Author: Nathan Rees
Harmony Primitive Baptist Church Singing, November 19, 1995: “The Traditional Window Opening”
With their standardized formatting and regimented lists of leaders and songs, the minutes might give the impression of a greater degree of order than actually reigns at any given singing. Longtime singers will attest that conventions don’t always proceed according to plan—and occasionally the minutes reflect those haphazard moments when things go awry. Few such…
Introducing Vol. 4, No. 1 of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company Newsletter
The eighth issue of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company Newsletter features the experiences of singing school teachers and students (young and old, on both sides of the Atlantic), shares a new documentary on Sacred Harp in Ireland, and commemorates the contributions of William J. Reynolds to our songbook. The issue opens with Jesse P. Karlsberg’s…
Introducing Vol. 3, No. 2 of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company Newsletter
The seventh issue of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company Newsletter documents the continuing spread of Sacred Harp singing in Europe, sheds new light on important moments in Sacred Harp’s early history, and reports on recent developments at the Sacred Harp Museum. Our issue opens with three writers exploring transatlantic Sacred Harp connections from different angles.…
Our Hope for Years to Come: Digitizing Recordings at the Sacred Harp Museum
As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance the security and accessibility of our collections, the Sacred Harp Museum has partnered with Osiris Studio in Atlanta to digitize all of the museum’s open-reel tapes. Ranging in date from the 1960s to the early 1990s, the tapes include everything from amateur recordings of singing conventions to…
Introducing Vol. 3, No. 1 of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company Newsletter
The sixth issue of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company Newsletter features stories about key figures and events from Sacred Harp’s history and celebrates the Sacred Harp Museum’s rich collection of songbooks, papers, and recordings. Our issue begins with company executive secretary Karen Rollins’s and vice president Jesse P. Karlsberg’s tributes to 2014 posthumous citation award…
Making the Sacred Harp Museum Accessible: A Newly Donated and Digitized 1909 White Book
The Sacred Harp Museum is thrilled to announce a new addition to the collection which will help us further our goal of preserving Sacred Harp heritage while making it as accessible as possible to the singing public. We express sincere thanks to Charles Whitmer of Conroe, Texas, for his generosity in donating a 1909 Sacred…
Introducing Vol. 2, No. 3 of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company Newsletter
The fifth issue of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company Newsletter recounts the extraordinary lives and achievements of significant figures across Sacred Harp’s history and presents new insights drawn from the minutes of Sacred Harp singings. Our issue begins with Sacred Harp Publishing Company Executive Secretary Karen Rollins’ remembrance of the four 2013 recipients of posthumous citations from…
Mt. Zion Primitive Baptist Church Singing, July 4, 1997: M. B. Forbes Playing the Harmonica
Anyone browsing the 1997 minutes from the singing at Mt. Zion Primitive Baptist Church in Ashland, Alabama might be a bit surprised to read of this lesson: “M. B. Forbes 164, 59 (on his harmonica).” After dinner, M. B. Forbes played the harmonica again, with a three song lesson of “Wildwood Flower,” 452, and “Silent…
Introducing Vol. 2, No. 2 of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company Newsletter
The fourth issue of The Sacred Harp Publishing Company Newsletter highlights much-loved singers and singings from Sacred Harp’s not-so-distant past, and features updates on our music’s exciting growth in the present. Our issue leads off with Sacred Harp Publishing Company President Mike Hinton’s story about the items tucked into the Bible of his aunt, beloved Sacred…