Appalachian folk hymns from the Shape Note tradition are old American mountain tunes (sometimes variants of famous secular tunes such as “Barbara Allen”), often using words from the great British hymn writers like Watts, Wesley, and Newton, and sometimes using newly written words by known authors or by Anonymous the Great. Some, like “Amazing Grace” and “Wondrous Love,” are very well known, and others are moderately known, and still others are known only to Shape Note Societies and some scholars. Some have been included from each of these categories. And if a piece has been recorded on one of our albums (though often in a different arrangement), it has been included.
Included are the words to each song in a modern hymnal style, with the stanzas arranged below the notes, with quite a few verses if they’re available. You may know some of these tunes or texts in different combinations --- that’s a characteristic of hymns, that melodies and words are often mixed and matched. Timothy has chosen ones he tends to prefer.
The complete listing in this collection:
| NO. | TUNE NAME | FIRST LINE | WORDS BY | ALBUM |
| 01. | Alas and Did My Savior Bleed | Alas, and did my Savior bleed | Isaac Watts | |
| 02. | Babe of Bethlehem | Ye nations all, on you I call | anon. | Incarnation |
| 03. | Babel’s Streams | By Babel’s streams we sat and wept | anon. | Sycamore Rapids, Cleansing Fountain |
| 04. | Bartimeus | Mercy, O thou Son of David | anon. | Cleansing Fountain |
| 05. | Beach Spring | Come, ye sinners, poor and needy | Joseph Hart | Cleansing Fountain |
| 06. | Begone Unbelief | Begone, unbelief, my Savior is near | John Newton | |
| 07. | Behold the Lamb | Behold, behold the Lamb of God | anon. | |
| 08. & 09. | Bound for the Promised Land (major and minor) | On Jordan's stormy banks I stand | Samuel Stennett | Cleansing Fountain |
| 10. | Carolina | A charge to keep I have | Charles Wesley | Cleansing Fountain |
| 11. | Cleansing Fountain | There is a fountain filled with blood | William Cowper | Cleansing Fountain |
| 12. | Condescension | How condescending and how kind | Isaac Watts | |
| 13. | Converted Thief | As on the cross the Savior hung | Samuel Stennett | Cleansing Fountain |
| 14. | Cumberland | Come all ye happy race | anon., Joseph Swain | Cleansing Fountain |
| 15. | Dulcimer | O thou in whose presence my soul takes delight | Joseph Swain | Cleansing Fountain |
| 16. | Dunlap's Creek | My God, my portion and my love | Isaac Watts | |
| 17. | French Broad | High o'er the hills the mountains rise | William Walker | Cleansing Fountain |
| 18. | Hark from the Tombs | Hark! From the tombs a doleful sound | Isaac Watts | |
| 19. | Heavenly Dove (Barbara Allen) | Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly dove | Charles Wesley | Virginia Wildlife |
| 20. | Holy Manna | Brethren, we have met to worship | George Atkins | Cleansing Fountain |
| 21. | Holy Son of God | I love the holy Son of God | anon. | |
| 22. | Houston | The people that in darkness sat | J. Morrison | Hope from on High |
| 23. | How Firm a Foundation | How firm a foundation | "K" | Cleansing Fountain |
| 24. | Idumea | Come, we that love the Lord | Isaac Watts | |
| 25. | Imandra | I love thee, my Savior | anon. | |
| 26. | Jackson | The spacious firmament on high | Joseph Addison | |
| 27. | Jefferson | Glorious things of thee are spoken | John Newton | Celebration of Centuries, Common Wealth, Cleansing Fountain |
| 28. | Kedron | Thou man of grief, remember me | Charles Wesley | |
| 29. | Knoxville | Rejoice, my friends, the Lord is king | anon. | |
| 30. | Lancaster | O glorious hope of perfect love | Charles Wesley | Virginia Wildlife |
| 31. | Lead Me to the Rock | In seasons of grief, to my God I'll repair | anon. | Here On This Ridge, Cleansing Fountain |
| 32. | Linville (© Pine Wind Music, Inc.) | Upward I lift mine eyes | Isaac Watts | Cleansing Fountain |
| 33. | Living Lamb | I've learned to sing a glad new song | anon. | |
| 34. | Lochleven (The Arran Boat) | Far from mortal cares retreating | anon. | Wayfaring Stranger |
| 35. | Marysville | Jesus, my all, to heaven has gone | John Cennick | |
| 36. | Morning Trumpet | O when shall I see Jesus | John Leland | Cleansing Fountain |
| 37. | Nashville | The Lord into his garden come | Jeremiah Ingalls | Tenting on the Old Camp Ground |
| 38. | Nettleton | Come, thou fount of every blessing | Robert Robinson | Cleansing Fountain |
| 39. | New Britain | Amazing Grace! (How sweet the sound) | John Newton | Wayfaring Stranger, Common Wealth, Cleansing Fountain |
| 40. | Newport | When on the cross the Savior hung | Samuel Stennett | Jamestown: On the Edge of a Vast Continent |
| 41. | Ninety-Third Psalm | Grace! 'Tis a charming sound | Isaac Watts | |
| 42. | Peaks of Otter (© Pine Wind Music, Inc.) | The voice of my Beloved sounds | Isaac Watts | Cleansing Fountain |
| 43. | Pilgrim | Come, all ye mourning pilgrims dear | anon. | Cleansing Fountain |
| 44. | Pisgah | When I can read my title clear | Isaac Watts | Cleansing Fountain |
| 45. | Resignation | My Shepherd will supply my need | Isaac Watts | Cleansing Fountain |
| 46. | Restoration | I will arise and go to Jesus | Robert Robinson | Cleansing Fountain |
| 47. | Rockbridge | Life is the time to serve the Lord | anon. | Cleansing Fountain |
| 48. | Rockingham | Come, happy souls, appoach your God | Isaac Watts | |
| 49. | Salem | He dies, the friend of sinners dies | Isaac Watts | Cleansing Fountain |
| 50. | Samarantha | His voice, as the sound of the dulcimer sweet | Joseph Swain | Sycamore Rapids |
| 51. | Saw Ye My Savior | Saw ye my Savior | anon. | |
| 52. | Seaman | When through the torn sail | anon. | Jamestown: On the Edge of a Vast Continent |
| 53. | Separation (Logan Water) | Come, we that love the Lord indeed | anon. | Wayfaring Stranger |
| 54. | Soldier's Return | Great scenes of glory strike my sense | anon./E. Roberts | Tenting on the Old Camp Ground |
| 55. | Solitude in the Grove | O were I like a feathered dove | anon. | Virginia Wildlife |
| 56. | Star in the East | Hail the blest morn | Reginald Heber | Profound Joy |
| 57. | Staunton | Awake, our souls, and bless his name | Philip Doddridge | Cleansing Fountain |
| 58. | Virginia | Blest are the souls that hear and know | Isaac Watts | Cleansing Fountain |
| 59. | Wayfaring Stranger | I am a poor wayfaring stranger | anon. | Wayfaring Stranger |
| 60. | Wondrous Love | What wondrous love is this | anon. | Sycamore Rapids, Cleansing Fountain |
| 61. | Worthy the Lamb | Glory to God on high | anon. |