Help Me To Sing, P.M.

We spent this past weekend singing at the 11th Annual Maine All Day Singing and the D.H. Mansfield's American Vocalist Singing, both in Union, Maine.
We drove about three hours to get there and sang in a near-perfect, 40 foot square space. 

D.H. Mansfield's grave is nearby, and on Sunday morning a smaller group of us gathered around it to sing, and to learn a little more about him.

We also splurged and stayed at a super sweet bed & breakfast in town.  One of our hosts, Laura, even came by the singing on Sunday and tried it out!

Here's a short video of Bill Holt (of Massachusetts) leading the shapes on page 376, Help Me To Sing.

Don't forget, the next in our series of Shape Note Singing Schools is Saturday, August 10th from 3 - 6pm at our home in Randolph, NH.  Message us for details!

Upcoming Singing Opportunities!

We have just a few notes to share with you all about upcoming singing opportunities!

First!
We had mentioned squeezing in a house singing before the next scheduled singing school... We've decided on Thursday, July 25th from 6:30 - 9 or so.  We'll be glad to offer instruction, depending on what folks are up for, but this will not be a formal singing school.

**Please let us know if you can make it because if we only have a couple people, we'll probably just hold off until the next singing school.**

Second!
The Maine All Day Singing and American Vocalist Singing will be held a week from today, on Saturday and Sunday, July 27th and 28th in lovely Union, Maine. This is an EXCELLENT opportunity to get some real solid singing in with a whole group of folks who know what they're doing!  This singing usually gets around 80 - 100 people. Chris and I will be there.  For more information, head to maineshapenotesinging.org.

Third!

WE HAVE CHANGED THE LOCATION OF THE THIRD SINGING SCHOOL!!

Due to a scheduling conflict at WREN921, we will hold the third in the Singing the Shapes series of singing schools at our home in Randolph.

Please send us a message for directions.

This singing school will be held on Saturday, August 10th from 3 - 6pm at our home.  Please bring a snack to share.  And your voice!

Please stay tuned to www.northcountrysing.com for news, updates, and wacky anecdotes from your favorite singing school teachers.

 

If you have any questions (and to rsvp for next week's singing), email us at carlygoss -at- gmail -dot- com.

Fa La SOL!!!

THIS is your Sacred Harp Singing!

The second in our series of formal singing schools was Wednesday night, and we had a lovely time once again (despite the stinking rain)!  Sure, we sing inside, but that barometric pressure... man, oh man.  I felt it weighing on my soul.

We had nine singers--one of them brand new.  Again, we employed the Shape Note Machine (TM) to go over scales, practicing the shapes and practicing intervals.  This time, I used a wooden sword as a pointer. 


Don't cross the singing school teacher!

Here's my book, incidentally.  It's well loved.

We talked a lot about the book itself--why it's a good idea to have one, what the numbers and letters after the titles are. We talked a little more about why we wave our arms around, and about what to expect at  a regular singing. 

When one of our singers cried out, "But how can we GO to a regular singing?!  There aren't any near here..."  What was our answer?

Oh yes there are!  THIS is a regular singing in the making.  And we can't wait for it to really take off.

You have to start somewhere, and we're basically starting from scratch here.  Exciting things are happening.

But there ARE exciting, established singings all over New England (and the country.  and the world), and once you get hooked, I guarantee you will travel far and wide to get to them.

I wanted to share with you a very sweet radio piece that our friend, Aaron Henkin (in Baltimore) did about our group there a few years back.  This, I think, will give you all a sense of what on earth we're doing, and why.  Plus, you get to hear my nervous radio voice!


Keep an eye on this space, and on the Facebook event page for updates on the next singing! We MAY change the location, due to a conflict at WREN921 in August, so pay attention!!