#shape singing

[practiceapps]

Been listening to some shape music and early New England psalmody for some historical context. This arrangement is fairly recent but quite lovely.

[lordy-lou]

I’ve had American sacred harp music on the mind: a relentlessly pious relative of mine passed away recently, and her funeral was tiny and stilted.  Not a celebration of a life well-lived, but an acknowledgement of a life full of pain and futile hopes. The morning after, while my dad and his brothers were away choosing the headstone, my mom and I went down to the relative’s trailer, put gloves on, and carried out the blood-stained bedding and mattress.

 This is “Evening Shade,” and it’s got a lovely fugal structure in the chorus. 

[natralrights-blog]

FANMAIL - TLC

I heard this because of the Drake song I Get Lonely Too, which is a cover - i didn't realise but I think this version's actually better. it's more minimal, there aren't really any chords to support the melody, so the vocal harmonies in it become the chords. there's not really anything in it except drums and vocals, and maybe some sub bass, but that's pretty quiet. it's really beautiful. the drake covers pretty sweet too though

[lordy-lou]

The day is past and gone

The evening shades are near

Oh, may we all remember well

The night of death of is near

We'll lay our garments by

And on our beds we rest

So death will soon disrobe us all

Of what we here possess

And when our days are past, 

and we from time remove

Oh, may we in thy bosom rest,

thy bosom in thy love

Evening Shade, from Stephen Jenks' The Delights of Harmony, 1805.

honestly one of my favorite songs.