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“On the eve of the 150th anniversary of his death, we’ll take a look at one of Spartanburg’s famous 19th century musicians and discuss how his work as a tune book compiler and singing school teacher continues to influence community singing across the American South.” Spartanburg County Public Libraries presented a lecture on William ‘Singing…
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The following excerpt is drawn from Utile Dulci. Or, A Joco-serious Dialogue, Concerning Regular Singing (1723), a pamphlet by New England minister and music advocate Thomas Symmes. Symmes (1678–1725), a Congregationalist minister in Bradford, Massachusetts, was one of the earliest and strongest proponents of “Regular Singing”—a reform movement in colonial church music that promoted musical…
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We’re pleased to share a recent blog post from the Manchester Sacred Harp group, written by regular singer Harriet Monkhouse. The Manchester group has been active in projects such as Laurie Anderson’s ARK, which we’ve written about here on SingLoud.org, and their new blog is already highlighting the deep history of the tradition. While SingLoud.org…
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In December 1990, a group of Sacred Harp stalwarts gathered at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, to test‑sing a packet of new compositions destined for inclusion in what would become The Sacred Harp: 1991 Edition. Chaired by Hugh McGraw and joined by respected composers such as Neely Bruce, Terry Wootten, and David Ivey, the revision committee…
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Pilgrim Productions’ Voices Across America, originally curated by June Lydic, is being restored by Kyle Johnston on Bandcamp. It offers free access to unique shape-note recordings and preserves their documentary value.
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The Sacred Harp Publishing Company announced tunes from the 1991 Edition that won’t appear in the upcoming revision, evoking nostalgia and excitement. Jeremiah created a video compilation of these departing tunes for appreciation.
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The documentary Wayfaring Stranger explores the Scots-Irish influence on American music, particularly highlighting shape-note singing’s roots in British vocal traditions, enhancing cultural connections.
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Hamm Harmony (1992) Compiled and Composed by: Neely BrucePublished: Middletown, Connecticut, 1992Format: Comb-bound, 8.5×11″, four-shape notationLength: 116 numbered pages (not including title page or preface)Typology: Contemporary Era – Tunebooklet – Original Compilation Overview Hamm Harmony is a 1992 tunebooklet of original four-shape compositions by Neely Bruce, created during the early years of the shape-note revival…
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The Sacred Harp Publishing Company has announced a full-day symposium, Revising The Sacred Harp, to be held Friday, September 12, 2025, at Emory University’s Woodruff Library in Atlanta. This event will serve as the public unveiling of the much-anticipated 2025 Edition of The Sacred Harp—and your first opportunity to get a personal copy in hand.…
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The following list presents known four-shape shape-note tunebooks published during what I define as the Revival Period (1960–1989) of four-shape shape-note tunebook publishing, a phase of rediscovery and preservation. This era coincided with…