Active Projects
Christmas & Seasonal Tunes from the VPH
Presented by Baltimore Shape Note Singers and The Center for Congregational Song
In the spirit of Will Fitzgerald’s great list for seasonal songs, we’re “crowdsourcing” a list for the new VPH book.
Shape-Note Tunebook Cheat Sheet – Sacred Harp, 1991
A handy quick reference that can be pasted in the front of the tunebook.
The rudiments are delightful, if a little anachronistic, but when someone new sits down for the first time at a regular singing, it can all be overwhelming.
For our local group I developed a page to paste into the inside front cover or our tunebooks. It can be printed on a full sheet of sticker paper, trimmed it down on the dotted line, and carefully stuck in the inside front cover of The Sacred Harp, 1991 Edition.
Some groups just print them out on a sheet of paper to hand out to new singers.
Pending Projects
Potluck Dish Info Cards
A premade card for identifying dishes and potential dietary issues.
In the tradition of dinner on the grounds at an all-day shape-note singing, everyone brings a dish to share, creating a table full of abundance and variety. These meals are a highlight of the day—an extension of the hospitality and fellowship that shape-note singing fosters. But for some, navigating a potluck can be tricky due to dietary needs, sensitivities, or restrictions. Potluck Dish Info Cards offer a simple, voluntary way for cooks to share important details about their dishes, helping ensure that everyone can find something they can enjoy.
STATUS: April 2025 – Page and cards are being revised. It will be posted again once completed.
Shape-Note Postage Stamp.
Proposal to the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee
The proposal will be sent into the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee in January, 2025.
Each year, the Postal Service receives thousands of letters and petitions from the American public proposing stamp subjects. Established in 1957, the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC) reviews all of the proposals and selects stamp subjects that will be of enduring interest to large segments of the American population. The Postal Service relies on CSAC to produce a balanced stamp program of approximately 25 – 30 stamp subjects each year.
STATUS: March 2025 – Acknowledgement from Post Office that the proposal will be considered at the next meeting of the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee.
Love Astounding
Presented by Baltimore Shape Note Singers and The Center for Congregational Song
The Baltimore Shape Note Singers recently gathered for an evening that blended tradition with a focus on inclusion, featuring a performance of “Love Astounding”, a hymn celebrating the LGBTQIA2S+ community. As part of the Songs for the Holy Other project, the group recorded this powerful piece in the classic Sacred Harp style. The event also included regular singing from The Sacred Harp and The Shenandoah Harmony, introductions for newcomers, and insights from the Hymn Society. Learn more about this unique gathering and the singers who brought it to life in our latest blog post!
STATUS: February 2025 – They’re hoping to get a video out by March or April.
Timeline of “Sacred Harp” Editions
A Timeline of Sacred Harp Editions, Illustrated and with Minimal Bibliographic Detail.
The webpage provides an illustrated and annotated timeline of The Sacred Harp editions from 1844 onward. Compiled by Kevin Isaac, it categorizes different branches, such as the Denson and Cooper Books, with minimal bibliographic details. The timeline acknowledges significant editions, including the Colored Sacred Harp, and notable editors’ contributions. It’s a work-in-progress project emphasizing collaborative updates. The resource highlights the evolution of the tradition, copyright disputes, and modern commemorative editions, serving as a bibliophile’s guide to this rich musical history.
STATUS: February, 2025 – Updating this master collection has been put on hold while more research is completed.
Completed Projects
An Explanation of The Sacred Harp by J.S. James
A transcription and retypesetting of James “lost” 1920 booklet.
In Sacred Harp singing, J. S. James was important as a musical leader, as an author of prose works, and as a tunebook editor. His works include A Brief History of the Sacred Harp and Its Author, B. F. White, Sr., and Contributors (1904), Union Harp and History of Songs (1909), Sacred Tunes and Hymns (1913), Explanation of the Sacred Harp (1920) and, probably most important, the Original Sacred Harp. The latter tunebook was released in 1911. It added alto parts to most of the songs and restored several songs that had been deleted in the 1869-70 revision of The Sacred Harp by B. F. White and the Southern Musical Convention. James supervised the revision and was head over a revision committee appointed by the United Sacred Harp Musical Association. This edition continued a tradition that stemmed from B. F. White’s own time and in turn was extended in the so-called “Denson” revisions, which form the basis of the 1991 Edition, now the most widely used Sacred Harp volume. (For details of this history, see Sacred Harp.)
James’ 1911 book quickly embroiled him in two controversies. He was sued by W. M. Cooper, editor of a rival Sacred Harp edition, for plagiarism of the alto parts as written by Cooper. James brought a suit against J. L. White for White’s revision of The Sacred Harp, claiming infringement of copyright and seeking $3000 in damages.
Projects by Others
This is a list of projects that might interest readers, they certainly caught the attention of SING LOUD!
Shape Note Singings
A webshop of shape-note related books and media.
One of the most practical and useful shape-note websites I know of is ShapeNoteSingings.com. It’s an invaluable resource for finding up-to-date listings of Sacred Harp and other shape-note singings—far more flexible than printed sources like the minutes book, which is only updated once a year. I list it here in the “Projects” section and link to it as often as I can because it’s just that useful.
Created by Jeremiah Ledbetter, the site automatically calculates singing dates year after year and compiles information from multiple sources, including the minutes book, Christian Harmony and Cooper Book websites, Facebook groups, and direct user submissions. Singings are easy to search, and each listing shows the most recent update date and source, making it one of the most reliable ways to confirm time, location, and updates for singings throughout the year.
Hollow Square Books
A webshop of shape-note related books and media.
Hollow Square Books is a small webshop based in Caldwell County, Texas, dedicated to offering a unique selection of materials focused on shape-note singing and its rich history. Their inventory includes tunebooks, audio and video recordings, historical literature, and custom-made apparel. All listed books are in stock and ready to ship, while t-shirts are produced upon order. For more information or assistance, customers are encouraged to reach out through their contact page.
Singing the Shapes
A forthcoming shape-note documentary.
Singing the Shapes is a feature documentary that offers an immersive look at Sacred Harp, a 19th-century musical tradition that has spread from its Southern roots into urban areas and even overseas. Through a series of poignant and sometimes humorous vignettes, the film follows individuals whose lives intersect within the Hollow Square, the iconic formation where the music is sung. Like the polyphonic nature of the music itself, the stories overlap, connecting themes of identity, belonging, and community, while resonating with universal emotions surrounding love, loss, faith and the search for meaning.
Shape Note “Find a Grave”
Documenting the resting places of folks associated with shape note singing.
This is not a project we initiated/host, but when I thought about it, I searched and discovered William Bjornstad had already done a terrific job.
find the “virtual cemetery” here: https://www.findagrave.com/virtual-cemetery/190386
Camps FaSoLa & DoReMi
Summer camps for kids and adults to learn shape-note singing!
Camp FaSoLa and Camp DoReMi are immersive shape note singing camps that provide singers of all skill levels with opportunities to deepen their understanding and practice of the tradition. Camp FaSoLa, held in Alabama, is closely associated with the Sacred Harp singing community, offering both youth and adult sessions that include singing practice, historical presentations, and lessons in leading, composing, and rudiments. Camp DoReMi, located in North Carolina, focuses on shape note traditions beyond The Sacred Harp, with an emphasis on The Christian Harmony and other tunebooks. Both camps foster a welcoming environment where participants can experience the communal and participatory nature of shape note singing, learning from experienced singers in an informal but structured setting.
FaSoLa Minutes + App
A phone app that documents who sang what, when.
Fasola Minutes Processing Project
The Fasola Minutes Processing Project is dedicated to the digitization and preservation of historical Sacred Harp minutes books. By scanning, transcribing, and cataloging these valuable records, the project aims to make them accessible for future generations through online platforms. This initiative supports the documentation and sharing of Sacred Harp traditions, ensuring that the details of past singings and conventions are preserved and available for research and exploration.
The Fasola Minutes App is a mobile tool designed to provide users with convenient access to Sacred Harp singing data. It allows singers to explore historical records, search for specific details, and observe trends across conventions. With its user-friendly interface, the app brings the rich history of Sacred Harp singing directly to the user, enhancing engagement with this enduring musical tradition.