St. Louis Shape Note Singers HomeMissouri Harmony ProjectMH Errrata SheetMissouri Harmony and Related CDsNotes for "Pleasure Tunes My Tongue" (PDF format)Ordering Information |
The Missouri Harmony 2005St. Louis Shape Note Singers, working under our nonprofit name Wings of Song, have developed a brand new, high quality hardbound edition of the Missouri Harmony. The first new edition of this book since 1856 contains new and old music in the distinctive style of shape note singing. A narrative introduction by Karen Isbell and Pete Ellertsen, with photos and illustrations, places the shape-note musical tradition in its historical context. An essay by Judy Hauff discusses the characteristics of the music and the traditional approach to singing it. A third essay, by Ann Leckie, traces the formation and 20-year history of the St. Louis Shape Note singers. Notes from the music committee, written by Dave Ressler, are included, as is an index of hymn titles first lines. The Missouri Historical Society Press, a member of the American Association of University Presses, is the publisher. Information on the book is currently posted on the MHS website. Of all frontier shape-note tune books, the Missouri Harmony was the most popular among the settlers who pushed the frontier up the Mississippi River and its tributaries. The 1820 compilation contained 185 old favorites used in singing schools and Protestant churches…ancient psalms like "Old Hundred," congregational hymns like "All Praise the Power of Jesus' Name," vernacular New England choral works by eighteenth-century tunesmiths such as William Billings, and a number of folk hymns out of the Anglo-Celtic oral tradition. Many of the songs were already old standards by 1820, and the music was deeply rooted in American culture. Abraham Lincoln and his sweetheart, Ann Rutledge, are said to have sung from the Missouri Harmony at her father's tavern in New Salem, Illinois. Despite its importance, the book has long been unavailable to contemporary shape-note, choral and church music communities in an easy-to-read singers' edition. The book are now available for mail order from MHS Press at a price of $29.95 plus shipping, or in their gift shop in Forest Park (St. Louis, MO). Books are also available in person from members of St. Louis Shape Note Singers at a substantially discounted price. Take advantage of the discount by coming to our convention or emailing us for information on other singings we will attend.
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