Critical Review #8

Campbell, Gavin James. 1997. “‘Old Can Be Used Instead of New’: Shape-Note Singing and the Crisis of Modernity in the New South, 1880-1920.” Journal of American Folklore 110(436):169-188.

In her article “Old Can be Used Instead of New” Gavin James Campbell describes the internal debate that occurred in the late 18th and early 20th centuries in the shape-note singing community over the direction of their music tradition. Campbell explains how the post-civil war introduction of gospel music in the South became synonymous with seven-shape note singing and created controversy with the four-shape note Sacred Harp tradition. Supporters saw the simple melodies with major harmonies in gospel music as progressive. Others saw it as a point of pride to continue singing the tradition songs from The Sacred Harp.

Campbell also gives a brief history of the revisions of The Sacred Harp during the time period. Though most editions that removed, and reharmonized old hymns while adding more gospel tunes failed to gain popularity, Joseph James’ minimalist revision satisfied conservative singers, yet still had an air of progress; James used better printing plates for his edition, and he included corrections, new as well as unpublished old tunes in an appendix, and detailed statistics about the book. Thus, James’ edition was a book both “rooted in timeless, universal values, and in the specific context of the turn of the century debates over progress and modernity” (183).

In writing about this debate in the shape-note singing tradition and revisions of The Sacred Harp, Campbell shows that shape-note singing was not a rigid tradition, but was subject to differing opinions and its own evolution.

Question: How should a music group or any music tradition moderate between tradition and modernity? Was it handled well in the shape-note singing tradition? Is there a “well”?