Monthly Archives: August 2016

Introducing Vol. 5, No. 1 of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company Newsletter

Posted on August 22, 2016 by and

The tenth issue of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company Newsletter looks behind the scenes, exploring fascinating processes of composing, singing, and documenting Sacred Harp. Our issue opens with Andy Ditzler’s interview with prolific Sacred Harp photographer Robert Chambless, showing how … Continue reading →

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“Much More than the Songs”: The Sacred Harp Photographs of Robert Chambless

Posted on August 22, 2016 by

Sacred Harp singing is an aural, musical experience, but as the sheer presence of cameras at singings suggests, it is visual as well. There is plenty to see. We watch the song leaders; we glance at each other across the … Continue reading →

Posted in Unto the Raptured Eye | Leave a comment

Remembering Carlene McGraw Griffin, a Lifelong Sacred Harp Singer

Posted on August 22, 2016 by

In 2015, Carlene McGraw Griffin became the eighty-eighth recipient of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company Citation, an award presented posthumously to “honor and express appreciation to loyal supporters and dedicated singers for outstanding work in the company and untiring support of … Continue reading →

Posted in Friends Who've Gone Before | 4 Comments

The Embodiment of Love and Fellowship: Honoring Billy Joe and Evelyn Harris

Posted on August 22, 2016 by

In October, 2015, the members of the Board of Directors of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company voted unanimously to present a citation to the descendants of Billy Joe and Evelyn Harris. The practice of awarding citations to outstanding deceased members … Continue reading →

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The Variety of Influence: Forms of Craftsmanship in the 1960 Edition

Posted on August 22, 2016 by

Introduction The Original Sacred Harp: Denson Revision, 1960 Edition,1 produced by an august music committee consisting of A. M. Cagle (chairman), H. N. McGraw, T. B. McGraw, Elmer Kitchens, Hugh McGraw, and Ruth Denson Edwards and edited by Owel Denson, … Continue reading →

Posted in Of Harmony and Composition | Leave a comment

Entropy Unpacked: The Entropy Number from “FaSoLa Minutes”

Posted on August 22, 2016 by and

Introduction Since its initial release in 2013, the “FaSoLa Minutes” iOS app has become an important component of how many singers learn and engage with Sacred Harp songs, singers, and singings. The app includes data from the Minutes of Sacred … Continue reading →

Posted in Number, Measure, Weight | 7 Comments

Sacred Harp’s (All-)California Dreaming

Posted on August 22, 2016 by

On the weekend of January 16–17, 2016, an enthusiastic crowd of singers gathered in Poway, California, for the 28th All-California Sacred Harp Singing Convention. Poway, known as the “City in the Country,” is centrally located in San Diego County. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Singing Reports | Leave a comment

Grandpa McWhorter: Singer and Civil Servant

Posted on August 22, 2016 by

The issuance early last year of the reproduction of the 1911 Original Sacred Harp (the James Book) caused me to reflect upon the extraordinary influence that historic old book and its predecessors had on common community life throughout the deep … Continue reading →

Posted in Citizen of the Month, Read the Old Paths | 1 Comment

“With One Accord”: A UK West Gallery Quire at the National Convention, June 12, 1997

Posted on August 22, 2016 by

Editor’s Note: This issue’s installment of “Just a Minute,” our examination of the story behind an unexpected line in the Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings, features a paragraph from the minutes documenting an unusual event: a performance by a musical … Continue reading →

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