Category Archives: Features

We had sung both “Lloyd” and “Christian’s Farewell” (pp. 503 and 347 in The Sacred Harp) late in the singing at Haynes Creek on the first Sunday of September, 2005, and as we left the building I told Raymond how … Continue reading →

I first heard of Sacred Harp singing in Cork about four years ago. I’m not sure how or where. I had a very vague awareness of shape-note singing, but more how the shape-notes worked than what it sounded like. I … Continue reading →

In 1982, Alan Lomax, the controversial ethnomusicologist and folklorist, predicted that thousands of Americans would be singing from The Sacred Harp across the country in the following years. He cited Sacred Harp singing’s rich sound, democratic ideals, and generous community … Continue reading →

I recently gave a talk at Camp Fasola about the community-building aspects of the Sacred Harp tradition, and I would like to share my ideas again here. Shape-note singers, of course, already know very well the fellowship and bonding that … Continue reading →