Very interesting tool. I hope they add a search functionality to it. I’m new to Sacred Harp, and I don’t always remember what page the songs I like are on.

–Gray

From: “Timothy Reynolds”

> The Big Singing will be held on Sunday, May 28, at the Marshall
> County Courthouse on the Square in Benton, Kentucky. The singing will
begin
> at 10:30 A. M. Singing will be from _The Southern Harmony_.
>
> This singing dates back to the 1880’s, and it has a history of being
> significantly different from the sort of format that Sacred Harp
singers are
> used to. It is more of a civic occasion and has been tied to a
homecoming
> for many local residents. In many ways it is more formal than a
Sacred Harp
> singing. (It’s the only singing where I will show up wearing a suit.)
> There will be a printed program of leaders and their selections, but
there
> will be time for others wishing to lead to do so.
>
> The biggest change began last year when two women led songs for the
> first time. Women had not led prior to last year because it was
considered
> traditional for only men to lead. This year two women are included
among
> the list of leaders, Anne Steel and Deborah Loftis, but others will
be
> welcome.
>
> I expect that there will be a larger crowd than in years past. I’m
> looking forward to that. I hope to see you there. Benton is located
in
> western Kentucky, a few miles south of I-24, Exit 25.
>
> Tim Reynolds
> Nashville, Tennessee
>

How do you choose? You just know. I generally sing tenor, but fill in when we’re short on basses (but I can’t make the low notes buzz). I’ve sung treble and I don’t enjoy it as much. My wife is an alto. Sacred Harp Alto is a way of life as much as it is a singing part. See http://showerofblessings.blogspot.com/2006/05/fierce-altos_04.html for a description from a recent convention.

If you’re still “curious”, check out a local singing near you: http://www.mcsr.olemiss.edu/~mudws/regular.html Show up, borrow a book, try out a part, and don’t worry about the solfege, just sing “la” and you’ll be right a third of the time, sound right another third of the time, and you’ll be drowned out by the other singers anyway so it doesn’t matter (all SH is sung ff).

Now, women weren’t allowed to LEAD (stand in the middle and “conduct”) Sacred Harp tunes until oh about fifty years ago, and the last major singing to allow women to lead (the Big Singing in Benton KY, not a Sacred Harp singing but a shape-note singing) had a female leader for the first time in 2004.

I am also remiss in not pointing out that this music is often referred to “shaped note music” as each shape is tied to a solfege syllable.

fa so la fa so la mi fa

Given that both men and women sing the treble and tenor lines in Sacred Harp singing (in different octaves), you may want to reconsider your statement about “male dominated society”.

fasolamatt
st paul mn