Page 19 - CJMarch_April25

WRITING MUSIC IN THE SACRED HARP TRADITION

ly seen a wide variety of interpretations of Brittain’s with the tempo change. He was happy with the result
own songs. One of Brittain’s compositions, novAkoS- and announced that he would welcome performances
45
ki, receives particularly wide-ranging treatment due to both with and without a faster fuging section. Today,
revisions made in the editorial process and Brittain’s singers sometimes briefly note this history when they
own intervention (Figure 6). When Brittain first com- lead novAkoSki, and they discuss non-notated interpre-
posed novAkoSki, which is a fuging tune, he included tive practices outside of formal singing contexts.
a meter change from – to –, indicating that the fuging The work of revising committees constitutes a core
2
4
2
4
section was to be performed at a faster tempo. Later, he means by which the community has a direct impact on
removed the meter change and set the entire song in – , compositions. In addition to composing songs, Hall has
2
2
thereby suggesting that it should be sung slowly. When worked as a reviser. In this capacity, she wrote about
novAkoSki was published, however, the revision com- twenty alto parts, arranged songs that were original-
mittee changed the meter to –. At Camp Fasola Europe ly just tenor lines, chose different lyrics for tunes, and
4
4
in 2012, Brittain discussed this revision history with a changed the titles of several songs that appear in The
group of students and led them in singing novAkoSki Shenandoah Harmony, even though she is not always cred-

CHORAL JOURNAL March/April 2025 Volume 65 Number 7 17