Brethren, We Have Met

Brethren, We Have Met comes from the rich heritage of shape note sacred music. Originally designed as a teaching aid, the notation uses particular note shapes to represent the different pitches. Though it originated in the American Northeast, shape note choral music spread throughout the entire eastern seaboard during the 18th century. Shape note singing is quite unique; it celebrates robust, open-throated singing with each individual contributing his or her own unique delivery. This particular tune comes from the collection by William Walker titled The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. In my attempt to create a shape note feel I have placed each guitar in a different key by using an unusual capo distribution. The arrangement is in an arch form (A-B-C-B-A-Coda). The opening section is a fanfare followed by a more traditional chorale section. The tune is finally found at the center and is given several variations. The tune is then fused into the return variants of the chorale and fanfare sections and closes with a soft, reverent coda.