Northern California Sacred Harp on YouTube

I just realized there's various videos from some of our singings on the YouTubes. Look - there's Greg at the Golden Gate Sacred Harp Convention in 2006!



And Ian leading Windham at the 2009 All-California: with the lyrics!



Ditto with Carolyn leading New Agatite: Thanks Jeremy for putting these up. That's pretty slick with the overlapping score.

Elvis Perkins in Dearland

A few of us sang on a very cramped stage last night with Tim Eriksen (I was sprawled over some huge MOOG floor pedals), four songs fast & high. It sucks it was sold out, hopefully there'll be better opportunities in the future for us to sing in loud bars. The next band was really great, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, very wide-ranging musicians with positive energy. & since I think Jessica & I were the only shape-note singers remaining by the time they did their Sacred Harp medley, I'll post this video of "Weeping Pilgrim" (it was even better than this last night, & it segued into an inspiring cover of "Weeping Mary".) I believe their "Weeping Pilgrim" is on the second disc of the Awake My Soul cds. Their drummer is so cute & has quite a way with thwacking bass drums.

Murillo's Lesson

Here are the lyrics to the Murillo's Lesson, number 358 (lyrics credited from the Sacred Melodeon) a hymn especially popular (I just read) in Cleburne County, Alabama.

As down a lone valley with cedars o’erspread,
From war’s dread confusion I pensively strayed,
The gloom from the face of fair heaven retired,
The winds hushed their murmurs, the thunders expired.
Perfumes as of Eden flowed sweetly along,
A voice as of angels enchantingly sung,
Columbia, Columbia to glory arise,
The queen of the world and the child of the skies.

Fair science her gate to thy sons shall unbar,
And the east see thy morn hide the beams of her star.
New bards and new sages unrivalled shall soar
To fame unextinguished when time is no more.
To Thee the last refuge of virtue designed,
Shall fly from all nations the best of mankind;
There grateful to heaven with transport shall bring
To Jesus, the author of nations will sing.

I just found this amazing recording of Murillo's Lesson at this website, bee mp3, performed by Jimmy Wofford & the Churchmen. They have a pretty impressive website format, making tons of recordings from WFMU & old 78s free online, easy to download, & easy to embed:

	Jimmy Wofford and the Churchmen - Murillo's Lesson
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

There's several videos on the Youtubes of the Sacred Harp version: