Shape-note singing has been a tradition in the Shenandoah Valley since the early 1800s.

What is the sound of shape-note singing? The answer is that it depends on the location of the shape-note singers, and which songbook they’re singing from, and which method of shape-note notation they are using.

The recordings below are of singings from the Harmonia Sacra Society from years past in the Shenandoah Valley shared from Sam Showalter’s personal collection. The Harmonia Sacra Society sings from Joseph Funk’s songbook called Harmonia Sacra which is a seven shape-note method. This method of singing sounds more fluid and very similar to round note music compared to the four shape-note method.

In Luray, Virginia there is an old meetinghouse where singings have taken place in the past. The video below shows that meetinghouse and a sample of the seven note shape-note method of music sung from the Harmonia Sacra.

Shenandoah Harmony is a new four shape shape-note method tune book based off of Ananias Davisson’s Kentucky Harmony. To learn more about the Shenandoah Harmony group or to attend a singing visit shenandoahharmony.com