The Sacred Heart

It may just be me who harbors a head-turning affection for largely unheard spirituals from the south, but I highly doubt it. I doubt it, because like most hidden yet wildly popular phenomenon, the genre is getting it's own documentary. Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp is the first feature documentary about Sacred Harp singing, a haunting form of a cappella, shape note hymn singing, with it’s gritty roots extending deep into the American south. The art of shape note singing has survived over 200 years carefully hidden, mainly, in old country churches. On the film’s soundtrack, a dedication to spiritual and musical history, singers break open The Sacred Harp, a 160 year old shape note hymnal, which has preserved some of the oldest songs in America. The two disc project includes one disc of the original film soundtrack; traditional singing recorded in rural Georgia and Alabama, and a disc of covers from various artists. The list of contributing artists includes John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, Doc Watson, Elvis Perkins, Jim Lauderdale, Danielson, Richard Buckner, and The Innocence Mission. The CD drops October 14th. Check out movie clips on Awake My Soul’s website.

mp3: Sam Amidon - Kedron