"And we'll all sing hallelujah....."

The first time I heard Sacred Harp singing, I wasn’t especially impressed.  I wasn’t exactly repelled, but it sounded a bit haunting and strange.  Let me clarify that the first exposure I had to Sacred Harp singing was the trailer for the documentary, Awake My Soul.  Those who have sung Sacred Harp in person will understand how much a video pales compared to the live experience.  According to the website of Shape Note Singing in the Twin cities:  “A Southern singer once said he would travel miles to sing this music, but wouldn’t walk across the street to listen to it.”  The purpose of Sacred Harp is participation.  It’s not a performance.

Fast forward a few years.  During this time, my children have grown up to the point that I don’t have to wait on them hand and foot.  This metamorphosis brings on all kinds of things such as (sometimes) being able to complete a sentence or actually contemplating doing something other than changing diapers, doing laundry and trying desperately to hold my sanity together.  I thought about joining a choir or singing group, but the time, travel, and financial commitments (not to mention the audition!) were somewhat intimidating.  Having sung in choirs in high school and college (and the twice yearly church choirs for special occasions), I really enjoyed singing.  I wanted to find a way to sing with a group again, but I figured it might be down the road somewhere after my kids were all grown.

Then I got my second exposure to Sacred Harp singing.  A Facebook friend (who I actually did know in real life but who had moved to the South - lucky woman!) posted a video of her family at a Shape Note singing!  I was so surprised!  I had no idea she did that.  Although I was still a bit skeptical about the music, that time something was different.  I thought, “I want to try this.”  I think I also saw an opportunity to sing with a group for which I did not have to audition.  I saw the video shortly before traveling to Atlanta to visit my family, and I determined to go to a “singing” while I was there.  I was sure I would be able to find a singing because Georgia and Alabama are the “hotbeds” of Sacred Harp music.

During my trip in June of 2013, my sister and I attended our first singing.  The people there were very friendly and wanted to make sure that everyone had a turn to lead the singing or at least to choose a song.  When we walked in the room, I only knew that the music was acappella, that the singers sat in a “hollow square,” and that there were four different shapes for notes called fa, sol, la and mi (I wasn’t even sure which name corresponded with which shape).  I had never seen any kind of shape note singing book before.  Of course my sister and I were the first people who were asked if we would like to lead a song!  I think those in the group thought we were just being shy or polite when we declined.

One of my favorites from the Sacred Harp song book.  The notes are written on the staff like "normal" music but they also have shapes.

That first singing was a bit overwhelming.  Some of the songs can go quite fast and it is hard for a newcomer to keep up; but I enjoyed it enough to want to try it again.  However, I would not get another opportunity to attend a singing until February 2014 - a convention in St. Paul with over 100 people attending.  I thought several times, when the harmony was so beautiful and the words so moving, that surely, there must be something like this in heaven.  This is where I learned how crazy some people are about Sacred Harp singing.  There were people there from Chicago and Iowa and Michigan.  O.k. that’s a bit of a drive, but not too extreme.  There were also people there from Seattle and Georgia - a bit more extreme.  Imagine my surprise when I found out that there were people there from Ireland.  Yes, Ireland!  They came to St. Paul to sing Sacred Harp.  Wow!  At the end of the day it was announced that we had sung about 80 songs!  Still, I could have gone on singing.  I felt that day as I often feel after a singing:  “When can I do this again?!”

After attending a short shape note singing workshop, I discovered that it was finally possible for me to start attending the regular Tuesday night singings in Minneapolis.  This is when I started to become a bit of a Shape Note nerd.  Copies of the music are available online along with innumerable YouTube videos  of the songs (video quality ranges from HD in a lovely room to the back of someone’s shoulder throughout the whole video which is shot with an old, grainy camera).  By singing along with these videos while looking at the music, I have been able to learn so much.  If I am actually familiar with the song, it is a lot more fun for me to sing it when I go to a singing.

I try to make every Tuesday night singing that I can.  My youngest two children faithfully come with me.  They mostly listen, but my youngest actually sang for about 30 minutes one night.  I started going to these singings when the weather was still yucky, so some nights there were not as many people there.  However, as spring has finally started to make some progress, the number of people at the singing has increased, and things have really gotten to be amazing!  The room where we sing is about 30’ x 20’.  Some nights there are 40 - 50 people singing!  Everyone is singing with their whole heart and voice, and sometimes I think the roof is going to come off!

Another thing I find interesting about this music is the varied cross section of people who participate.  There are all ages from children to grandparents.  There are all “types” - hippies, business people, middle aged moms, college students, senior citizens, artsy types, liberals, conservatives.  Additionally, although the songs are Christian, those who sing the songs represent a wide variety of spiritual beliefs (or non-beliefs, as the case may be).  As one singer said, “You don’t have to believe what these songs are saying in order to sing them…..but once you get to singing them, it’s kind of hard NOT to believe it!”

Sacred Harp singing is definitely not for everyone.  I have thought often lately of a critique that my high school chorus director once gave our performance.  She complained that, “everybody sang their guts out.”  Well, that’s pretty much what you do in Sacred Harp!  You don’t see crescendos and decrescendos in the music (although sometimes the song leader can direct people to sing more softly or loudly).  It can get loud, especially in a small room, but it’s not painful.  However, the sound covers “a multitude of sins,” which is especially helpful for us newcomers who are mostly sightreading everything,.  Although it’s not for everyone, I think everyone should experience it, even if you decide it’s not for you.  Personally, I boast a 100% success rate that those whom I have brought to a singing have all said they would definitely do it again.  (I have only brought 3 people, but still my success rate is 100%.)

Visit http://fasola.org/singings/ to find out about singings all over the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany and Ireland (I know there are singings in Poland too, but they are not listed on this website).  There is also enough information throughout the website to give you a good background in Sacred Harp (i.e. enough to not be totally clueless if you go to a singing).  However, I would highly, highly, highly recommend that you go to a singing (if you enjoy singing, that is.  If you don’t enjoy singing, it would be a bit pointless).  Don’t worry if you don’t know anyone there.  You don’t have to stand around and make small talk.  In fact, there is not much time for that as you are going to be busy singing.  Make sure you bring water.  You’re going to need it!

In addition to giving me a chance to just show up and sing with a choir, Sacred Harp has given me a link to my past.  I’m told that my grandparents sang Sacred Harp in their younger days.  I never heard them sing it, and I didn’t grow up singing it.  However, I’ve often wished that I had had a chance to know my grandparents when they were younger, to know what they had been like before age and illness took their harsh tolls.  I’m thankful that I get the chance to do something that they did...and maybe they’re still doing it in heaven.  I hope so.