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Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that originated in New England and was later perpetuated and carried on in the American South. The name is derived from The Sacred Harp, a ubiquitous and historically important tunebook printed in shape notes. The work was first published in 1844 and has reappeared in multiple editions ...
Jun 3, 2020 · Sacred Harp singing is an outgrowth of a form of musical notation known as shape notes. According to the president of the Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association and lifelong Sacred Harp singer ...
- Shannon Dell
What is Sacred Harp singing? Sacred Harp is a uniquely American tradition that brings communities together to sing four-part hymns and anthems. It is a proudly inclusive and democratic part of our shared cultural heritage. Participants are not concerned with re-creating or re-enacting historical events.
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Dec 5, 2003 · Sacred Harp singing isn't at all like the soaring tones of traditional gospel music. "Sacred Harp is a whole other thing," Block says. "This is full-body, shout-it-out singing. The harmonies are ...
- Melissa Block
This tunebook, in its several editions, has given its name to a tradition of unaccompanied community singing and fellowship surviving to the present day. While "harp" is an old word for a sacred tunebook containing music, in a broader sense, the "sacred harp" is the human voice or ensemble of voices. History of Shape-Note and Sacred Harp Singing
All-day or multi-day singing conventions, with traditional potluck “dinner on the grounds” at noon, are the core of the Sacred Harp tradition. They are usually scheduled annually by weekend, for example, “the 2nd Sunday in June”. Some conventions have been meeting in the same or nearby location for 150 years or more.
Singers are seated in a square, with blocks of voices facing inwards, and the leader in the centre. Experienced singers will take it in turn to choose a piece from The Sacred Harp and lead it, singing the solfege or syllables attached to the noteheads before the printed text. There is no substitute for the sound in the middle of the hollow ...
