The Shenandoah Harmony | Four Shape Note Tunebook
The Shenandoah Harmony 7.5×10″, 480 pages, isbn: 978-0-615-74366-0
The Shenandoah Harmony is an homage to the powerful, full-throated harmonies of the American shape-note tradition, specifically drawing inspiration from the early tunebooks of Ananias Davisson, whose works in the 1810s and 1820s captured the unique blend of European hymns and frontier folk melodies in the Shenandoah Valley. This expansive tunebook carries the soul of those original "Sacred Harp"-style songs while offering a striking mix of lyrics from surprising sources like Don Marquis, alongside the timeless hymns and psalmody of non-denominational Christian faith.
More than a collection of music, The Shenandoah Harmony is a product of a modern revival—a collaborative effort that began with the del Re family of Boyce, Virginia, who have been singing from Davisson’s works for over twenty-five years. Inspired by early recordings of shape-note music, they sought to unearth forgotten gems from the region’s musical history, eventually compiling songs from over seventy historical sources, as well as new compositions from contemporary voices.
Designed to be sung in community, The Shenandoah Harmony embodies the same social spirit that fueled its origins: the idea that music is a shared experience meant to be raised, not just heard. Whether in a church, a hall, or a mountain gathering, this tunebook offers a connection to a living tradition of harmony, forged over centuries.
The exploration of shape-note singing in Strong Songs of the Dead by Th. Metzger provides a fascinating lens through which to understand the deep cultural and historical roots that anchor the tunebooks The Shenandoah Harmony and The Valley Pocket Harmonist. Metzger’s chapter on the Shenandoah book illuminates the continuation and evolution of early American tunebooks, while his work is cited in the bibliography of The Valley Pocket Harmonist as an essential resource for understanding the modern revival of this unique musical tradition.
Available now—because the past is never truly gone as long as the music endures.
This is a large, heavy book. It is NEW, unused.
