Sacred Harp Suite

From Wind Repertory Project
Timothy Smith

Timothy Smith


General Info

Year: 2019 / 2020
Duration: c. 15:00
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Timothy Amalavage-Smith
Cost: Score and Parts – Contact publisher


Movements

1. Homeward Bound 373
2. Lloyd 503 - 3:15
3. Sweet Prospect 65 – 4:15
4. Soar Away 455 - 3:50


Instrumentation (Flexible)

Full Score
Woodwind I

  • Flute
  • Oboe
  • E-flat Soprano Clarinet
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet

Woodwind II

  • Flute
  • Oboe
  • E-flat Soprano Clarinet
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet

Woodwind III

  • English Horn
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet
  • E-flat Alto Saxophone

Woodwind IV

  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet
  • E-flat Alto Saxophone

Woodwind V

  • Bassoon
  • E-flat Alto Saxophone
  • B-flat Tenor Saxophone

Woodwind VI

  • Bassoon
  • B-flat Bass Clarinet
  • E-flat Baritone Saxophone

Woodwind VII

  • Bassoon
  • B-flat Bass Clarinet
  • E-flat Baritone Saxophone

Brass I

  • B-flat Trumpet

Brass II

  • B-flat Trumpet
  • Horn in F

Brass III

  • B-flat Trumpet
  • Horn in F

Brass IV

  • Horn in F
  • Trombone

Brass V

  • Trombone
  • Euphonium

Brass VI

  • Bass Trombone
  • Tuba

String Bass (optional)
Timpani
Percussion I-II, including:

  • Bass Drum
  • Glockenspiel


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

The Sacred Harp is a shape-note tunebook first published in 1844 by B.F. White and E.J. King in Carrolton, Ga. It has survived generations of singers and multiple revisions, and is currently the most widely used shape-note tunebook in use. Sacred harp singing can be found across the United States and 25 other countries across four continents.

The term “shape note” derives from the noteheads of the notated music, a system first widely seen in William Little and William Smith's The Easy Instructor in 1801. Instead of using all traditional round noteheads, The Sacred Harp uses a four-shape system.

During a traditional Sacred Harp gathering, singers alternate "leading" songs surrounded by singers in a "hollow square" seating formation. Each attendee is given the opportunity to choose and lead a song, with the process repeated possibly over one hundred times during an all-day singing. There is no rehearsal and no performance, but is simply a gathering of those who enjoy singing together. While shape-note singing is rooted in the Christian tradition, there is no formal preaching or sermon and little formal worship. Singers of all religions (or lack thereof) and diverse backgrounds come together to enjoy this unique tradition.

Since Clare Grundman's Kentucky 1800 (1955), shape-note melodies have been used by composers in over fifty concert band/wind ensemble works. This suite serves as the first known work for chamber winds using shape-note melodies. The four tunes were selected jointly by the composer and Stuart Ivey to provide a representation of a variety of songs found in The Sacred Harp. The movement titles represent the tune names followed by the page number of that song in the 1991 edition of The Sacred Harp. These tunes date from 1833 (Sweet Prospect 65) to 1980 (Lloyd 503) and provide a range of tempi, meters, and styles including canonic tunes. Each movement is structured as a theme and variations, the theme being a transcription of the tune and the variations acting as different verses. This form was chosen as a way to instrumentally realize the actual Sacred Harp experience of singing the strophic songs. With this in mind, the variations were written to make the repetition of the selected songs more interesting, since the words are not sung, yet imagined similar enough to the original theme so that those who are familiar with the Sacred Harp would still recognize each movements’ source theme.

Sacred Harp Suite was commissioned by my friend, Stuart Ivey, two years ago and was premiered last September [2019].

- Program Note by composer


Performance Notes

The flex version of this piece is scored for almost any seven woodwinds, six brass, optional string bass, and two percussion. Each wind part has multiple options for instrumentation, and all 13 parts are unique and required.


Media


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project


Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music


All Wind Works


Resources

  • Perusal score
  • Timothy Amalavage-Smith, personal correspondence, September 2020