Folk Hymnody from the Eastern United States & the Appalachian Mountains at Esplanade Recital Studio

Following a movement which started with the Protestant Reformation, there appeared in America a new repertoire of hymns based on folk tunes in the late 18th century. With their pulsating rhythms and emotive choruses, these hymns were accessible to anyone with or without an education in music. Instead of traditional staff notation, the people were taught melodies using a simpler system called “shape notes”, which makes it a lot easier to read music by associating a series of shapes with different pitches. It allowed the wide transmission of these songs across the American East, where they were sung by one and all in a powerful, fervent harmony, most famously the community singing tradition from the Sacred Harp tune book. At home, these sacred songs are sometimes accompanied by traditional instruments like banjo and fiddle.
Though the singing of these hymns has been largely associated with old rural America, due to pioneering efforts of Tim Eriksen, the music has lately experienced a popular revival as rock and roots luminaries Jack White (The White Stripes, The Raconteurs) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) took an interest in its raw and undeniable sound. Its influence can be found in a wide spectrum of contemporary music today, from Country and Western to Indie pop.
Widely regarded as the best traditional American ballad singer of his generation, Tim Eriksen first came into international spotlight with his musical contributions to Anthony Minghella's Oscar Winning movie Cold Mountain. He and his group The Trio de Pumpkintown present sacred music of the American Protestant traditions from New England and the Appalachian region and the period 1650-1850, performing on traditional instruments like the fiddle, frame drum and banjo. In a repertory where they explore the boundaries and intersections between American sacred and secular forms, the group presents well known songs of these traditions, like Wayfaring Stranger and Amazing Grace, as well as lesser-known pieces that are unique combinations of European, African and Native American influences found in the eastern United States and the Appalachian Mountains.