A singing school is a brief course of musical instruction devoted to the rudiments of note-reading and sight-singing, with a focus on sacred music. Singing schools, established as early as 1700, were the first American musical institution; they fostered musical skills, notational innovations like shape notes, the composition of psalmody, and the publication of tunebooks like The Sacred Harp. Early singing schools often lasted two or three months, usually during a season of slack agricultural work (the winter months, or midsummer "laying-by" of crops). Today's schools may last only a week or two. For more information see "Singing-school" by Richard Crawford and Warren Steel in The New Grove Dictionary of American Music (London: Macmillan Press, 1986), vol. 4, pp. 233-4, which includes further references.
Mark S. Davis will conduct a singing school in the Sacred Harp (1991 Edition) during the week of July 14-18, 1995 at Enon Primitive Baptist Church, east of Houston, Mississippi, off Highway 8. This singing school is designed for singers at all levels, including beginners. Experienced singers are welcome to participate, especially at Friday's session, and attendees will have an opportunity to practice their newly-acquired skills at the Chickasaw County Convention on Sunday, July 27 at Enon Primitive Baptist Church. For more information contact Mark S. Davis, horn4@aol.com.
Mark S. Davis will conduct a singing school in the Sacred Harp (1991 Edition) in Jackson, Mississippi, on the First Monday of every month at Meadowbrook Church of Christ, I-55 frontage road between Northside and Meadowbrook. This singing school is designed for singers at all levels, including beginners. The first session was held on February 3 at 7:00 PM. This school will continue as a regular local singing on the first Monday of every month, with instruction available as needed. Call (601) 353-7423 for more information, or contact Mark S. Davis, horn4@aol.com.
Mark S. Davis conducted a singing school in the Sacred Harp (1991 Edition) during the week of July 15-19, 1995 at Enon Primitive Baptist Church, east of Houston, Mississippi, off Highway 8. This singing school was designed for singers at all levels, including beginners. Experienced singers were welcome to participate, especially at Friday's session, and attendees had an opportunity to practice their newly-acquired skills at the Chickasaw County Convention on Sunday, July 28 at Enon Primitive Baptist Church. For more information contact Mark S. Davis, horn4@aol.com.
Gerry Hoffman taught a Sacred Harp singing school on the campus of Pomona College in Claremont, California, beginning Wednesday, October 25. The class met in Thatcher Hall, 340 College Avenue, on Wednesday evenings from 7:30 till about 9:30. The last class will be held on November 15. Experienced singers were urged to attend, to help the beginners. Some of his pupils also attended the workshop taught in Los Angeles by Jeff and Shelbie Sheppard on October 27-28; these activities will culminate in the All-California Convention in Los Angeles in January 1996.
Gerry Hoffman, ghoffman@pomona.edu
Calliope, The Pittsburgh Folk Music Society, scheduled a class in shape-note singing as part of its Fall school. Classes met Tuesday evenings from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m., beginning October 10 and ending December 5 (no class November 21), for a total of eight sessions. The classes met at the Lawrenceville branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, and were led by Deane Root, with assistance from Doris Dyen. The lessons followed the content and techniques used in week-long singing schools taught in southeastern Alabama during the early 1970s, by elder R.L. King and by Dewey Williams, in white and black traditions of the Sacred Harp.
Deane L. Root, dlr+@pitt.edu
--Warren Steel (mudws@olemiss.edu)[ Sacred Harp Singing | Warren Steel | Music Dept. | UM Home ]