Sacred Harp Singings

Annual singings in Mississippi, 2025.
Annual Sacred Harp Singings. This new directory, compiled by Jeremiah Ledbetter, covers shape-note singings in the Sacred Harp, as well as other books. The entries may be updated by the sponsors of singings. Another resource, updated annually, is the "minute book" directory of singings, comprising pages 7-28 of Sacred Harp Singings: 2024 Minutes, 2025 Directory. This PDF publication, compiled by Judy Caudle, David Ivey and Samuel Sommers and published by the Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association, covers singings and conventions throughout the United States and beyond. The 1991 Edition is used except where otherwise indicated. Also included are singings in other Sacred Harp editions (Cooper and J.L. White), as well as other four-shape collections: Southern Harmony, Shenandoah Harmony and Georgian Harmony. Please check for COVID-19 protocols. Those who host singings should update information (locations, contact persons, date changes and cancellations) at minutes@fasola.org and on the Fasola Singings Mailing List at https://groups.google.com/g/fasola-singings The former list is no longer maintained. Instead go the online sources listed here.
Annual singings in the Sacred Harp (Revised Cooper Edition) in the southeastern United States, with GPS coordinates (sacredharpbook.com)
Annual Christian Harmony singings, 2025. This directory covers Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and other singings in the Christian Harmony (Mary Baumeister)
Annual Harmonia Sacra singings, 2024. This directory covers Virginia and Indiana singings in the Harmonia Sacra (The Harmonia Sacra Society).
Annual “Old Harp” singings, 2025. This directory covers Tennessee singings in The New Harp of Columbia (oldharp.org)
Regular Local Singiings, compiled by Jeremiah Ledbetter. These are mostly briefer than all-day, but more frequent (four times a year or more). They draw mainly local singers, and may function as “practice sessions,” but traveling singers and beginners are welcome (shapenotesingings.com)
Minutes of 2024 singings (fasola.org).
Singing schools.

An all-day Sacred Harp singing is a day devoted to music and fellowship. All-day singings are usually held in small rural churches, or in schoolhouses, courtrooms, or community centers. They usually take place on the same weekend every year, say, the Fourth Sunday in May, and often mark the annual homecoming for a local church or community, when local natives return from far and near to decorate the graves in the nearby cemetery, visit with friends, and enjoy the music that sustained their parents and grandparents. Some annual singings and conventions extend to two or even three days of singing, and may meet in various locations from year to year.

Typically, an all-day singing begins between 9:30 and 10:00 AM. When the singers have seated themselves by singing part (tenor, bass, treble and alto), the singing begins with an opening song, a prayer, and a brief organizational meeting. Each individual is invited to take a turn leading a lesson, that is, standing in the center of the “class,” choosing one or more songs by page number, sounding the opening pitch (or receiving the key from an experienced singer nearby), and leading the song by beating time with a simple vertical motion of the hand, first with the singing syllables (fa, sol, la, and mi), and then with the words. The officers may call a brief recess in the morning or afternoon, but the only extended break comes at noon, when everyone proceeds to outdoor tables or a fellowship hall for an abundant dinner on the grounds provided by local families.

After an hour, or when the dinner is cleared, the singers return to the main building to continue the rotation of leaders. There may be a brief “memorial lesson” in honor of singers or community members who have died in the past year; indeed some annual singings are themselves memorials to beloved singers and family members. Singings usually end between 2:30 and 4:00, depending on the number of leaders. After announcements of upcoming singings, there is a closing song and a prayer of dismissal.

Warren Steel (mudws@olemiss.edu)