Talk:Sacred Harp/Archives/2003

Folk music?

Opus, I am interested in your recent comment on your edits: 'deemphasize "folk", a characterization that is rejected by traditional participants (cf. recent NPR broadcast)'. I am assuming you're referring to the interview with Coy, David, and Rodney Ivey. I didn't get to hear it because I was informed that my mother had fallen and been taken to the hospital. I am curious as to what they said in regard to folk music. Those raised in the tradition may or may not be offended by comments that it is "folk" music, sometimes depending on the intent of the one calling it "folk" music. Twenty years ago I would have found it offensive - but mostly because of "folks" whose grandparents had sang the music who thought we were back numbers to continue a tradition they had left behind. Now it doesn't bother me. And most times the term is used in an academic manner anyway (but sometimes in academic pretense that reveals a disdain for the music). For example, IMO, to say that the Sacred Harp is "a book of over 250 hymn and folk tunes" is probably more accurate than saying it is "a book of over 250 songs". Nevertheless, to those within the tradition, Sacred Harp is just music that we love, not folk music. Just my opinions, not worth much otherwise. - Rlvaughn 22:29, 16 Dec 2003 (UTC)

Rl, thanks for your comments and I hope your mother is doing ok. You can hear the whole NPR story on the Web at http://www.npr.org/display_pages/features/feature_1534280.html, where Shelbie Sheppard is quoted giving some firm views on the "folk music" question.

In general, I feel that newbie singers should try to respect the feelings of traditional singers (a point that definitely comes up later in the broadcast), and I would even extend this to the task of writing articles for the Wikipedia. Besides, it's a little hard to see the appropriateness of the "folk" label for a tradition that is propagated in books through a community of music-reading singers. Folk music (in the original sense of the term) is usually a word-of mouth kind of thing.

On another note you brought up, I think if there is a shape note singer who knows the technology to make an image of shape notes and is willing to do it, that would be great.

Opus33 22:00, 18 Dec 2003 (UTC)

Opus, thanks so much for the reply. I looked at the link, and will listen to what Shelbie has to say when I get my speakers hooked back up. Probably more accurate than calling Sacred Harp "folk music" is to just recognize that it (both the book & the "performance") has been a vehicle of preserving certain types of oral music tradition. Though the Sacred is propagated in books and by music-reading singers, the "performance" at times may reflect the way it was "passed down" rather than the way it is written (even though many singers know they're not singing it as written).

Traditional singers are very appreciative of the many "newbies" who have respected their feelings. But also realize that all traditional singers don't have the same feelings - we can't even agree on which book to use! :-0 Some Sacred Harpers will probably be offended to find their music in an R-rated movie.

I will put the word out and see if I can find a "taker" to put the note shapes in the Shape note article. Thanks once again for the work you've put in to these articles. - Rlvaughn 01:42, 19 Dec 2003 (UTC)