Updated April 16, 2025
Some good opportunities to sing this month!
Last minute reminder!! - Saturday, March 29th — Georgian Harmony singing at Sweetwater Chapel, 1000 Pleasant Hill Road, Lawrenceville, GA. 30044, - 10am start. DotG at noon!!
Mar 30, 1st 5th Sunday - Ivey Memorial, Liberty Baptist Church, Henegar, AL. Info: DavidIveyUSA at gmail dot com
CAMP FASOLA Registration is open!! - June 30th - 4th - campfasola.org
Two special opportunities this month in addition to regular all day singings.
April 3rd, 10th, & 17th, three Thursday nights, 7 PM to 9 PM—Atlanta Sacred Harp Singing For Beginners Workshop at the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, 340 Chester Ave SE, 100 yards south of Memorial Dr in the Reynoldstown neighborhood of Atlanta. Three singing school instructors on three Thursday nights in a format geared for beginners. Area singers are warmly invited to participate in singing. Please invite family and friends, and publicize the event. Directions and info at: atlantasacredharp.org/events/singingschool2025.html
Please note that the First Thursday singing usually held at Emory Presbyterian Church will be moved for one month only on April 3rd to the Georgia Center for Nonprofits to support the singing school.
April 26th, Sat before the 4th Sun, 10 AM—Atlanta All-Day Sacred Harp Singing at the First Existentialist Congregation (singers may recall this excellent venue from the singing held there in June, the day before the Holly Springs Revision singing), 470 Candler Park Dr NE, Atlanta 30307. Doors open at 9:30 for 10:00 AM singing. Dinner on the grounds at noon. Singing from the 1991 Revision until about 2:30 PM. Chair: Andy Ditzler. Info: atlantasacredharp.org/events/aad.html
Sounding Spirit Singing School
April 4-5, Emory University
Registration link for all three public events: https://soundingspirit.eventbrite.com/
More information and full program: https://soundingspirit.org/singing-school/
Four-Shape Singing School with David Ivey
4:00-5:30 pm, Friday, April 4, 2025, Wesley Teaching Chapel, Candler School of Theology, Rita Ann Rollins Building, Room 264, 1531 Dickey Dr., Atlanta GA 30322
Singing School Teacher: David Ivey (Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association)
Shape-note music uses shaped note heads to convey pitch. During their heyday in the nineteenth century, several shape note systems were in competition across the US South. Largely eclipsed by 1900, four-shape notation remains in use at Sacred Harp singings across the country and globe. In this public session, learn how to sing four-shape music and experience historic four-shape repertoire with singing school teacher and President of the Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association, David Ivey, of Huntsville, Alabama.
“New Book” Gospel Singing with Tom Powell and Tracey Phillips
7:30-9:00 pm, Friday, April 4, 2025, Performing Arts Studio, Department of Music, Burlington Road Building, 1804 N. Decatur Rd., Atlanta, GA 30322
Song Leader: Tom Powell (Alabama School of Gospel Music)
Pianist: Tracey Phillips
"New book" gospel conventions became popular in the early twentieth century as community events where seven-shape gospel publishers introduced their latest music books. In this public session, we’ll be singing from “old” “new books” featured in the Sounding Spirit Digital Library and contemporary seven-shape gospel publications. Tom Powell, Director of Instruction at the Alabama School of Gospel Music will be leading with renowned gospel pianist Tracey Phillips. Tracey has taught and accompanied for many years at Ben Speer’s Stamps Baxter School of Music and the Alabama School of Gospel Music.
Choral Arrangement Singing School with Derrick Fox
11:00 am-12:30 pm, Saturday, April 5, 2025, Wesley Teaching Chapel, Candler School of Theology, Rita Ann Rollins Building, Room 264, 1531 Dickey Dr., Atlanta GA 30322
Singing School Teacher: Derrick Fox (Michigan State University)
Choral arrangements of nineteenth- and twentieth-century southern sacred vernacular music have long exposed enthusiastic audiences to materials otherwise largely exclusive to worship settings. In this singing school, sample from “ethical arrangements” of music included in the Sounding Spirit Digital Library. Professor of Choral Music and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Creative Endeavors at Michigan State University, Derrick Fox will lead this session.
April All Day Singings
Apr. 5, Saturday before the 1st Sunday, 10:00a-3:00p. 3rd annual Dahlonega Sacred Harp Singing in the community room at the Dahlonega Funeral Home, 20 Gibson Road (Hwy 60) Dahlonega GA 30533. Please note that this is a NEW LOCATION for 2025. All are welcome. We will begin singing from The Sacred Harp (1991) at 10 am and conclude around 3 pm. There will be a dinner on the grounds at noon. Participants are invited to bring a covered dish to share. A full kitchen is available. This is an indoor singing, so please stay home if you are ill or have been exposed to COVID. Contact: emellis at gmail dot com
Apr. 6, 1st Sunday, 9:30 am Central Time, Edwardsville Baptist Church, Edwardsville, AL. 6 miles west of Fruithurst, just off U.S. Hwy. 78 (about 10 miles west of the Georgia - Alabama line). contact: Cecil Roberts (770) 574-7832
Apr. 12, Saturday before the 2nd Sunday, 10:00 am EDT. The State Line singing will be held on the Saturday before the 2nd Sunday in April, April 12, at 9:00 CT, 10:00 ET. However, circumstances dictate that we hold the singing at Holly Springs Church in Bremen, GA, instead of at State Line.
Due to lack of use during the Covid years, there are repairs that need to be made to State Line Church in order to make it usable for an April singing in Alabama. We really appreciate the generosity of Judy Henry and her family for allowing us to use Holly Springs on such short notice. Please bring a covered dish for lunch. Contact: Pam Nunn - pamdnunn at gmail dot com.
Apr. 19, Saturday before 3rd Sunday, 10:00 am, Middle Georgia Sacred Harp Singing, Union Primitive Baptist Church, Goggans, GA. On Johnstonville Rd between I-75 and Barnesville. DotG at noon. Info: Oscar McGuire . 478-955-6135 (text preferred)
Apr. 20, 3rd Sunday, 9:30 am Central Time, Old Harmony Church Singing, Abernathy, AL. Approximately 10 miles east of Heflin, AL. From I-20, take exit 210 (Ranburne/Muscadine exit), turn south (right) on County Rd. 60, go 1 mile; church will be on the right.
Apr. 26, Saturday before the 4th Sunday. Atlanta All-Day Sacred Harp Singing, see above. Chair: Andy Ditzler, andy-at- andyditzler-dot-com
April. 27, 4th Sunday, 9:30 am Central Time, Alewine-Laminack Memorial, St. Michael Lutheran Church, 2213 County Rd. 14, Fruithurst (Cleburne County), AL. Take US 78 to Fruithurst, turn north (County Road 35) at Post Office, go to County Road 49, follow it north to County Road 14 (Rosewood Community), turn right, go about 2 miles, church is on the left. GPS: 33.815000, -85.406839. Please contact: Cecil Roberts (770) 574-7832 to confirm.
May Singing opportunities -
May 3rd - Saturday, 118th Etowah Christian Harmony Spring Singing, Etowah Lions Club, Hendersonville, NC
May 10th - Pumpkintown Singing - Pickens, SC - Sacred Harp (Denson) and Christian Harmony
May 18th - Lower Cane Creek Church - Heflin, AL
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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.
The Sacred Harp Publishing Company will release the revised 2025 edition of the Sacred Harp songbook at the United Convention right here in Atlanta, the weekend of September 13-14, 2025. This will be a once-in-a-generation event! There will be hundreds of Sacred Harp singers in Atlanta for this event from across Europe and North America. The singing will be exciting!
The Saturday session will be dedicated to the introduction of the new book and its new songs, recognition of composers, and recognition of the committee and adjunct committees and working groups. The Sunday session will be a regular singing day from the new songbook. Other events will occur throughout the weekend. See the Facebook event for details.