the pitches before adding the words. The shapes serve as quick visual guides. 00:07-00:49 The singers sing using only the syllables.

A young man stands in the middle of the group and “teaches” his “lesson”.

The worn cover of the above pictured Sacred Harp book dating back from the 1800s.

Shape note notation for the audio clip of ‘Fairfield’.

00:00-00:05 Hear the singers identify the moveable ‘do’ in the audio for Fairfield. 00:06-00:26 The singers sing using only the syllables.

The inside of the dated Sacred Harp book. Editions are revised through the generations.

Record keeping of the singing and song leaders. These records are officially submitted and can be found in the yearly publication of all Sacred Harp singings around the world.

The side view of the log-cabin that hosted the memorial singing. At the time it was undergoing a major restoration by the host and her daughter.

A gas station seen on the way into the singing in the Bankhead National Forest.

Ferns growing outside of the cabin. Simple signs of a coming spring in Alabama.

Christie (Left, host), Lauren(Middle), and Margaret (Right). Three generations of Sacred Harp singers in front of their family’s restored cabin from the mid-1800s in Double Springs, Alabama.

Shot on Shot on Kodak P3200 TMAX and Kodak 400 TMAX (Pushed to 800) 120mm and 35mm film.

Special thanks to Grey Brennan from the Alabama Board of Tourism for connecting me with David Ivey. And to David Ivey who connected me to Margaret Keeton. And to Margaret, Christie, and Lauren for welcoming me.