Ecstasy (Denson, 1991, #106)
This is one of my favorite shape note songs, one of almost everyone's favorites, actually.
It's Ecstasy, from The Sacred Harp, Denson 1991, #106
http://ezfolk.com/audio/Flint-Hill/?song=19764
I'll also post it here at FOTMD.
Lyrics are HERE .
The lyrics (also found in at least four other shape note songs including "Faithful Soldier", which I posted here a few weeks ago) areuniversally attributed to Baptist minister John Leland, one of theintellectual lights of the early Baptist movement.
The tune is attributed to Thomas W. Carter, who was a founding memberof the Southern and Chattahoochee Conventions in mid-ninteenth century Georgia.
The tune is pentatonic. omitting the second and sixth degrees of the scale which is acommon finding in minor-key Celtic tunes. I have not been able to traceit back to a folk melody, though it certainly sounds like one. Becauseit is missing the sixth degree, it can be played diatonically in anytuning intended for the Aeolian or Dorian modes.
Its played here melody-drone style on a McNally D Strumstick strungwith three 0.010 strings. Tuning is EBD, which starts an Aeolian scalein Em on the first fret of the melody (D) string. It's strummed with a debarbed gooseflight feather in Galax (scrambling-eggs) style.
It's Ecstasy, from The Sacred Harp, Denson 1991, #106
http://ezfolk.com/audio/Flint-Hill/?song=19764
I'll also post it here at FOTMD.
Lyrics are HERE .
The lyrics (also found in at least four other shape note songs including "Faithful Soldier", which I posted here a few weeks ago) areuniversally attributed to Baptist minister John Leland, one of theintellectual lights of the early Baptist movement.
The tune is attributed to Thomas W. Carter, who was a founding memberof the Southern and Chattahoochee Conventions in mid-ninteenth century Georgia.
The tune is pentatonic. omitting the second and sixth degrees of the scale which is acommon finding in minor-key Celtic tunes. I have not been able to traceit back to a folk melody, though it certainly sounds like one. Becauseit is missing the sixth degree, it can be played diatonically in anytuning intended for the Aeolian or Dorian modes.
Its played here melody-drone style on a McNally D Strumstick strungwith three 0.010 strings. Tuning is EBD, which starts an Aeolian scalein Em on the first fret of the melody (D) string. It's strummed with a debarbed gooseflight feather in Galax (scrambling-eggs) style.