The Sacred Harp Museum has digitized the entire set of eight cassette tapes recorded at the first National Convention in 1980. While the sound quality reflects the limitations of the medium, we hope you will enjoy the spirited and talented singing that it captures.
The first seven cassettes feature recordings of the songs sung at the National Convention as well as brief remarks delivered during the convention proceedings. The last cassette begins with a program produced by Claude Rhea about Sacred Harp tradition and practice—it combines clips of singing with brief interviews of singers including R. E. “Uncle Bob” Denson, Dewey Williams, Marie Aldridge, and several others.
Special thanks to B. M. Smith and Eugene Forbes for providing tapes for digitizing.
Cassette 1: Thursday, June 26, 1980
Cassette 2: Thursday, June 26, 1980
Cassette 3: Friday, June 27, 1980
Cassette 4: Friday, June 27, 1980
Cassette 5: Saturday, June 28, 1980
Cassette 6: Saturday, June 28, 1980
Cassette 7: Sunday, June 29, 1980
Cassette 8: Sunday, June 29, 1980
Comments
6 responses to “Audio Recordings of the First National Convention”
Eugene Forbes
Very good, I have that first singing on a cassette tape.
Thanks Eugene, and thanks for loaning us your copy of the first National Convention on cassette! We used your copy—as well as B. M. Smith’s—to create the digital version presented here.
This is SO WONDERFUL! I cannot describe the spiritual renewal I have felt from listening to this. God Bless you and thank you.
My journey today started with John Newton and “Amazing Grace”—I was looking for the words to this beautiful hymn because I wanted to sing it. I found information on the hymn—and in the process I discovered this music and these recordings and have been listening all afternoon—I can’t stop listening!
I was there, one of the visitors from Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was a wonderful time. I’m so glad the music is available here. I’m going to listen to the whole thing.
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