Shape-note singing thrives in the voices of those who gather to sing. It’s a tradition that lives best in real time, as singers lift their books, find their notes, and bring harmony to life in the moment. But for those who can’t be there, recordings offer a vital window into this ongoing practice—capturing not just the music, but the energy, the imperfections, and the communal spirit that defines every singing.
For this episode of Sing Loud! Podcast, we’re bringing you something special: a curated documentary-style edit of a WFMU broadcast recorded on March 9, 2002, at the Northampton Center for the Arts in Massachusetts. The original broadcast spanned three hours, blending interviews and extensive live singing. While the full recording is a valuable archive, we’ve taken the time to isolate the interviews, creating a more focused and engaging listening experience.
This episode features conversations with shape-note singers Peter Irvine, Tim Eriksen, Rodney Ivey, Kshama Ananthapura, Cath Oss, and Phil Wisor, offering deep insight into their personal experiences with the tradition. By bringing these voices to the forefront, this episode allows listeners to hear, in their own words, what shape-note singing means to those who carry it forward.
Special thanks go to the Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Community (WMSHC) for continuing to foster this tradition in the region.
At Sing Loud!, we don’t claim ownership of these recordings—we curate them. Many of these recordings are already available in digital archives or tucked away in forgotten corners of the internet. Our goal is to bring them back into circulation, making them easier to find and appreciate for those who love shape-note singing.
Stay tuned to singloud.org for more recordings, more voices, and more moments of discovery in shape-note singing.
For now, we take the parting hand.
This episode also available on YouTube:
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