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/lp/duke-university-press/chapter-9-the-influence-of-shape-note-singing-9SGfOy70Gh
- Copyright
- Copyright © 1995 by Duke University Press
- ISSN
- 1043-9455
- eISSN
- 2640-9879
- DOI
- 10.1215/10439455-9.1-2.175
- Publisher site
- See Article on Publisher Site
Abstract
Chapter 9 The Influence ol "Shape-Note" Singing One of the greatest hindrances to the growth of Negro music both in a creative sense and as an expressional medium has been the advent of the "shape-note" hymn book in the rural church and the life of rural Negroes. This is a case of great misfortune in a twofold sense, insofar as it affects the spirituals that are already a part of the Negro's musical repertoire.1 First, it causes the Negro to confuse his tradi tional songs with the shape-note songs. Second, it places in his hands an inferior substitute for his folk songs. These forces tend to cause a deterioration in the very singing itself, insofar as they rob the singer of his wonted melodic development . Shape-note songs are designed to suit the market requirement, so that the few songs that are worth while in some of the shape-note books are not able to offset the dis advantages of the majority of the songs. The question has been asked many times why the Negro can be so easily persuaded to lay aside his own music and take up that of the shape-notes. The answer has something to do with
Journal
Black Sacred Music – Duke University Press
Published: Sep 1, 1995