Enjoy Some Mountain Music

Northeastern Alabama

Staring at the shade of the covered bridge you wouldn’t know there was a couple hiding in the cover of the bridge stealing kisses and whispering secrets as the water rushes underneath. The clip-clop of the horses hooves slow down as they take shelter from the rain within the picturesque bridge. The tin roof keeps the rain from dampening the spirits of many travelers who cross over the rushing waters below. There are 10 (famous) covered bridges in Alabama. One of which is the Old Union Crossing Bridge in Northeastern Alabama. Hidden within canvas of natural beauty are wild azaleas at the Desoto State Park. All levels of hikers are welcome here with 360 yards of boardwalk trails and over 20 ft of octagon decks overlooking the fragrant flowers. The sounds of nature can lure in even the most hesitant writer to sit down and follow the rhythms of the surroundings. Beautiful moss-laden trees gently move as the wind glides through the tall pine trees mixing in a little "bug juice" for flavor. Sandstone cliffs over 600 feet tall, the deepest gorge east of the Rockies, can be found at Little River Canyon. Several caves with limestone, gemstones and even some of the rarest blind cave-fish in the nation can be found along the Tennessee River. For those who might be a little more risky there's a Dude Ranch for that “Cowboy experience” and even a ski resort off of Lookout Mountain.

There are elements of romance and mystique surrounding the town of Mentone, meaning a “musical mountain spring.” A treasure trove of unique pottery - a combination of folk art, Appalachian and Cherokee blended together on site – would all be missed by someone in a rush to see the world passing by.

A rustic log cabin playing peek-a-boo with the rich greenery is calling my name for some meditation under the stars. The movement of the wind flowing to its own cadence; mixed with the skittish, mid-tempo bird song; the distant sound trickling of the waterfall is all how I imagine the inspiration for Bluegrass music. Distinctively acoustic mountain "hillbilly" music, no electrical instruments of any kind are used in bluegrass music. It reminds me of blues music because it's "lonesome music" and yet jazzy because each instrument (violins, fiddles, banjos, guitar, double bass, etc) improvises taking a turn. Singing is normally soulful, sometimes rambling, other times gospel. Some good examples of famous bluegrass musicians are Alison Krauss, Foggy Mountain Boys, The Soggy Bottom Boys, Steve Martin, and Earl Scruggs.

As I stare up at the sparkling sky it's as though I'm looking behind a theater-curtain at a play into the past. Ancestors of the Cherokee and the Creek tribes lived in these Appalachian mountains dating back as far as 8000 BC. In fact, a Cherokee named Sequoyah lived here for some of his life. He fought and was injured in the heartbreaking Battle of Horseshoe Bend as a young man. It was as a soldier he witnessed the white man using “talking leaves” as a way to communicate and write messages. Sequoyah, unable to read or write any language, decided to invent a language for the Cherokee. At first most Cherokee resisted. By 1825 the new language was adapted as the Cherokee syllabary of 86 symbols. Eventually the word was spread of this new language and it was used to help create at least 21 new scripts and 65 languages in other regions. It's also believed the Sequoia trees in California, named in 1847, were in honor of Sequoyah. Oklahoma and North Carolina still have Cherokee immersion classes taught today.

... An owl flies by, reminds me of my travels. I must continue West.

One thing catches my eye before I leave the Mentone area - I see an odd rock I must investigate. It looks somewhat like a building and yet shaped like a boulder. As I get closer I see something atop the rock but I'm still hesitant. I hear a subtle noise and there appears to be a door. I open the door and find a tiny church built into the boulder. Yes, a church built into a rock as solid as can be – half church/half rock! From the front of the church there is a giant rock - I think "Upon this Rock" from bible school; maybe this is what it meant. Tiny pews facing the front pulpit. I can imagine someone being married in this quaint church. I'm sure some bluegrass gospel has been played inside this church as well. Regardless, this rock has some stories to tell!

The crumbling of the crisp white leaves outside reminds me I must move on…

The deep wooden paths lead to a four way break in the road. Uncertain which direction to take, I take a deep breath. I see some cars headed towards a small white building. I follow them out of curiosity. I sit outside and observe. Have you ever been in a small building where when someone speaks, or sings, and you can just feel the essence of the whole entire building surrounding you and everyone? Everything, including the materials of the wooden building, the people in the building, the stain-glass windows, the old wooden pews, the musty smell of the cloth materials, squeaky stairs, the noisy bell tower, and every page in the books seems to merge together as one entity. This is one of those moments. My memory starts to swirl …. 

The tiny white building is the Henagar Liberty Baptist Church. It is nothing fancy. The building is wooden and sits atop cement blocks. It reminds me of several Midwest churches. As a child my mom sang in a group called the Soteria Singers. As a result, we traveled around with the members of the group. While the adults were doing the sound check it was up to the kids of the group to explore - and you never quite knew what you were going to find. Sometimes bats (yes the creepy flying kind), sometimes it was the wooden boards in the balcony slowly bending with each movement, not knowing if your foot would break through or not; and sometimes it was the outside field where we would play hide and seek with the other kids - but we always entertained ourselves until it was time for our parents to sing. And yes, it made for some wonderful memories. You never know what small churches might hold inside … and for this church I think I can hear something rumbling the windows.

The Sacred Sound of Harp Music is a powerful capella four part harmony music. The Sacred Harp music consists of "shape-note" singing (triangles, circles, squares, and diamonds) instead of  fa, sol, la, and mi. The style was born in Colonial New England and has mostly disappeared except for the deep rural South. Sacred Harp music was popular during the civil war. Sacred Harp is not associated with any denomination, yet it is a deeply spiritual experience. This is about returning to a simpler time and fellowship.  Sacred Harp music is a distinctive type of singing - generally lead by one person standing in the middle of a hollow square formation with everyone’s voice aimed in the direction of that person. This is not about how well someone sings; but instead about the experience: about the sound, the heritage and the full gospel immersion. The term "sacred harp" refers to the human voice - that is, the musical instrument you were given at birth. In 1844, The Sacred Harp was published with over 500 hymns, odes and anthems. This is the foundation of the oral history and the tradition is keep alive today in various editions. Sacred Harp music isn't just music; it is a community where you feel safe and loved; it is a blessing and a hand to hold on to when you need to be comforted. During the past two decades, a revival has begun and with the release of movies like "Cold Mountain" and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Forty Sacred Harp songs (yes 40!) have been recorded at Henagar Liberty Baptist Church - yep, this tiny church - for the big movies!

From the back of the building I can hear someone dedicate a song to those who are sick, shut in and unable to make it to church. Another hymn number is called out and a song is sung. I am able to tell there's something more to this style of music than just a "hymn book" or a "two hundred year old tradition." The previous song ends. Someone speaks of those who came before and those who will come after her; then another hymn number. Someone else moves to the middle of the circle and they proceed to sing. This style of singing is definitely unique; and must be learned. It's almost as if it's from another planet. The solid force of this music is so strong, so strange, extremely soulful, harmonizing and powerful. It almost feels as though one could walk on the air around them - although that may be from the humidity in the air. I grab a hand fan. Someone notices me and invites me to stay for a BBQ potluck. It's explained to me that the best place to sit during the singing is in the middle of the square. Their tradition is not a passive one; but instead a participatory one. The intense sonic experience of standing in the center of the square is considered a benefit of leading the singing. She offers to let me stand in the middle with the next performance. I politely pass. I do better hiding ..er.. observing .. in the back of the building. Thanks anyways. I sneak out during the next song.

…As I settle in for the night I am grateful for my memories - and my new virtual journeys. It's taken a while for my writer's bug to bite. I can hear a steady galloping rhythm in the distance of a horse. As the horse gets closer, the clumping of the feet sound oddly of a strumming guitar. The jingle of the horse saddle sounds of a tambourine. The waterfall nearby mimic sounds of a piano pinging playfully. It's obvious that music is a happy, lovely experience with copious volumes of harmonic expressions and inspirations and stories to tell. The forest, with different languages and songs of love, doesn’t seem that far away from the heavens above. As I drift to sleep I wonder where my journey will take me tomorrow as I travel West through the state. And for tonight, I will let the owl "hoot" as he tells me his sorrows and sings me to sleep.

Talk about making some mountain music!