Updated October 9, 2024
Sept 28 and 29, 5th Sunday and Saturday before, 10:00 am, 154th session of the Union Sacred Harp Musical Convention, Alpharetta City Hall, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, GA 30009. Covered dish at noon. Parking is in front and to the side of the building and there is also a free parking deck. PLEASE ENTER THROUGH THE DOOR NEAREST THE PARKING GARAGE (small kitchen area). Directions: Take Ga. 400/U.S. 19 North to Exit 9, Haynes Bridge Road. Turn left onto Haynes Bridge Road. Turn left onto Old Milton Parkway, then right onto S. Main Street. The courthouse will be on the right. Info: Faye Holbrook, fholbrook218-@-gmail-dot-.com, dsmead at gmail dot com. https://www.facebook.com/share/CktUNkLSVaqyWr3h/
Oct 3, First Thursday, singing at 7:00 pm at Emory Presbyterian Church - 1886 N Decatur Rd, Atlanta, GA 30307. Park behind the church, and enter the Fellowship Hall. We'll sing from The Sacred Harp and the Eclectic Harmony. This is an indoor singing, with COVID precautions to protect our community. We ask that participants take an at-home test before departing and bring the details for verification, or arrive early to test onsite (tests will be available onsite beginning at 6:30 pm). Vaccination is required. Do not come if you are experiencing symptoms. Info: Jim Neal, jim_neal-at-bellsouth.net
Oct 5, Saturday before the 1st Sunday, 10:00 am, South Georgia Convention, Roberta Civic Center, Roberta GA. Directions: Dinner on the grounds at noon From Atlanta, I-75 South to I-475 South. Turn right/west onto Hwy 80W (Eisenhower Parkway) to Roberta. Or, from Macon, take Hwy 80W to Roberta. In Roberta, turn left/south on N. Mathews Street. It becomes S. Mathews Street when you cross over Agency Street. The Civic Center (an old wooden church with good acoustics), is located at 93 South Mathews Street, just south of the old part of the town, next to the recycling center. S Mathews St is one block east of Highway 341. Contact/info: Oscar McGuire. 478-955-6135 (text preferred) - Contact Oscar with any questions.
Oct 13, 2nd Sunday -The Albright, Cates, Brown, and Sheppard Memorial singing (formerly held at Muscadine Methodist Church in Muscadine, AL) will be held on Sunday, October 13, 2023 (the second Sunday in October), at Holly Springs Church, in Bremen, Georgia. Singing will start at 10:00 EST. Dinner on the ground will be at 12:00. If you are able, please bring a covered dish.
Oct 13, 6-10pm, Bob Goodman Memorial Potluck, First Existentialist Church in Atlanta. We have been asked to sing a few songs. Let Lisa Bennett know if you plan to attend. Details below.
Oct 19th, Saturday before the 3rd Sunday, Andrews Chapel Schoolhouse, Upson Co. Georgia. 10:00am start with 'dinner on the grounds' at noon. The annual singing at Andrews Chapel/Schoolhouse is moving back to the original location! The church is located at 1800 Andrews Chapel Rd between Thomaston and Yatesville GA. Contact: Oscar McGuire, omcguire -at- pstel -dot- net or 478-955-6135.
Oct 22, Tuesday, 7:00pm - Dahlonega Sacred Harp singing, We sing at the Vickery House on West Main Street, Dahlonega, GA. The Vickery House does not have a street address, but it is on Google Maps. Since we sing in the evenings, you can park in any UNG spot or right next to the back door of the Vickery House. We start with a brief introduction for newcomers at 6:45. Then we sing until at least 8:45, although sometimes we go a bit longer. All are welcome! Contact Esther Morgan-Ellis - emellis at gmail dot com. Fall schedule is as follows: 10/22, 11/5, 11/19, and 12/3. Note: The singing on 10/8 has been canceled. Additionally, contact Esther for details about a singing on 10/31 at her house in Dahlonega.
Oct 26, Saturday before 4th Sunday, 10:00 am, Join us for the 46th Annual Seed and Feed Sacred Harp Singing! 10:00am - 3:00pm, Holy Trinity Parish, Tisdale Hall 515 E Ponce de Leon Ave, Decatur, GA 30030, Tisdale Hall, Decatur, Georgia. Four-part a cappella shape-note harmony singing from The Sacred Harp, 1991 Edition. Dinner on the Grounds at Noon. All are welcome (including kids) and loaner songbooks will be available. No singing experience necessary! Please be vaccinated; feel free to wear a mask if desired. Contact amyarmstrongmidwife-at-gmail-dot-com with any questions.
Looking ahead to November:
Saturday before the 1st Sunday - Denney Memorial, Emmaus PBC, Carrollton, GA
1st Sunday, Holly Springs Church, Bremen, GA.
Georgian Harmony singing on the Saturday before the 3rd Sunday at Railroad #3 in Arnoldsville, GA.
Sacred Harp Family - many of you will remember Bob Goodman, who was a very active singer until 2016 or so. His long-time companion, Janet Wuichet, called me today to pass along the sad news of Bob's death, on Sept 27, in California, where his children had moved him. She has asked if some singers could come to Bob's memorial potluck on the evening of Sunday, Oct 13, 6-10 pm, at the First Existentialist Church. There are more details in the email below. I spoke with one of the organizers, Stephanie Coffin, today and she asked if one of us could give a brief explanation of how shape note singing works, and for us to sing a few songs. There will be other singers there from various groups Bob belonged to, and many of them might wish to join in. I thought we could print up a small packet of songs to share. We do have a limited amount of time, so we have to make any explanation very brief, and we will only have time for about 4 songs, at a guess. (Another group will be leading the attendees in Amazing Grace.)
I'll serve as point person on this for a rough head count.
Please let me know if you plan to attend.Warmest regards - Lisa
Lisa Bennett
ltb1014-at-gmail.com
404-402-9562Original email with a few more details:
BOB GOODMAN MEMORIAL POTLUCK
Friends—
Longtime activist Bob Goodman died on September 27 in California, far from his Atlanta home. Knowing that Bob no longer has family here, a group of old friends decided that a potluck get together in his honor and memory might be appropriate. We have reserved space on
Sunday, October 13, 2024
6 — 10 pm
First Existentialist Church
470 Candler Park Dr
Atlanta, GAWe are trying to contact as many people as possible who knew Bob. We are contacting Great Speckled Bird folk, October League cadre, Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition activists, Atlanta Grandmothers for Peace, the First Existentialist Church congregation, Shape Note and other singing groups, and various individuals. If you know of people or organizations that knew and worked with Bob, please help out by contacting them. Don't worry about duplication.
A program has not yet been worked out beyond an opening potluck dinner. Please keep dishes on the simpler side (as in “finger food”) to ease clean-up.
After dinner we anticipate some group singing and sing-along, followed by personal reflections on and/or stories about Bob. That should top off the evening, we think.
An advance head count might be useful. If you anticipate attending, please drop a text to (404) 947-5366 or an email to tomcoffin@mac.com.
Please mark the date and plan to come!!
Note: E-mail addresses on this page are shown with " -at- " in place of the "@" sign. In order to use these addresses, you must insert the "@" sign in place of " -at- ", with no spaces or dashes. This is to prevent abuse by spammers who scan the web for e-mail addresses.
Compiled by John Plunkett. To subscribe to the monthly e-mail version of this newsletter, go to the AtlantaSinging Google Group, and click "apply for group membership." (You'll have to create a Google account for yourself if you don't already have one.) Or you can send an email to mail@atlantasacredharp.org and request to join. Or at many Atlanta-area singings you can sign up to be added to this e-mail list.