William Walker and His Southern Harmony
William Walker
William Walker was born on May 6, 1809 in upper South Carolina. He was of Welsh descent. As a youth he was affiliated with the Welsh-Baptist Church of his ancestors (FWPK). He was probably called "Singin' Billy Walker" from a young age (FWPK). As a child, his mother taught him the tunes THAT GLORIOUS DAY, SOLEMN THOUGHT, and FRENCH BROAD (Eskew, 1986, 20), the latter two of which I have arranged in the Sacred Nine Project.
Walker married Amy Golightly and had five boys and five girls (FWPK). He became a singing master, teaching hundreds of singing schools (FWPK), and a folksong collector, arranger, and composer in the folksong idiom (Eskew, Christian Classics Ethereal Library).
Walker died on September 24, 1875. He always signed his name "William Walker, A.S.H." (author, Southern Harmony), and supposedly said that he would rather have those letters after his name, than "Pres" before it (FWPK). One of Walker's greatest legacies is that he perpetuated Southern folksongs, like "Amazing Grace" and "What Wondrous Love Is This," that survive today in modern hymnbooks (Eskew, Christian Classics Ethereal Library). I am indebted to him for providing me with such rich material for musical arrangement, not only for the beauties listed above, but also for the uncomfortable hymns and songs sprinkled throughout this monumental tune book.
Southern Harmony
Southern Harmony was a huge hit. It was the first shape-note book to be sold nationally (Eskew and Downey). Over twenty-five years, it had sold over 600,000 copies, and prior to the Civil War it was stocked in general stores (FWPK).
Our tune book evolved to contain three main sections. It begins with several pages on the rudiments of music (like most such tune books). Part I mostly contains songs commonly used in worship. Part II are more advanced, and were used in concerts and singing societies. Part III is reserved for tunes "entirely new."
The editions are as follows, with the quoted phrases appearing in each (Eskew, 1986, 24):
1. 1835
2. 1840, "with an appendix"
3. 1846, "with an appendix"
4. 1847, "improved and enlarged"
5. 1854, "thoroughly revised and greatly enlarged"
6. There was almost another edition, but since South Carolina was one of the first states to secede in the Civil War, the plans were abandoned.
In the evolution of tune books, natural selection definitely chose Sacred Harp, coincidentally compiled by William Walker's brother-in-law, B.F. White (his wife's sister's husband). The 1939, 1966, and 1987 editions of SH are facsimile reprints of the 1854 edition (Loftis, 169). In 1911, Sacred Harp starting adding alto parts to the predominant three part texture of hymns up to that time (Loftis, 167). SH never made this leap. One can find a Sacred Harp sing in just about any state and many foreign countries any month of the year. This is not so with SH, although the "Big Singing" still takes place in Benton, Kentucky, on the fourth Sunday in May.
The fact that Southern Harmony did not change after 1854 is exhilarating for me. It reminds me of those Facebook posts containing pictures of old homes or manor houses that haven't been opened for hundreds of years, giving an authentic look at what life was life for the last inhabitants. Likewise, a good perusal through the pages of Southern Harmony can enlighten us about the mindset of the antebellum non-Catholic Southerner.
For a discussion of the darker aspects of the Antebellum South as they relate to music, please navigate to the "rethink" section.