Awake, My Soul / Teach Me To Sing

Traditional Southern choral folk music (disc 1) and modern covers of those songs (disc 2). Disc 1 is field recordings from 2004-2006 originally as a soundtrack for a documentary about Sacred Harp. Sacred Harp is shape note singing dating back to the mid-19th century and earlier. It employs a lot of open harmonies (5ths, octaves) that gives it a haunting sort of quality. It can be disorienting. Disc 2 is a set of modern versions of songs from Sacred Harp; the style ranges widely, but are mostly under a broad 'folk' umbrella. Good stuff, especially disc 1.

-Adrian
My picks: Disc 1: 2, 8, 11, 12, 15, 18, 22, 23
Disc 2: 2, 5, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17
Disc 1: Awake, My Soul: modern field recordings

1. very slow. regal.
2. med-slow. nice fugal quality to it.
3. med-fast. fugal.
4. med-slow. pretty straight-ahead and measured
5. mid tempo. fugal.
6. med-fast.
7. med-slow.
8. slow.
9. med-slow.
10. med-fast. martial, ominous and dark.
11. mid tempo. version of Amazing Grace. beautiful.
12. med-fast.
13. med-slow. fugal.
14. med-fast.
15. mid tempo. nice harmonic progression.
16. mid tempo. has some strings of fast moving notes.
17. fast. fugal.
18. med-slow. grand.
19. slow.
20. med-fast.
21. med-slow. pretty and ominous
22. slow. grand.
23. med-slow. very open--sounds huge
24. med-fast.


Disc 2: Help Me to Sing: modern versions

1. slow. f (later +m) vocals over drone. sort of celtic-influenced
2. rollicking indie folk.
3. med-slow. rhodes piano and guitar pop. dark chorus.
4. slow. f vox + harmonies over tender acoustic folk
5. med-slow. soft, lilting but bluegrassy version.
6. countryish. double main vocals over violin, then fuller band later.
7. folky, songwriter. acoustic guitar, m vox, light violin.
8. bluesey, strummed banjo. ends, strangely, with throat singing
9. f singer-songwriter take with glockenspiel. slow.
10. rollicking rock version.
11. punky guitars + piano.
12. slow. dark.
13. odd, synthy upbeat pop.
14. starts with monologue. m vox + double stop fiddle.
15. fingerpicked guitar + voice.
16. reverby, choral. dark, noisy.
17. m vox + double stop violin
18. a capella. choral.
19. slow. m vocals + harmonies over drones and rattling strings