James Curnow

Inventions From The Sacred Harp

We urge you to look at this important new composition by James Curnow. This symphonic variant style treatment of themes based on the shape-note tune Resignation is a magnificent compositional exploration. Once your group has achieved the ability to perform at this level of difficulty, they deserve to play music with the challenge and masterful quality that Inventions from the Sacred Harp presents. Even a brief analysis of the score reveals composition and development techniques that are reserved for pieces on an impressive scale. A more thorough analysis lets you appreciate the complexity of the compositional processes found in the very fabric of this major work. The historical significance of The Sacred Harp provides the opportunity for some cross-curricular work as well.