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Shenandoah Harmony

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40-514: The Shenandoah Harmony is a 2013 republication of the works of Ananias Davisson (1780–1857) and other composers of his era, in the format used by modern shape note singing groups. Although a number of new shape note tune books were compiled and published in the two decades leading up to the publication of the Shenandoah Harmony, this volume is notable as "the largest new four-shape tunebook published for more than 150 years." The book

80-688: A (major) Class 1 railroad and additionally, by the Shenandoah Valley Railroad , a short-line railroad . Interstate 81 runs north–south and meets east–west Interstate 64 near Staunton to the south in adjacent Augusta County. There are three major Primary State Highways in the county. (A primary road provides service which is relatively continuous and of relatively high traffic volume, long average trip length, high operating speed and high mobility importance). Interstate highways and primary highways in Virginia are maintained by

120-785: A farm at Weyer's Cave , about 14 miles from Dayton, Virginia , and died October 21, 1857. He is buried in the Massanutten-Cross Keys Cemetery, Rockingham County, Virginia . Davisson was a member and ruling elder of the Presbyterian Church, active in the Presbytery of Winchester and the Synod of Virginia. There are records of a printing firm in Harrisburg called Davidson and Bourne active 1812-1816; there are reasons for believing that Davidson

160-620: A farmer by conducting singing classes in the Shenandoah Valley. He established a printing shop in Harrisonburg in 1816, and in that year published the Kentucky Harmony, the first Southern shape note tunebook. As a printer, he cultivated a network of singing school teachers and composers in Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky who sold his tunebooks and sent him their own compositions. He spent his last years living on

200-607: A folk song, with treble and bass voices composed by Davisson, as a setting for Isaac Watts 's "My God, my life, my love" (93 in Horae Lyricae: Poems, Chiefly of the Lyric Kind , 1707). Following the convention of using a toponym for the tune name, he called it " Idumea " (the name of Biblical Edom during the Roman period), pronounced "Eye-DEW-mee-a" or "Eye-DEW-mee" by traditional singers. The first appearance of

240-414: A household in the county was $ 40,748, and for a family was $ 46,262. Males had a median income of $ 30,618 versus $ 21,896 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 18,795. About 5.30% of families and 8.20% of the population were below the poverty line , including 9.10% of those under age 18 and 9.70% of those age 65 or over. Rockingham County is principally served by Norfolk Southern Railway ,

280-578: A large lithia spring, near Elkton, Virginia , and lived on this property for the remainder of his life. Much-increased settlement of this portion of the Colony of Virginia by Europeans began in the 1740s and 1750s. Standing between the Tidewater and Piedmont regions to the east in Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley and the area beyond (known in old Virginia as the "Transmountaine") were

320-406: A separate section, but integrated with traditional tunes. The Music Committee limited their selections to songs that would be accepted by contemporary singers: "All killer, no filler," as member Leyland del Re explained to a journalist. Ananias Davisson Ananias Davisson (February 2, 1780 – October 21, 1857) was a singing school teacher, printer and compiler of shape note tunebooks. He

360-569: A suitable and proper arrangement of such pieces as may seem best to animate a zealous Christian in his acts of devotion; and while they sing with the spirit, let them learn to sing with the understanding also. The folk tunes themselves would have been familiar to the participants, making it easier to pair the religious texts. This was at a time when the Methodists were a much smaller, out of the mainstream religion. Other books published by Davisson were Introduction to Sacred Music, Extracted from

400-402: A town in 1780. Harrisonburg was incorporated as a city in 1916 and separated from Rockingham County (all cities in Virginia are independent of any county), but it remains the county seat. The county is named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham , a British statesman (1730–1782). He was Prime Minister of Great Britain twice, and a keen supporter of constitutional rights for

440-583: Is a variant spelling of Davisson , who obtained shape note fonts and began a separate enterprise for publishing music in 1816. The Kentucky Harmony was printed early in 1816, and the same fonts were used later in the year to publish Joseph Funk 's "Allgemein nützliche Choral-Music", a Mennonite tunebook in German, so it is believed that Davisson was the printer of Funk's tune book. The invention of shape notes in Philadelphia in 1801 had greatly enlarged

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480-632: Is also featured in the motion picture Cold Mountain (2003), during the scene depicting the Battle of the Crater ; (the other shape song in the film, led in a church by Reverend Monroe ( Donald Sutherland ) is "I'm Going Home," page 282 in the Sacred Harp ). The tune has been arranged for SSATB choir and two violins by Richard Bjella, and during 1993–1996 Larry Bell composed an "Idumea Symphony" (Symphony No. 2, op. 40). The 2006 album Black Ships Ate

520-613: Is best known for his 1816 compilation Kentucky Harmony , which is the first Southern shape-note tunebook. According to musicologist George Pullen Jackson , Davisson's compilations are "pioneer repositories of a sort of song that the rural South really liked." Davisson was born February 2, 1780, in Shenandoah County, Virginia . His wife was named Ann (surname unknown); they had no children. In 1804 he bought land in Rockingham County , supplementing his income as

560-463: Is named after Shenandoah Valley , whose importance in the emergence of a distinctive Southern shape-note singing tradition has been noted by many musicologists. Authentic South reporter Kelley Libby of WFAE , attending an all-day singing in Cross Keys , felt "transported to the Shenandoah Valley of the 1800s." All-day singing events dedicated to the Shenandoah Harmony have emerged not only in

600-555: The 1991 Denson edition of The Sacred Harp were avoided. In 2010, the del Re family of Boyce, Virginia , who had been singing from publications of Ananias Davisson for 25 years, were joined by other singers who reviewed thousands of nineteenth-century shape-note songs from over seventy sources, as well as new compositions. Members of the Music Committee composed alto parts when they were lacking. New compositions by living composers were reviewed, and dozens were included—not as

640-689: The Blue Ridge Mountains . Rather than cross such a formidable physical barrier, most early settlers came southerly up the valley across the Potomac River from Maryland and Pennsylvania . Many followed the Great Wagon Trail , also known as the Valley Pike ( U.S. Route 11 in modern times). Rockingham County was established in 1778 from Augusta County . Harrisonburg was named as the county seat and incorporated as

680-690: The City of Rockingham in Richmond County, North Carolina . Rockingham County is the birthplace of Thomas Lincoln , Abraham Lincoln's father. In 1979 when the Adolf Coors Brewing Company came to Rockingham County it caused an uproar; some citizens thought it would corrupt the morals of the area while others wanted the new jobs. In 2018, a series of strikes and protests were held in Dayton 's Cargill plant. According to

720-839: The First New England School . The 1816 Kentucky Harmony has no European compositions, retains the best of the New England fuging tunes, makes extensive use of regional folk tunes, and has 60% of its songs in the minor key. A Supplement to the Kentucky Harmony (Harrisonburg, Virginia: 1820) went through three editions. It was notable for its inclusion of English, Scottish and Irish folk tunes paired with spiritual texts. It included very little New England hymnody or church hymns. Davisson specifically dedicated it to his "Methodist friends" for use in their camp meetings . The author's principle design in offering his Supplement is, that his Methodist friends may be furnished with

760-679: The German River and the North Fork Shenandoah River flow on its western side and the South Fork flows on the eastern. Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. As of the census of 2000, 67,725 people, 25,355 households, and 18,889 families resided in

800-792: The Kentucky Harmony to his fellow Presbyterians, and the Supplement to the Kentucky Harmony to Methodists. However, the idea, first used in the Repository, Part Second of 1813, of collecting folk tunes, harmonizing them, and using them as vehicles for hymn texts, was followed by Davisson from the very first. In contrast, the music advocated in New England and the Midwest by the "Better Music Boys" (e.g. Lowell Mason , Thomas Hastings , and others) sought to emulate European styles, while denigrating William Billings and other composers of

840-556: The U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 853 square miles (2,210 km ), of which 849 square miles (2,200 km ) is land and 4.3 square miles (11 km ) (0.5%) is water. It is the third-largest county in Virginia by land area. Large portions of the county fall within the Shenandoah National Park to the east and George Washington National Forest to the west, and therefore are subject to development restrictions. The county stretches west to east from

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880-731: The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). These primary state highways are: Secondary roads: As provided by the Byrd Road Act of 1932, secondary roads in Rockingham County are also maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). (Population according to the 2020 United States Census ) Since becoming an independent city in 1916, Harrisonburg is no longer politically located in Rockingham County, despite its status as

920-669: The county seat . The Rockingham County Sheriff's Office (RCSO) is the primary law enforcement agency in Rockingham County, and also serves Harrisonburg. The agency is currently headed by Sheriff Bryan F. Hutcheson. On May 26, 2005, the RCSO was accredited by the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission (VLEPSC). On September 9, 2021, the VLEPSC Executive Board granted re-accreditation status to

960-527: The Kentucky Harmony , and is used in over a dozen all-day singings worldwide. The Missouri Harmony (2005 edition) contains 7 compositions and 8 arrangements, and the Christian Harmony contains Idumea, Imandra, and "The Lord's Supper." The Sacred Harp only has "Idumea," but it has been sung 2667 times at all-day singings during the period 1995-2019, and was the second most popular song in 2019, sung at 140 different all-day singings held around

1000-463: The Kentucky Harmony and Chiefly Intended for the Benefit of Young Scholars , (Harrisonburg, Virginia: 1821), and A Small Collection of Sacred Music (Harrisonburg, Virginia: 1825). In addition to his own tunebooks, Davisson also printed Songs of Zion by James P. Carrell (1821) and Mennonite tunebooks for Joseph Funk. Davisson's iconic tune first appeared in the Kentucky Harmony in 1816, based on

1040-550: The Kentucky Harmony. Works by other composers from his era have also been revived: five tunes by Elkanah Kelsey Dare , originally published in Wyeth's Repository, Part Second (1813); 13 by William Hauser (and another 13 from The Hesperian Harp , compiled and published by him in 1848); and 9 by Lucius or Amzi Chapin . Reflecting the vitality of the tradition as practiced today are dozens of new compositions by singers living at time of publication (2013). Tunes that already appear in

1080-502: The Sky by British experimental group Current 93 features several versions of "Idumea", each by a different vocalist, although only a couple use Davidsson's tune. Davisson's songs and the tunes he collected are in continuous use both in small group singings and at all-day shape note singing events. The Shenandoah Harmony (2013) contains 24 compositions by Davisson, 52 other songs from the Kentucky Harmony , and 46 songs from Supplement to

1120-702: The colonists. During his first term, he brought about the repeal of the Stamp Act of 1765 , reducing the tax burden on the colonies. Appointed again in 1782, upon taking office, he backed the claim for the independence of the Thirteen Colonies , initiating an end to British involvement in the American Revolutionary War . However, he died after only 14 weeks in office. By 1778, it was unusual to honor British officials in Virginia, fighting for its independence. The same year, immediately to

1160-771: The county began in 1727, when Adam Miller (Mueller) staked out a claim on the south fork of the Shenandoah River , near the line that now divides Rockingham County from Page County . On a trip through eastern Virginia , the German-born Miller had heard reports about a lush valley to the west which had been discovered by Governor Alexander Spotswood 's legendary Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition , and then moved his family down from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania . In 1741, Miller purchased 820 acres (3.3 km ), including

1200-421: The county. The population density was 80 people per square mile (31 people/km ). There were 27,328 housing units at an average density of 32 units per square mile (12 units/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 96.58% White , 1.36% Black or African American , 0.13% Native American , 0.29% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.90% from other races , and 0.73% from two or more races. About 3.28% of

1240-582: The market for printed music. Even during the Davidson and Bourne days, Davisson traveled extensively to supplement his income by teaching singing schools. Sometime during 1815-1816 he acquired shape note fonts and began to print music. Following the pattern of John Wyeth , who targeted his Repository of Sacred Music (1810, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania ) to Calvinists, and the Part Second of the Repository (1813) to Methodists and Baptists, Davisson targeted

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1280-533: The mid-Atlantic region paying special attention to the works of Ananias Davisson . The curatorial focus is on the Kentucky Harmony (1816) and subsequent publications by Ananias Davisson, who lived in the Shenandoah Valley but cultivated a network of singing-school teachers and composers in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia. The Shenandoah Harmony contains 24 compositions by Ananias Davisson, 52 songs from his Kentucky Harmony , and 46 songs from Supplement to

1320-519: The mid-Atlantic region, but also in the UK, Ireland, and Germany. The popularity of the regional tunebook outside of the core area can be attributed to a design that has been optimized for sight-singing: "visually attractive, the songs are easy to read ... and the book feels good in your hand." Another reason is that shape note singers love minor-key songs, and the Shenandoah Harmony satisfies this peculiarity more than any other publication in current use, 52% of

1360-617: The north of Rockingham County, Dunmore County , named for Virginia's last Royal Governor, John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore , an unpopular figure, was renamed. The new name, Shenandoah County , used a Native American name. However, long their political supporter in the British Parliament , the Marquess of Rockingham was a popular figure with the citizens of the new United States. Also named in his honor were Rockingham County, New Hampshire , Rockingham County, North Carolina , and

1400-537: The peaks of easternmost Allegheny Mountains to the peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains, encompassing the entire width of the Shenandoah Valley. Rockingham is bisected by another geographic formation, Massanutten Mountain, which stretches from just east of Harrisonburg, VA to a few miles southwest of Front Royal, VA in Warren County, VA. Massanutten Mountain splits the central Shenandoah Valley, as

1440-426: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of 25,355 households, 32.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.40% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.50% were not families. About 21.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

1480-513: The tune with the present words ("And am I born to die?"; Charles Wesley 1763, Hymn 59) is in the Southern Harmony (1835) by William Walker , who omitted the alto. When he again published the song in Christian Harmony (1867), Walker composed a new alto part, the one that is used today. The song has a Roud Number of 6678. It has been covered by numerous folk music groups, such as The Watersons and The Young Tradition . The tune

1520-469: The tunes being minor. A third reason is that, although many shape note singers know of Ananias Davisson as the composer of the iconic tune Idumea, the Sacred Harp does not contain any other songs by him; thus, having an entire book inspired by Davisson's work appealed to many traditional shape note singers. The Shenandoah Harmony has been called a "curatorial" compilation of fasola repertoire from

1560-574: The world. Rockingham County, Virginia Rockingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia . As of the 2020 census , the population was 83,757. Its county seat is the independent city of Harrisonburg . Along with Harrisonburg, Rockingham County forms the Harrisonburg, VA, Metropolitan Statistical Area . It is also home of the Rockingham County Baseball League . Settlement of

1600-400: Was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.02. In the county, the population was distributed as 24.60% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 94.30 males. The median income for

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