Ten-odd years ago, I discovered sacred harp singing while raiding the public library's CD collection. The Sacred Harp is a hymnal from the 19th century that collects various shape-note songs. Shape-note music is a music notation system meant to be easy to learn. The music publishers (from up Nawth) would hold one-day schools (typically down South) to teach the system and, uh, sell sheet music. It was a big deal in parts of the Deep South from the later part of the 19th century on, and sacred harp singing is still popular in parts of the South, though not so much here.
When I found out about sacred harp, I was electrified. I thought I'd discovered something revolutionary, and told everyone I knew. I was particularly excited by a song called "Windham" as performed by an outfit Alan Lomax called Alabama Sacred Harp Singers. (They weren't actually a formal group; it was just the people who showed up for one particular sacred harp singing.) I had all my friends over to hear this song. I told them I was sure that I had discovered a new harmonic. Aaaaand they said: "John. They're singing out of tune."
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