Author Archives: David Warren Steel

About David Warren Steel

Warren Steel is professor of music emeritus at the University of Mississippi. He has sung in the Sacred Harp since 1972, and lived in Oxford, Mississippi since 1980. He edited the works of early American composers Stephen Jenks and Daniel Belknap. His The Makers of the Sacred Harp was published in 2010. He has taught at Camp Fasola and maintains an extensive web site for Sacred Harp singing. Steel also plays organ and harpsichord and performs with an early music ensemble.

Shape-Note Singing in Mississippi: A Preliminary History

Posted on December 31, 2017 by

While studies of Sacred Harp singing have concentrated on Georgia, Alabama, and Texas, the shape-note traditions of Mississippi have remained comparatively obscure. In 1933, George Pullen Jackson wrote, “I have not learned that there is in Mississippi any comprehensive state … Continue reading →

Posted in Read the Old Paths | 1 Comment

The W. T. Gwin Old Harp Singers Trophy: A Unique Piece of Sacred Harp Memorabilia from Mississippi

Posted on December 31, 2015 by

An Unexpected Object on the Front Porch A unique piece of Sacred Harp memorabilia came to light recently. On April 13 of this year, my wife Anne and I arrived at our home in Oxford, Mississippi, to find an unexpected … Continue reading →

Posted in Read the Old Paths | 2 Comments