 |
||
 |
|
|
44.ROCKY
ROAD BY ALABAMA SACRED HARP SINGERS, 1928 REMIX: DAVE PORTNER, SING AT THE HOLLOW, 2007 Alabama has been a stronghold for sacred harp singing since the late 19th century. Sacred harp is part of the larger tradition of shape note music, where the notes are printed in special shapes that help the reader fluently identify them on the musical scale. Portner’s work incorporates these shapes, showing the shape for ‘fa’ as a triangle, ‘sol’ an oval, ‘la’ a rectangle, and ‘mi’ a diamond. The title of the work ‘Sing at the Hollow’ relates to arrangement of the singers in a ‘hollow square’, with each side of the square assigned to each of the four parts: treble, alto, tenor and bass. Portner extends this concept of the hollow by presenting the singers in an arcadian setting uniting the music with natural and heavenly beauty. Dave Portner is Avey Tare a founding member of the Animal Collective a New York City-based group of experimental musicians. In 2005 they released their critically acclaimed seventh album ‘Feels’. The group also runs the record label Paw Tracks. www.paw-tracks.com |
Dave
Portner, Sing at the Hollow, 2007
 |
 |
 |