I've got a couple of collections of prewar gospel, blues, and folk music. Pretty awesome stuff.
One of my favorite styles (I guess you would call it that) is Sacred Harp singing. It's called that because the hymns are sung out of the Sacred Harp hymnal. Anyway, the notation isn't like normal notation. The notes are shapes that tell you where the next note is going to be. It was developed for people who couldn't read music. The setup of the congregation is also quite different, as you will see. Everyone sits in a square, so everyone can hear everyone else. The tenors have the melody and the rest of the congregation harmonizes with them. They also sing through the parts with "fa, sol, lah," first so that the participants can get the tune down. Here are two examples of it (both of these hymns happen to be on the Cold Mountain soundtrack, so if you like them, you know where to find them.)
Idumea, number 47b
Text:
And am I born to die?
To lay this body down!
And must my trembling spirit fly
Into a world unknown?
A land of deepest shade,
Unpierced by human thought
The dreary regions of the dead,
Where all things are forgot.
Soon as from earth I go
What will become of me?
Eternal happiness or woe,
Must then my portion be!
Waked by the trumpet sound,
I from my grave shall rise;
And see the Judge with glory crowned,
And see the flaming skies!
I'm Going Home, number 282
Text:
Farewell, vain world! I’m going home!
My Savior smiles and bids me come,
And I don’t care to stay here long!
Sweet angels beckon me away,
To sing God’s praise in endless day,
And I don’t care to stay here long!
Chorus:
Right up yonder, Christians, away up yonder;
Oh, yes, my Lord, for I don’t care to stay here long.
I’m glad that I am born to die,
From grief and woe my soul shall fly,
And I don’t care to stay here long!
Bright angels shall convey me home,
Away to New Jerusalem,
And I don’t care to stay here long!
(Chorus)
