Customer Reviews

Southern Journey, Vol. 10: And Glory Shone Around - More All Day Singing From The Sacred Harp

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This is a wonderful recording from the 1959 United Sacred Harp Convention, made by the legendary Alan Lomax. It's a piece of American history.

Think about that, then consider this: You can attend the United Sacred Harp Convention at various, usually Southern, locations on the second Sunday and Saturday before in September. If you go, you'll be singing with some of the people on this CD, even some of the people leading songs. You'll eat food they bring for lunch.

When you listen to a recording like this, you can more easily understand how we can all connect with history in that way, how we can be part of something bigger than ourselves. It's wonderful music and you should listen to it -- though it might sound a little odd if you're used to classical-style singing -- but if you just sit and listen, you're missing the true depth of it.

This and Volume 9 are superior representatives of the transformative power of four-part harmony. No matter the quality of the individual voices, the combined effect is out-of-this-world. The selections are great; not a boring track in the lot. Get your voice in tune for the Great Re-Awakening!

I bought this CD to add to my gospel collection, not knowing anything about The Sacred Harp or "shape note" singing. From the first song on I was hooked and felt an immediate connection. The songs are sincerely sung, with men and women taking turns leading -- even a 17-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy. The rising and falling of the voices and the harmonizing of the singers are amazing. I don't quite understand what they're singing, so luckily the words are included. This CD is part of The Alan Lomax Collection, and now I'm curious about the other CDs in the series.

If you like different kinds of music, you may enjoy this CD as much as I do. However there's the possibility that this music isn't your cup of tea or you make the people you live with anxious to play something else on the stereo.

I first heard sacred harp singers on the anthology of american folk music (harry smith). I could not believe my ears when I heard such raw passion and purity pouring from my speakers! I had to hear more of this strange music, and discovered this collection. This music could never be passively listened to, and may therefore be unnerving to some. This is only due to the fact that it is unbelievably moving. It will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand straight on end. That everybody's voice is used so raw and naturally only adds to the beauty of each harmony. Though some of the songs may seem straight-forward at first listen, there is a remarkable depth created when the voices ebb and flow in their cohesion. Simply sublime!