We are excited to welcome you to a full weekend of events as we launch The Sacred Harp: 2025 Edition at the United Sacred Harp Musical Association in Atlanta, Georgia, September 12–14, 2025.
The weekend will begin on Friday, September 12, with an all-day symposium at Holy Trinity Parish Episcopal Church, “Revising The Sacred Harp,” featuring presentations on all aspects of the revision process, with opportunities to learn, sing, and socialize.
On Saturday and Sunday, September 13–14, we will sing for the first time from the newly revised Sacred Harp at the 120th session of the United Convention. We will meet at The Foundry at Puritan Mill, west of downtown Atlanta, a venue with excellent acoustics and ample free parking, located just ten minutes from Interstate 75. The singing will start at 9:30, but you are welcome to come beginning at 8:30 to pick up your new songbook.
The singing is free and open to the public—please help us plan by filling out a short form letting us know you’ll be coming and indicating any dietary or childcare needs. Here are the details:
Friday, September 12, Revising The Sacred Harp Symposium
- 8am – Coffee and check-in
- 9am–5pm – Presentations about the making of the The Sacred Harp: 2025 Edition
Holy Trinity Parish Episcopal Church
515 E Ponce de Leon Ave, Decatur, GA 30030
Limited free parking on street and onsite and accessible via MARTA
Registration is required for the symposium. Purchase your ticket and view a full schedule and additional information at Eventbrite.
Saturday and Sunday, September 13–14,
Launch of The Sacred Harp: 2025 Edition at the
United Sacred Harp Musical Association
- 8:30am – Registration and Book Sales
- 9:30am–2:30pm – Singing from The Sacred Harp: 2025 Edition
The Foundry at Puritan Mill
916 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
Free parking onsite
Registration is recommended to help us plan for the convention. Use this form to let us know you plan to attend.
Additional Events
- Friday evening (after symposium): Explore Decatur. Downtown Decatur, walking distance from the “Revising The Sacred Harp” Symposium, is home to dozens of shops and restaurants, and is a great place to spend time with fellow singers.
- Saturday evening (after singing): Social at Chattahoochee Food Works. Join us for an informal social at Chattahoochee Food Works following the Saturday session of the United convention. Ample parking is available in an associated parking deck. Enjoy food and drinks on your own at any of the dozens of vendors at this food hall and socialize with singers. Chattahoochee Food Works is located at 1235 Chattahoochee Ave NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, a short drive from the Foundry.
- Sunday evening (5 pm): Singing at the grave of B. F. White. We will meet at 5 pm for brief remarks and about 20 minutes of singing from The Sacred Harp: 2025 Edition at the grave of the lead compiler of The Sacred Harp in the nineteenth century, B. F. White, who is buried beneath a magnolia at Atlanta’s historic Oakland Cemetery. Oakland Cemetery is located at 374 MLK Jr Dr SE, Atlanta, GA 30312, about a twenty minute drive from the Foundry. The surrounding Grant Park and Cabbagetown neighborhoods feature numerous dining options.
- Monday morning (10 am to noon): Sacred Harp Museum visit. Take a road trip the morning after the debut singing to explore the collections at the Sacred Harp Publishing Company’s Sacred Harp Museum, near Carrollton, Georgia. The museum includes photographs, scrapbooks, singers personal songbooks, and other treasures documenting the history of our singing tradition. The museum is located at 162 Oak Grove Rd., Carrollton, GA, about an hour and fifteen minutes west of Atlanta.
More Information on the Debut Singing Weekend
- Accessibility: Holy Trinity Episcopal Parish is accessible via mobility devices and has accessible parking and restrooms. The Foundry at Puritan Mill is accessible via ramp from the main entrance with disability parking spaces located near the door and has accessible stalls in each of the main restrooms.
- Lodging and transportation: There are many hotels and home shares in the neighborhoods surrounding the Foundry. This document on lodging and transportation for the book debut includes details on two hotels offering a limited number of rooms at a reduced rate for Sacred Harp singers, lists nearby hotels, and provides transportation information.
- Attractions: Atlanta is a lively city with a thriving cultural and entertainment sector. This document on attractions and activities in the city lists museums, parks and trails, food halls, and sports and theatrical events.
For more information, see our Facebook event page or contact united@sacredharp.com.
More Information about The Sacred Harp: 2025 Edition
- Explore what’s new in the front and back of the book, from essays to rudiments to indexes.
- See a list of the 77 songs removed in revision for The Sacred Harp: 2025 Edition.
- View page use and removed songs statistics for The Sacred Harp: 2025 Edition.
- Discover the 113 songs added in the The Sacred Harp: 2025 Edition.
- See statistics on the new songs added to The Sacred Harp: 2025 Edition.
- We are pleased to announce that the price for The Sacred Harp: 2025 Edition will be $20 per book in the United States and £20 in the United Kingdom. We will also offer a reduced rate of $10/£10 for loaner books.
- Here is a sneak peek at the new page design for The Sacred Harp: 2025 Edition. Our team created a legible, balanced, and inviting page layout that is steeped in history yet still feels contemporary.
- Did you know that The Sacred Harp: 2025 Edition will feature a brand new, bespoke music font? Read more in this post introducing “Collins,” a new shape-note music typeface expressly designed for the new Sacred Harp revision.