h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My roommate is really into various kinds of old music, and once sang in chorus that sang mostly shape-notes. I'll ask him to dig up some sources.

Excellent! I'll look forward to it. thanks, Sea Change.

I think I first heard about them at a workshop at the National Folk Festival in Sutton Bonnington about 12 years ago. Then, after my divorce, about 8 years ago, I went to the South Bank to see the Fiddle Puppets, a group of Appalacian Clog Dancers (outside on a day forecast as thunderous), got there early and saw a group of Sacred Heart singers, who sang from shape notes - plus a wonderful six piece acapella gospel group from Birmingham, Alabama - boy, these men were *big* - and sounded absolutely gorgeous! Must have been the huge sound boxes of chests they had.

I've been bugging him and getting some info. It seems like Buckwheat is a likely term after all. Most shape-note hymnals had odd names like Africa or New Schenectady.

My mistake posting in the Peer Review thread on finding tunes about Simple Gifts-it's Shaker, not Quaker. The Shakers sometimes used shapenote, but also just used note-letters arranged in an orderly space. Sometimes this wasn't even printed but was copied by hand. I thought about posting there to correct this, but already was sinbinnably off-topic.

I am pretty sure Rick has copies of shapenote from different sources, I have actually seen the music, it'll just be a matter of getting him to dig them up.

I should have known that 'Simple Gifts' was Shaker and not Quaker, Sea Change.

Funnily enough, although Quakers have silent worship and do not have hymns as such, there is a Quaker songbook which I have never seen, but must get a copy of.

I wonder why it's Buckwheat?

Mind you, there is Buckwheat Zydeko (spelling?), which a type of music. I've got some records of it, somewhere. A bit like Cajun, but not.

I'll be patient and wait to see what comes.