Do you have time for a cappella?

I wasn't going to reply to this thread until you brought up this song. My church choir sings a variety of music leaning to classical. We sing with a variety of instruments (strings, brass, recorders) in addition to organ and piano. But we sing a capella regularly. Our former director said that singing a capella was the only way to judge a choir's progress.

I also sing in an independent chorale that sings a mixture of sacred and secular music. That group also sings some pieces a capella in each concert.

"The Old Ship of Zion" brought up Sacred Harp singing. This is early American shape-note singing. No instruments are used except for the occasional pitch-pipe. The music was written to be sung unaccompanied. I go to about a 15-20 singings a year, and I currently serve as chairman of four singings. There is a setting of "The Old Ship of Zion" in The Sacred Harp using the text quoted above. It has been there since the original publication of The Sacred Harp in 1844. Are any of you familiar with this type of singing? It is very old. There was a two-day convention in Georgia last weekend that began in 1852.

Tim Reynolds

 

I have a BA in church music. I sang in a men's chorale for 4 years in college. I would guess that 90% of our selections were a cappella. Many written by Dr. J.T. Owens our fearless leader.

Much of my training was centered around musical selections that were unaccompanied. I grew to love the human voice, what a lovely instrument.

 

The same song. I based my arrangement more on the original folk song than on Allison Krauss' version, although the two seem very similar. I left the lyrics the same, the original lyrics are "down TO the river to pray," but the "IN" sounds better in my opinion.

 

I have notheard of a capella. I have heard of an ocapella,
Faithgirl

 

A cappella is singing without musical instrument accompaniment, voices only.

 

I was wondering whether you were the same person I've been reading on the FASOLA list. I don't know about other states, but in Tennessee, for years, choir festivals run by the Tennessee Baptist Convention required choirs to sing one piece a capella in order to receive a superior rating. They removed that requirement for a number or years, then they reinstituted it. But by then participation had begun to decline. The last year that they held a festival in middle Tennessee there were only about five choirs.

Music education has been cut out of public schools for budget considerations. Churches have not taken advantage of this by offering or continuing to offer strong graded choir programs which could teach children how to sing with and without instrumental accompaniment. Also, they have not done enough with instrumental programs to provide opportunities for children and youth who play instruments to play in worship services. Our minister of music emeritus used to write simplified arrangements so that members of our youth group could play with our string ensemble to accompany the choir for Christmas Eve, Good Friday, and other special services. It was a wonderful experience for them to play Handel's Messiah and other similar works with the adults. It gave them a chance to develop a relationship with the older players that they would not have had otherwise. I see these kinds of situations as great opportunities for churches to reach out to their communities to provide a service and to bring in new church members.

My parents are doing well. I drove them down to the National Sacred Harp Convention in June. Dad led on Friday. They also went to the Church Music Conference that was held here in Nashville. They got to see many old friends from all over the country. I have made reservations for us to go back to Birmingham for the United Convention in September, but we have to take these trips as he is able, so we won't know if we're going until the last day or so.

Tim Reynolds

 

Okay I get it. I think I have herd it said another way. Thank you.
Faithgirl

 

In our church, a cappella is utilized most by one man. He sings a song a cappella when practice with his tape doesn't prove successful. It's not his best option -- only he hasn't yet realized it.

 

Our praise band will sometimes end a song acapella, or maybe do a verse acapella, and then everyone come back in for the end.

Also, my wife likes to do old traditional hymns acapella for solos.

Les