Category Archives: Friends Who’ve Gone Before

Tributes to recipients of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company’s posthumous citation “for outstanding work in the company and untiring support of and dedicated service to the cause of Sacred Harp music.”

Remembering Toney Smith: Singer, Leader, Teacher, Organizer, Reviser, and Encourager

Posted on December 31, 2017 by

Editors’ note: Toney Smith, a member of the seven-person music committee that revised The Sacred Harp: 1991 Edition, received the Sacred Harp Publishing Company’s posthumous citation in 2017. In this tribute, David Ivey, who served with Toney Smith on the 1991 Edition music committee, … Continue reading →

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B. M. Smith: A Loving, Caring Spirit and Front Bench Stalwart

Posted on December 31, 2017 by

Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy And to walk humbly with your God. B. M. Smith of Silver Creek, Georgia, … Continue reading →

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In Memory of Earlis McGraw, July 27, 1935–June 8, 2016

Posted on December 31, 2017 by

Editor’s Note: United Kingdom–based singer Rebecca Over fell in love with the songs of the McGraw family soon after she began singing Sacred Harp in 2009. An avid researcher, Rebecca got to know living McGraws such as Earlis during trips … Continue reading →

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Raymond Cooper Hamrick, a Tribute

Posted on December 31, 2016 by

Editor’s Note: Raymond Hamrick taught Mary Brownlee and her sisters Rosemund Watson and Martha Harrell to sing, and for many decades Hamrick joined Brownlee and Watson to practice shape-note songs old and new at Brownlee’s home in Barnesville. Brownlee read … Continue reading →

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Raymond C. Hamrick’s Contributions to Sacred Harp Singing and Scholarship

Posted on December 31, 2016 by

Raymond Cooper Hamrick (1915–2014), of Macon, Georgia, was a well-loved singer, composer, and scholar whose intellectual curiosity, generosity of spirit, and kindness seemed boundless. Perhaps the greatest Sacred Harp composer of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, Hamrick imparted … Continue reading →

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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 →

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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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Honoring William J. Reynolds, A Behind the Scenes Contributor to the 1991 Edition

Posted on May 28, 2015 by and

The Sacred Harp Publishing Company presented a citation award honoring the contributions of William J. Reynolds to Sacred Harp singing on January 31, 2015 at the William J. Reynolds Sacred Harp Singing in Fort Worth, Texas. Bill Reynolds became the … Continue reading →

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Honoring Jeff and Shelbie Sheppard: 2014 Citation Awards

Posted on May 12, 2014 by and

On April 12, 2014, at the annual State Line Singing, the Sacred Harp Publishing Company presented Pam Nunn and Rene Greene with citation awards recognizing the contributions of their parents, Jeff and Shelbie Sheppard, to Sacred Harp singing. Jeff and … Continue reading →

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Remembering Those Who’ve Gone Before: Sacred Harp Publishing Company 2013 Citation Awards

Posted on December 31, 2013 by

On October 11, 1969, the Sacred Harp Publishing Company began a practice that continues to this day. The Board of Directors voted to present citations to “honor and express appreciation to loyal supporters and dedicated singers for outstanding work in … Continue reading →

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