Singing from the Sacred Harp

The Sacred Harp is a living tradition of four-part a capella hymn singing. Begun in New England more than 200 years ago, the tradition took root in the southern United States in the early 19th century and has been sung continuously ever since. Sacred Harp singing now occurs regularly in many communities outside of the South and is experiencing a rejuvenation and renaissance. The tradition is characterized by its full-voiced vigor, democratic participatory ethic, unique harmonies and system of musical notation, eclectic religious imagery, and strong sense of historic continuity and community.

The Sacred Harp is also the name given to the most popular collection of “shape note” songs where the notation of music is printed on a standard musical staff but in four shapes (triangle, oval, square, and diamond) instead of the more common oval. The Scared Harp book we will sing from was first published in 1844 and most recently revised in 1991. It contains more than 500 songs expressing a wide range of musical styles, poetic imagery, and theological perspectives, though the texts are predominantly evangelical Protestant Christian in flavor and orientation. While a number of different books carry the name “The Sacred Harp”, this workshop will use the most popular and widely available 1991 revision published by the Sacred Harp Publishing Company.

This is a participatory workshop open to new, beginning, and experienced singers alike. Teens are particularly welcome. While there will be brief periods of silent worship to begin and end each session, most of the workshop – and worship – will take the form of singing. And while we will have about half an hour of worship-sharing each day, there will be relatively little time for individual, personal expression as compared to other workshops. Nearly all of the activities will be done with the entire group.
a. Expectations & objectives. The principal objectives of the workshop are:
• New singers will learn the rudiments of Sacred Harp singing and its traditions;
• Experienced singers will grow in their skill and appreciation of the tradition;
• All singers will be led to deeper understanding of how Sacred Harp singing fits into their lives as Friends.

We expect that
• New singers will be willing to learn a new form of singing;
• Experienced singers will help new singers learn and be patient as they do;
• Everyone will sing;
• All singers will help make the workshop a spiritual learning experience for everyone.

b. Specific areas or topics. Early in the week, we will cover the rudiments of shape-note singing: the names of the shapes; the major and minor scales; how to sing the shapes; how to beat time and lead a song; how to sing vigorously and with an open heart; etc. As the week progresses, there will be less explicit instruction and more learning by singing. The leaders will take care to progress to more complex or difficult songs at a pace that will be comfortable for most singers, especially newer ones.

c. Rough outline. As noted, this is a participatory workshop that will be devoted primarily to singing.

Typical daily format:
1.Begin with a brief period of silent worship.
2.Vocal and movement warmups to relax the body and find our voice.
3. Instruction in reading shape note notation and singing.
4.Learn songs together.
5. Review songs already learned.
6. Worship sharing.
7. Close with more singing and another brief period of silent worship.

Since this singing is an intense activity, we will take 10-minute breaks every hour or so.

Woven throughout the week and the singing will be very brief presentations or discussions of certain non-musical aspects of the Sacred Harp tradition, especially its history and practices, in order to help Friends place the tradition into its historical, religious, sociological, and musicological contexts. This information is helpful to help deepen participant’s appreciation of the singing, but is of secondary importance and will not predominate the workshop.

Each day, we will have worship-sharing during which time Friends can ponder and share with others how Sacred Harp singing (or music in general) has affected their spiritual lives and lives as Quakers. On the second-to-last day, we will hold a “memorial lesson” to remember Friends and family who have died, are shut-in, or are otherwise in need of prayer.

NOTE: The afternoon shape note singing sessions are not part of the workshop but workshop participants are welcome to join the afternoon sessions to augment their singing experience.

d. Specific recommendations for advanced preparation. No specific preparation is necessary, but Friends who are unfamiliar with Sacred Harp singing may wish to learn a little about it before enrolling in the workshop. If participants can arrange to attend a Sacred Harp singing in their home communities before the Gathering, it will be very helpful preparation. The times and location of local singings can be found at under "Singings".

Participants may also wish to visit to locate additional information and resources, including recordings that they may listen to before the workshop. A number of recordings of shape note singing are now available on YouTube. A recent documentary, "Awake My Soul", is a good introduction to this tradition.

e. Things to bring to the Gathering. Participants should acquire a copy of the 1991 edition of the Sacred Harp prior to the workshop. The book is available by mail order through Quakerbooks at FGC and at the Gathering (approximately $25). A small number of books will be available on loan at the workshop, but the leaders cannot guarantee that there will be enough loaner books for everyone. It is also not easy to share a book with another, so it is best to have one’s own copy. If acquiring a book is difficult, participants are encouraged to contact the workshop leaders to arrange for a loaner book.