The Minnesota Harmony Project - Charlie Obert

PDF Files of Shape Note Songs

  • Nightfall. This song was written about a month before my wife, Cindy Kissee, died of cancer. She picked out the words for the song, and I wrote it one morning around 3 am. We got to sing it with Cindy with small groups at our house a couple of times before she died.
  • Fairview. For the first anniversary of my wife's breast cancer diagnosis. An anthem. (If you prefer larger print, here is Fairview on three pages.)
  • Powderhorn. For Joan Fritz. I wrote it shortly before she died, and our group got to sing it for her at her house.
  • Renewal. My first try at writing the lyrics along with the music.
  • Easter. Written Easter day, 2012.
  • Virginia. The text is from Isaiah.
  • Eternity. A fuguing tune.
  • YPC@UBC - Young People's Convention @ University Baptist Church, July 2012.
  • Hilltop. Lyrics by George Herbert.
  • McMahan. Written after attending the 100th anniversary singing in McMahan, Texas.
  • Kabul. A song with text by Charles Wesley, during time of war, praying for peace and good will.
  
  • Murphy's Landing. A fun, peppy little fuguing tune.
  • Saint Paul's. Lyrics by George Herbert; named for an Episcopal church I attended for many years.
  • Stuyvesant. For my High School in Manhattan, New York City, after 9/11.
  • Hymn for Lent. It's actually a short anthem, but we don't sing anthems here in Minnesota...
  • Garden. Written for all the singers who came up to Minnesota on Ruth Brown's bus.
  • Homecoming. My feelings on finding the Sacred Harp community.
  • Afton. We sing at the Afton Corn Roast every year.
  • Merriam. Inspired by the lyrics by Whittier.
  • Heart. Written New Year's Eve, 2008.
  • Central. Written New Year's Day, 2009.
  • Lynnhurst New. Written for our tenth wedding anniversary, reharmonized for our 20th.

Arrangements

You are welcome to download, copy and use these songs for singings and any non-commercial use. If you wish to record a song, include it in another publication, or use it for any commercial purpose please contact me.

Also, if you do download and look at any songs, please email me and let me know your reaction. Thanks!

The music on this page was typeset using Melody Assistant.