http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shape_note

heh.

Well, this Board can stand having two threads with two references to the Wikipedia article on shape-note singing, each provided by a committed servant of the pursuit of knowledge, one minute and thirty three seconds apart.

indeed. <salute>

Nice subject line, eta. .. oh, excuse me: <smile>

I guess, since y'all boys jumped on this subject before I could find the Music forum, I'll just add that for those who are unfamiliar, I'm told the movie 'Cold Mountain' has some church scenes with shape-note singing.

Faldage belongs to a group here, and I participate once in a while. What's particularly cool is that the tenors hold the melody, like they did back in the good old days.

There are three sexes: men, women and tenors - anonymous

http://www.tenorissimo.com/domingo/Articles/tm102670.htm

heh. I guess I tend towards the Domingish....

"I guess I tend towards the Domingish....", said etaoin, placidly.

That's why they're called tenors -- they held on to the melody. Same root as "tenacious." [/studiously ignoring silly jokes]

they held on to the melody

The next named voice part was countertenor. They sang a line that was against the tenor's. Originally they sang in a lower register.

The third named part was …

Who can guess?

Edited to add a hint.

It is one of the part names used in shape note singing.

alto-alternate?

Falsetto?

Come, come, come, folks. This is a language board. The third part?

tertio?

hmmm.. trior?
triage??
triplesec?!

baritone

Another hint: it's a voice part often sung by boys.

All right, daggone it--I'll do it! Soprano! There!!
I was gonna guess that last night, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out what that has to do with third. I still can't. Acc'g. to the link, the third note is la.
'Sol', or even 'so' to make it fit (they aren't solpranos, after all), is the fifth note. And ...and...argh, for every argument I can think of why it might be that, I can think of at least one reason why it mightn't!

Nope, not soprano, though the range (or tessitura if you prefer ), of course, is similar.

sopranist?
contralto?
baritenor?

Y'all're are gonna kick yourselves when you find out. And no, it's not a trick question!

> kick yourselves


well, my ego is already seriously bruised, so...

third... third... eins, zwei, drei... no. un, deux, toi... no. do, re, mi... no
hmmm.

OK, it's still, apparently, used in Britain as the name of a voice part, as the lovely AnnaS said, for boys. In the US, aside from Sacred Harp and, possibly, other specialty usages, it is commonly used as a term in sheet music, but it isn't written out in this context.

shit.

treble.

Give that man one silver dollar!

Geesh, about time.

Heh. ®

Oh, tribbles! [stamping foot e]