[Faith-talk] An Addition to the Post on Claude Ely from Joshua

Sun Nov 27 00:39:32 UTC 2011

Joshua,
Thanks for clarifying. Nice music history. I definitely have heard of
Sacred Harp singing, but was not aware it was part of southern gospel
music.  Also, I have heard of bluegrass; that music is played on NPR 
sometimes, but not bluegrass gospel.

Shaped note singing was common among the Shakers and Quakers as well. These 
types of music go back to the 1800s.

Ashley

-----Original Message----- 
From: Joshua Lester
Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2011 7:29 PM
To: Faith-talk,for the discussion of faith and religion
Subject: Re: [Faith-talk] An Addition to the Post on Claude Ely from Joshua

Ashley:
Brother Ely's style is called Bluegrass Gospel.
Bluegrass has Mandolins, Fiddles, (which are smaller than a violin,)
Acoustic guitars, and an upright bass fiddle.
The banjo is also used.
As to Sacred Harp singing, it was also used in Southern Gospel music,
as Shaped Note singing.
This is what it is.
You know the scale, from middle C, up to the next octave.
"Doe, Ray, me, fa, so, la ti, doe."
Whatever harmony part you sang, you'd sing it in the scale, instead of
the words to the song.
I'll find a Shaped Note song, on Youtube, so you can hear what I'm
talking about.
Blessings, Joshua

On 11/26/11, Paul <oilofgladness47 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Well, I can't rightly tell you about everything on the LP, but here's a
> sample.  There is an example of lining in which the song leader recites 
> the
> first line of a hymn, in this case "Hosanna, Jesus Reigns," and then the
> congregation sings it.  Then the song leader recites the second line and
> then the congregation sings that also, and so on until the song is 
> finished.
> This recording was originally made by Elder LaSeer (not sure of spelling) 
> in
> a Primitive Baptist Church somewhere in western North Carolina in 1961.
> There is also another Primitive Baptist song entitled "The Lord Will
> Provide," recorded by Elder Bradley in Lone Pine KY in 1971.  Judging by 
> the
> acoustics it sounds like it might have been recorded in a tent or an 
> outdoor
> venue.  Then there is a song sung by 12 bearded Old Order Amish people 
> from
> Colona, Iowa near Cedar Rapids, originally recorded in 1943 by Alton S. 
> Bach
> and Addison Bach.  That's just a sample.
>
> As to other religious albums (when the LOC issued them to the general
> public), there is one entitled "Children of the Heavenly King: Religious
> Expressions of the Central Blue Ridge," originally issued in 1981 and
> featuring Primitive Baptist and other rural expressions of one's
> Christianity in areas of southwestern Virginia and northwestern North
> Carolina, encompassing the Virginia counties of Carrol, Grayson and Floyd
> and, in North Carolina, Ash and Wilts.  There is also an album of Alabama
> Sacred Harp Singing, which has nothing to do with the stringed instrument
> but is a unique style of a capella singing.  This was one of the early
> collections of the late Alan Lomax, originally recorded in Birmingham in
> August 1942 during the 37th Alabama Sacred Harp Singing Convention.  Ditto
> for the song by Brother Claude Ely, although they used guitars and at 
> least
> one mandolin.  For those of you who might be members of a chat community
> called Out of Sight, have a working microphone and soundcard, would be
> delighted to go into one of the audio chatrooms over there during the day
> when nothing is going on.  Just let me know in a reasonable amount of 
> time,
> and would be more than glad to let you hear this admittedly unique and
> little-known form of singing.  Your Christian brother, Paul
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
> To: "Faith-talk,for the discussion of faith and religion"
> <faith-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2011 6:19 PM
> Subject: Re: [Faith-talk] An Addition to the Post on Claude Ely from 
> Joshua
>
>
>> Paul,
>> I haven't heard of this album or singer.
>> I didn't know the Library of congress issued religious music! I know they
>> did folk tunes and some by the shakers and African American spirituals,
>> but I didn't know about the religious music. Of course some folk tunes 
>> and
>>
>> spirituals are somewhat religious.
>> What else is on "Religious songs, congregational and ceremonial" album? 
>> Is
>>
>> it just
>> Claude's congregation? Based on the title of the song, I assume its music
>> is by a harp, and other songs probably instrumental; after all back then
>> they did not have the fancy base drums, electric guitars, and sound 
>> mixing
>>
>> we do for todays Christian bands.
>>
>> Older songs are only on old fashioned technology, i.e. cassette or
>> records.
>> Do you know if the library of congress still has this album? Maybe we can
>> buy a copy from them?
>> I'll also check the internet for any songs by this individual.
>>
>> Ashley
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Paul
>> Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2011 4:58 PM
>> To: Faith-talk,for the discussion of faith and religion
>> Subject: Re: [Faith-talk] An Addition to the Post on Claude Ely from
>> Joshua
>>
>> Well, Joshua, the only way I can get it to you, along with the other
>> selections from that album, is by snail mail and via cassette as I don't
>> have any way of burning a CD from the album itself.  If you would give me
>> your address off list, will make you a copy and send it to you, albeit 
>> via
>> snail mail, and I'm sure we know how slow that can be.  But, as I've
>> always
>> heard it said, better that way than not at all.  Paul
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Joshua Lester" <jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu>
>> To: "Faith-talk,for the discussion of faith and religion"
>> <faith-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2011 3:36 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Faith-talk] An Addition to the Post on Claude Ely from
>> Joshua
>>
>>
>>> Thanks for the information!
>>> I'm interested in this recording.
>>> Thanks, Joshua
>>>
>>> On 11/26/11, Paul <oilofgladness47 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> If anyone here has a copy of the album "Religious Songs, Congregational
>>>> and
>>>> Ceremonial," issued by the Library of Congress as part of their
>>>> bicentennial
>>>> celebration in 1976, Claude Ely's congregation is featured on the song
>>>> "Little David, Play On Your Harp." The undersigned has that album. 
>>>> Paul
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
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