View source for Sacred Harp

{{Short description|Tradition of sacred choral music}}
{{for|the system of notation with which Sacred Harp music is associated | Shape note}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{listen|type=music
 | filename     = Alabama Sacred Harp Singers - Sherburne.ogg
 | title        = "186 (Sherburne)" from the ''Sacred Harp''
 | description  = Performed by the [[Alabama Sacred Harp Singers]]
}}
[[File:Sacred Harp 1870, page 52.png|right|thumb|upright=1.8|Page 52 from ''The Sacred Harp'', fourth edition (1870), showing the four-shape notation and the traditional oblong layout]]

'''Sacred Harp''' singing is a tradition of sacred choral music which developed in New England and perpetuated in the [[American South]]. The name is derived from ''The Sacred Harp'', a historically important [[shape notes|shape-note]] tunebook printed in 1844; multiple subsequent revisions of the tunebook have remained in use since. Sacred Harp singing has roots in the [[singing schools]] that developed over the period 1770 to 1820 in and around [[New England]], related development under the influence of "revival" services around the 1840s. This music was included in, and became profoundly associated with, books using the [[shape note]] style of notation popular in America in the 18th and early 19th centuries.<ref>David Warren Steel, [http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/A2252332 "Shape-note hymnody"], in ''[[Grove Music Online]]'' (Oxford University Press: article updated 16 October 2013) Subscription required</ref>

Sacred Harp music is sung ''[[a cappella]]'' (voice only, without instruments) and originated as [[Protestant music]]. The contemporary Sacred Harp tradition includes singers and events in the American South (the historic locus of Sacred Harp singing) but also across the United States as well as several other countries, particularly the [[United Kingdom|UK]] and [[Germany]].

== The music and its notation ==

The name of the tradition comes from the title of the shape-note book from which the music is sung, ''The Sacred Harp''. This book exists today in various editions, discussed below.

In shape-note music, notes are printed in special shapes that help the reader identify them on the [[scale (music)|musical scale]]. There are two prevalent systems, one using four shapes, and one using seven. In the four-shape system used in ''The Sacred Harp'', each of the four shapes is connected to a particular syllable, ''fa'', ''sol'', ''la'', or ''mi'', and these syllables are employed in singing the notes,<ref>This is a simplified version of Guidonian solmization which was also used in Elizabethan England: see [[Solfège#Origin]]</ref> just as in the more familiar system that uses ''do'', ''re'', ''mi'', etc. (see [[solfege]]). The four-shape system is able to cover the full musical scale because each syllable-shape combination other than ''mi'' is assigned to two distinct notes of the scale. For example, the C major scale would be notated and sung as follows:

[[Image:TheShapesOfShapeNoteSinging 4ShapeSystem.gif|center|600 px|The [[C major scale]] in [[shape notes]]]]

The shape for ''fa'' is a triangle, ''sol'' an oval, ''la'' a rectangle, and ''mi'' a diamond.

In Sacred Harp singing, pitch is not absolute. The shapes and notes designate degrees of the scale, not particular pitches. Thus for a song in the key of C, ''fa'' designates C and F; for a song in G, ''fa'' designates G and C, and so on; hence it is called a ''moveable "do"'' system.

When Sacred Harp singers begin a song, they normally start by singing it with the appropriate syllable for each pitch, using the shapes to guide them. For those in the group not yet familiar with the song, the shapes help with the task of [[sight reading]]. The process of reading through the song with the shapes also helps fix the notes in memory. Once the shapes have been sung, the group then sings the verses of the song with their printed words.

==Singing Sacred Harp music==
[[File:HollowSquareInSacredHarp.PNG|thumb|The hollow-square seating arrangement for Sacred Harp singing]]
[[File:Sacred Harp 192 Schenectady.webm|thumb|Performance in Alabama of the tune "Schenectady", 2011]]
Sacred Harp groups always sing [[a cappella]], that is to say, without accompanying instruments.<ref>In particular, no [[harp]]s are present. The term "Sacred Harp" is sometimes taken by singers to be a metaphor for the human voice {{harvnb|Anon.|1940|p=127}}.</ref><ref>On a number of early historical recordings, a piano or parlor organ accompanied the singers. In the ensuing decades, the practice of using such instruments has evidently died out.</ref> The singers arrange themselves in a hollow square, with rows of chairs or pews on each side assigned to each of the four parts: treble, [[Alto (voice)|alto]], [[tenor]], and [[Bass (vocal range)|bass]]. The treble and tenor sections are usually mixed, with men and women singing the notes an octave apart.

There is no single leader or conductor; rather, the participants take turns in leading. The leader for a particular round selects a song from the book, and "calls" it by its page number. Leading is done in an open-palm style, standing in the middle of the square facing the tenors.

The [[pitch (music)|pitch]] at which the music is sung is relative; there is no instrument to give the singers a starting point. At a given singing event, one or more people are designated "keyers"; they are responsible for choosing the key at which the song will be sung and intoning it to the group. The singers reply with the opening notes of their own parts, and then the song begins immediately. Leaders have the option of keying their own songs, if they are able and choose to do so.

===Musical style===

As the name implies, the tunes in the ''Sacred Harp'' and related tunebooks are predominantly [[sacred music]] and originated as music sung by [[Protestant Christians]] (though the singing context derives from [[singing school]]s rather than [[church service]]s). Many of the songs in the book are [[hymn]]s that use words, meters, and stanzaic forms familiar from elsewhere in Protestant [[hymn]]ody. However, many other Sacred Harp songs are quite different from mainstream hymns in their musical style: some, known as [[fuguing tune]]s, contain sections that are [[polyphony|polyphonic]] in texture, and the [[harmony]] tends to deemphasize the interval of the [[interval (music)|third]] in favor of [[perfect fourth|fourths]] and [[perfect fifth|fifths]]. In their melodies, the songs often use the [[pentatonic scale]] or similar "gapped" (fewer than seven-note) scales. The harmonic and contrapuntal style of Sacred Harp singing is often referred to as "dispersed harmony".<ref>See the discussion in Robert T. Kelley, [https://robertkelleyphd.com/home/ShapeNoteMusic/SacredHarpHarmonyPresentation.pdf Sacred Harp Harmony: A Part-Writing Primer for Shape-Note Hymnody] (2009), page 4.</ref>

In their [[musical form]], Sacred Harp songs fall into three basic types. Many are ordinary ''[[hymn tune]]s'', mostly composed in four-bar phrases and sung in multiple verses. ''Fuguing tunes'' contain at least one prominent passage, usually after a homophonic opening couplet, in which each of the four choral parts enters in succession, in a way resembling a [[fugue]]. ''Anthems'' are songs with non-metrical text drawn (in whole or in part) directly from scripture; they are sung through just once rather than in multiple verses, and tend to be longer than hymn tunes and fuging tunes.<ref>The harmony and form of Sacred Harp music are discussed in {{harvnb|Cobb|1989|loc=ch. 2}} and in more technical detail in {{harvnb|Horn|1970}}.</ref>

Sacred Harp singing deviates in several respects from typical [[choral music]]. It is not generally rehearsed or performed for an audience: singers participate for the sake of the experience in itself, as well as for the sake of the friendships and social ties of the community (many also engage with singing as a [[spirituality|spiritual]] or [[religion|religious]] experience). Songs are generally sung in strict time, without pauses at the ends of phrases. A prominent feature of the vocal style is ''accent'': instead of phrases being sung ''legato'' (as is typical in much choral singing), downbeats are sung louder than offbeats, enhancing a shared feeling of pulse and providing rhythmic interest to the singing experience. Especially at large singings, the volume of the sound is generally loud (with singers using "full voice").

Although Sacred Harp singing is heavily reliant on the printed book, the style of singing and social customs are also transmitted orally. In some cases, singers deviate from the music in specific ways that cannot necessarily be assumed from the book itself (for example, raising the 6th scale degree in many minor songs, or observing unwritten repeats).

===Teaching music in the Sacred Harp style===

{{Expand section|date=August 2025}}

Sacred Harp music continues to be taught in "singing schools" by members of the singing community.

''The Sacred Harp'', as is typical of shape-note tunebooks, contains a section on [[Rudiments of music|rudiments]], describing the basics of music and Sacred Harp singing.

===Books in contemporary use===

{{See also|Sacred Harp#Origin of the modern editions}}

The most common tunebook in the Sacred Harp tradition is '''''The Sacred Harp: 2025 Edition''''', published by the Sacred Harp Publishing Company; [[David Ivey]] was the editorial chair for this revision. This book is used as the principal or only book at the majority of major singing events (known as "conventions" and "all-day singings"). This book is often known as the "'''Denson Book'''" (from the principal editor of previous editions in its revision lineage). Work on this revision began in 2018; the first public singing from this revision took place with the 2025 session of the United Sacred Harp Musical Association on September 13–14<ref>{{cite news |last=Atkinson |first=Laura |title=An early American music tradition gets a major update — and a younger audience |work=[[NPR]] |date=September 21, 2025 |access-date=December 1, 2025 |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/09/21/nx-s1-5545704/an-early-american-music-tradition-gets-a-major-update-and-a-younger-audience}}</ref>; it has a green cover.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Sacred Harp: 2025 Edition |url=https://sacredharp.com/product/sacred-harp-2025-edition/ |website=Sacred Harp Publishing Company|access-date=December 1, 2025}}</ref> Previous editions date back to 1911.

Also commonly used is '''''The Sacred Harp, Revised Cooper Edition''''' (2012), colloquially known as the "Cooper Book" or the "blue book". It has significant overlap in contents with the Denson Book but a different revision history dating back to a 1902 revision. The Cooper Book contains a much higher proportion of songs influenced by [[gospel music]] than the Denson Book. In some regions, the Cooper Book is the primary edition of the ''Sacred Harp'' used; elsewhere, some singers appreciate it as a secondary book that provides variety.

Many Sacred Harp singers also sing from other tunebooks. Several of these have histories and communities of their own, and many continue to be edited and revised to fit the needs of contemporary participants. Many who sing from these tunebooks, however, are also familiar with the more prominent ''Sacred Harp'' editions. These other books include:

* Less common editions of the ''Sacred Harp'', such as the J. L. White book (1911, last reprinted in 2007)
* Other historical four-shape tunebooks, such as the ''[[Missouri Harmony]]'' (last revised in 2005) or [[Judge Jackson]]'s ''Colored Sacred Harp'' (1934, last reprinted in 1993)
* Seven-shape tunebooks such as ''[[The Christian Harmony]]'' (last revised in 2010) and ''[[Harmonia Sacra]]'' (last revised in 2008)
* Contemporary tunebooks such as the ''[[Shenandoah Harmony]]'' (2013).

===Venues for singing===

Sacred Harp singing normally occurs not in church services, but in special gatherings or "singings" arranged for the purpose. Singings can be local, regional, statewide, or national. Small singings are often held in homes, with perhaps only a dozen singers. Large singings have been known to have more than a thousand participants. The more ambitious singings include an ample potluck dinner in the middle of the day, traditionally called "dinner on the grounds".

Some of the largest and oldest annual singings are called "conventions". The oldest Sacred Harp convention was the [[Southern Musical Convention]], organized in [[Upson County, Georgia]] in 1845. The two oldest surviving Sacred Harp singing conventions are the [[Chattahoochee Musical Convention]] (organized in [[Coweta County, Georgia]] in 1852), and the [[East Texas]] Sacred Harp Convention (organized as the [[East Texas Musical Convention]] in 1855).

Singings are not restricted to members of an organization, but are communicated verbally at other singings, through social media and email lists, in unofficial public listings,<ref>Jeremiah Ledbetter. [https://shapenotesingings.com/ Annual Singings]. Accessed March 28, 2025</ref> and in ''Sacred Harp Singings: Minutes and Directory'', published annually by the Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association. "Minutes" of conventions and all-day singings are also  kept as a record; recent minutes are published in this annual volume as well as online.<ref>Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association. [https://fasola.org/minutes/ Minutes]. ''Sacred Harp Singing''. Accessed March 28, 2025.</ref>

==History of Sacred Harp singing==

Marini (2003) traces the earliest roots of Sacred Harp to the "country parish music" of early 18th century England. This form of rural church music evolved a number of the distinctive traits that were passed on from tradition to tradition, until they ultimately became part of Sacred Harp singing. These traits included the assignment of the melody to the tenors, harmonic structure emphasizing fourths and fifths, and the distinction between the ordinary four-part hymn ("plain tune"), the anthem, and the fuguing tune. Several composers of this school, including [[Joseph Stephenson (composer)|Joseph Stephenson]] and [[Aaron Williams (composer)|Aaron Williams]], are represented in the 1991 Edition of ''The Sacred Harp''. For further information on the English roots of Sacred Harp music, see ''[[West gallery music]]''.<ref>Sources for this paragraph: {{harvnb|Marini|2003|p=77}}, {{harvnb|Temperley|1983}}, and the essay [http://fasola.org/introduction/English_Roots.html "Distant Roots of Shape Note Music"] by Keith Willard, posted at the fasola.org web site {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516095903/http://www.fasola.org/introduction/English_Roots.html |date=16 May 2008}}.</ref>

Around the mid-18th century, the forms and styles of English country parish music were introduced to America, notably in a new tunebook called ''Urania'', published 1764 by the singing master [[James Lyon (composer)|James Lyon]].{{sfn|Marini|2003|p=78}} This stimulus soon led to the development of a robust native school of composition, signaled by the 1770 publication of [[William Billings]]'s ''The New England Psalm Singer'', and then by a great number of new compositions by Billings and those who followed in his path. The work of these composers, sometimes called the "[[Yankee tunesmiths|First New England School]]", forms a major part of the Sacred Harp to this day.

Billings and his followers worked as singing masters, who led [[singing schools]]. The purpose of these schools was to train young people in the correct singing of sacred music. This pedagogical movement flourished, and led ultimately to the invention of [[shape note]]s, which originated as a way to make the teaching of singing easier. The first shape note tunebook appeared in 1801: ''The Easy Instructor''<ref>Dick Hulan writes, "My copy of William Smith's ''Easy Instructor, Part II'' (1803) attributes the invention [of shape notes] to 'J. Conly of Philadelphia'."{{cite quote|date=August 2021}} According to David Warren Steel, in ''John Wyeth and the Development of Southern Folk Hymnody'', "This notation was invented by Philadelphia merchant John Connelly, who on 10 March 1798 signed over his rights to the system to Little and Smith."{{citation needed|date=August 2021}} [[Andrew Law (composer)|Andrew Law]] also laid claim to the invention of the shape note system.</ref> by William Smith and William Little. At first, Smith and Little's shapes competed with a rival system, created by [[Andrew Law (composer)|Andrew Law]] (1749–1821) in his ''The Musical Primer'' of 1803. Although this book came out two years later than Smith and Little's book, Law claimed earlier invention of shape notes. In his system, a square indicated ''fa'', a circle ''sol'', a triangle ''la'' and a diamond, ''mi''. Law used the shaped notes without a musical staff. The Smith and Little shapes ultimately prevailed.

Shape notes became very popular, and during the first part of the nineteenth century, a [[List of shape-note tunebooks|whole series]] of shape note tunebooks appeared, many of which were widely distributed. As the population spread west and south, the tradition of shape note singing expanded geographically. Composition flourished, with the new music often drawing on the tradition of [[folk music|folk song]] for tunes and inspiration. Probably the most successful shape note book prior to ''The Sacred Harp'' was [[William Walker (composer)|William Walker]]'s ''[[Southern Harmony]]'', published in 1835 and still in use today.<ref>The shape note systems continued to evolve throughout the 19th century; for a more complete history, see [[shape note]].</ref>

Even as they flourished and spread, shape notes and the kind of participatory music which they served came under attack. The critics were from the urban-based "better music" movement, spearheaded by [[Lowell Mason]], which advocated a more "scientific" style of sacred music, more closely based on the [[harmony (music)|harmonic]] styles of contemporaneous European music. The new style gradually prevailed. Shape notes and their music disappeared from the cities prior to the Civil War, and from the rural areas of the Northeast and Midwest in the following decades. However, they retained a haven in the rural South, which remained a fertile territory for the creation of new shapenote publications.<ref>Source for this paragraph: {{harvnb|Marini|2003|p=81}}. Evidence that Americans outside the rural South were slow, even reluctant, to give up their old music is given in {{harvnb|Horn|1970|loc=ch. 12}}.</ref>

=== The arrival of ''The Sacred Harp'' ===
Sacred Harp singing came into being with the 1844 publication of [[Benjamin Franklin White]] and [[Elisha J. King]]'s ''The Sacred Harp''. The editors of ''The Sacred Harp'' in the 19th century were [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgians]]; the book itself was typeset and printed in [[Philadelphia]]. It was this book, now distributed in several different versions, that came to be the shape-note tradition with the largest number of participants.

B. F. White (1800–1879) was originally from [[Union County, South Carolina]], but since 1842 had been living in [[Harris County, Georgia]]. He prepared ''The Sacred Harp'' in collaboration with a younger man, E. J. King, ({{circa|1821}}–44), who was from [[Talbot County, Georgia]]. Together they compiled, transcribed, and composed tunes, and published a book of over 250 songs.

King died soon after the book was published, and White was left to guide its growth. He was responsible for organizing [[singing school]]s and conventions at which ''The Sacred Harp'' was used as the songbook. During his lifetime, the book became popular and would go through three revisions (1850, 1859, and 1869), all produced by committees consisting of White and several colleagues working under the auspices of the [[Southern Musical Convention]]. The first two new editions simply added appendices of new songs to the back of the book. The 1869 revision was more extensive, removing some of the less popular songs and adding new ones in their places. From the original 262 pages, the book was expanded by 1869 to 477. This edition was reprinted and continued in use for several decades.

===Origin of the modern editions===

Around the turn of the 20th century, Sacred Harp singing entered a period of conflict over the issue of traditionalism. The conflict ultimately split the community.<ref>The primary source for this section is {{harvnb|Cobb|1989|loc=ch. 4}}.</ref>

B. F. White had died in 1879 before completing a fourth revision of his book; thus the version that Sacred Harp participants were singing from was by the turn of the century over three decades old. During this time, the musical tastes of Sacred Harp's traditional adherents, the inhabitants of the rural South, had changed in important ways. Notably, [[Southern Gospel|gospel music]] – syncopated and chromatic, often with piano accompaniment – had become popular, along with a number of church hymns of the "mainstream" variety, such as "Rock of Ages". Seven-shape notation systems had appeared and won adherents away from the older four-shape system (see [[shape note]] for details). As time passed, Sacred Harp singers doubtless became aware that what they were singing had become quite distinct from contemporary tastes.

The natural path to take—and the one ultimately taken—would be to assert the archaic character of Sacred Harp as an outright virtue. In this view, Sacred Harp should be treasured as a time-tested musical tradition, standing above current trends of fashion. The difficulty with adopting traditionalism as a guiding doctrine was that different singers had different opinions about just what form the stable, traditionalized version of Sacred Harp would take.

The first move was made by [[Wilson Marion Cooper|W. M. Cooper]], of [[Dothan, Alabama]], a leading Sacred Harp teacher in his own region, but not part of the inner circle of B. F. White's old colleagues and descendants. In 1902 Cooper prepared a revision of ''The Sacred Harp'' that, while retaining most of the old songs, also added new tunes that reflected more contemporary music styles.<ref>{{harvnb|Miller|2004}} characterizes Cooper book style thus: it "contains a greater proportion of "camp meeting" songs than the Denson book, with more compressed part-writing, chromatic harmonies, and choruses characterized by call-and-response rather than "fuging" style. Denson book singers generally say that the Cooper book sounds more like "new book or gospel singing".</ref> Cooper made other changes, too:
* He retitled many old songs. These songs were formerly named by their tune, using arbitrarily chosen place names ("New Britain", "Northfield", "Charlestown"). The new names were based on the text; thus "New Britain" became "Amazing Grace", "Northfield" became "How Long, Dear Savior", and so on. The old system was intended in colonial times to permit mixing and matching of tunes and texts, but was unnecessary in a system where the pairing of tune and text was fixed.
* He transposed some songs into new keys. This is thought to have brought the notation closer to actual performing practice.
* He wrote new alto parts for the many songs that originally just had three vocal lines.

The Cooper revision was a success, being widely adopted in many areas of the South, such as Florida, southern Alabama, and Texas, where it has continued as the predominant Sacred Harp book to this day. The "Cooper book", as it is now often called, was revised by Cooper himself in 1907 and 1909. His son-in-law published the book in 1927, including an appendix compiled by revision committee. The Sacred Harp Book Company was formed in 1949, and subsequent revision has been supervised by editorial committees under its instruction. New editions were issued in 1950, 1960, 1992, 2000, 2006 and 2012.

In the original core geographic area of Sacred Harp singing, northern Alabama and Georgia, the singers did not in general take to the Cooper book, as they felt it deviated too far from the original tradition. Obtaining a new book for these singers was made more difficult by the fact that B. F. White's son [[James Landrum White|James L. White]], who would have been the natural choice to prepare a new edition, was a non-traditionalist. His "fifth edition" (1909)<ref>This edition may be viewed in digital form at [http://originalsacredharp.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/j-l-white-sacred-harp-fifth-edition.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919073123/http://originalsacredharp.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/j-l-white-sacred-harp-fifth-edition.pdf|date=19 September 2015}}.</ref> won little support among singers, while his "fourth edition with supplement" (1911) enjoyed some success in a few areas.{{sfn|Cobb|1989|pp=98–110}} Ultimately, a committee headed by [[Joseph Stephen James]] produced an edition entitled ''Original Sacred Harp'' (1911) that largely satisfied the wishes of this community of singers.{{sfn|Cobb|1989|pp=94–98}}

[[File:Photo of Original Sacred Harp (Denson edition) songbook.jpg|thumb|"Original Sacred Harp (Denson Revision)"]]

The James edition was further revised in 1936 by a committee under the leadership of the brothers [[Seaborn McDaniel Denson|Seaborn]] and [[Thomas Jackson Denson|Thomas Denson]], both influential [[singing school]] teachers. Both died shortly before the project was complete, and the remaining work was overseen by Paine Denson, son of Thomas. This book was entitled ''Original Sacred Harp, Denson Revision'', and was itself revised 1960, 1967, and 1971 by committees led by [[A. M. Cagle]] and [[Hugh McGraw]].{{sfn|Cobb|1989|pp=110–117}} Additional, more thorough revisions and remodelings of this book, overseen by [[Hugh McGraw | McGraw]] and [[David Ivey]], respectively, were published in 1991 and 2025. Today, the book is known as the "2025 Edition", though some singers still call it the "Denson book".

Even the highly traditionalist James and Denson books followed Cooper in adding alto parts to most of the old three-part songs (these alto parts led to an unsuccessful lawsuit by Cooper).{{sfn|Cobb|1989|pp=95–96}} Some people (see for instance the reference by Buell Cobb given below) believe that the new alto parts imposed an esthetic cost by filling in the former stark open harmonies of the three-part songs. Wallace McKenzie argues to the contrary, basing his view on a systematic study of representative songs.<ref>{{harvnb|McKenzie|1989}} further judges that the Cooper alto parts were more successful than the Denson ones in retaining the original harmonic style.</ref> In any event, there is little support today for abandoning the added alto parts, since most singers give a high priority to giving every side of the square its own part to sing.

It was thus that the traditionalism debate split the Sacred Harp community, and there seems little prospect that it will ever reunite under a single book. However, there have been no further splits. Both the Denson and the Cooper groups adopted traditionalist views for the particular form of Sacred Harp they favored, and these forms have now been stable for about a century.

The strength of traditionalism can be seen in the front matter of the two hymnbooks. The Denson book is forthrightly Biblical in its defense of tradition:

<blockquote><poem>DEDICATED TO
All lovers of Sacred Harp Music, and to the memory of the illustrious and venerable patriarchs who established the Traditional Style of Sacred Harp singing and admonished their followers to "seek the old paths and walk therein".<ref>The passage quotes [[Book of Jeremiah|Jeremiah]] 6:16: "Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls."</ref></poem></blockquote>

The Cooper book also shows a warm appreciation of tradition:

<blockquote>May God bless everyone as we endeavor to promote and enjoy Sacred Harp music and to continue the rich tradition of those who have gone before us.</blockquote>

To say that both communities are traditionalist does not mean they discourage the creation of new songs. To the contrary, it is part of the tradition that musically creative Sacred Harp singers should become composers themselves and add to the canon. The new compositions are prepared in traditional styles, and could be considered a kind of tribute to the older material. New songs have been incorporated into editions of ''The Sacred Harp'' throughout the 20th century and into the 21st.

===Other Sacred Harp books===

Two other books are currently used by Sacred Harp singers. A few singers in north Georgia employ the "White book", an expanded version of the 1869 B. F. White edition edited by [[James Landrum White|J. L. White]]. [[African Americans|African-American]] Sacred Harp singers, although primarily users of the Cooper book, also make use of a supplementary volume, ''[[The Colored Sacred Harp]]'', produced by [[Judge Jackson]] (1883–1958) in 1934 and later revised in two subsequent editions. In his book ''Judge Jackson and The Colored Sacred Harp'', Joe Dan Boyd identified four regions of Sacred Harp singing among African-Americans: eastern Texas (Cooper book), northern Mississippi (Denson book), south Alabama and Florida (Cooper book), and New Jersey (Cooper book). The ''Colored Sacred Harp'' is limited to the New Jersey and south Alabama–Florida groups. Sacred Harp was "exported" from south Alabama to New Jersey. It appears to have died out among the African-Americans in eastern Texas.

===The spread of Sacred Harp singing in modern times===

Beginning in the mid-20th century, Sacred Harp singing grew in popularity with participants who did not grow up in the tradition, including singers outside Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas.<ref>For an extended narrative of this spread, see {{harvnb|Bealle|1997|loc=ch. 4}}.</ref> New singers typically strive to follow the historically Southern customs at their singings; traditional singers have responded to this need by providing help in orienting the newcomers. For instance, the Rudiments section of the 1991 Denson edition includes information on how to hold a singing; this information would be superfluous in a traditional context, but is important for a group starting up on its own. In recent years an annual summer camp has been established, at which newcomers can learn to sing Sacred Harp.{{sfn|Clawson|2011|page=163}}

====The U.S. beyond the South====
There are now strong Sacred Harp singing communities in most major urban areas of the United States, and in many rural areas, as well.<ref>A guide to singings that demonstrates this dramatic spread may be found at the "fasola.org" web site, under http://fasola.org/singings/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221192139/http://fasola.org/singings/ |date=21 February 2008 }}.</ref> One of the first groups of singers formed outside the traditional Southern home region of Sacred Harp singing was in the Chicago area.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{harvnb|Miller|2004}}</ref> The first Illinois convention was held in 1985, with enthusiastic and strongly proactive support by prominent Southern traditional singers.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> The Midwest Convention is now acknowledged to be one of the major American conventions, attracting hundreds of singers from all over the US and abroad.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> Similarly, the Sacred Harp singing community in western New England has become a prominent one in recent years; the late songleader [[Larry Gordon (musician)|Larry Gordon]] has been credited with re-popularizing Sacred Harp singing in northern New England.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lueck |first1=Ellen |title=Sacred Harp Singing in Europe: Its Pathways, Spaces, and Meanings |journal=Dissertation |date=2017 |url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/abdfe9ee5795e3dff178630fcf93c56a |access-date=11 November 2021}}</ref> In March 2008, the 2008 Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Convention attracted over 300 singers from 25 states and a number of foreign countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.masslive.com/metrowest/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-13/120504721045690.xml&coll=1|title=Sacred Harp sing draws followers|access-date=31 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409120746/http://www.masslive.com/metrowest/republican/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fnews-13%2F120504721045690.xml&coll=1|archive-date=9 April 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Other prominent singing conventions outside the South include, for example, the Keystone Convention in Pennsylvania, the Missouri Convention, and the Minnesota State Convention, which began in 1990.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freude.com/mnfasola/convention.html|title=22nd Annual Minnesota State Sacred Harp Singing Convention|access-date=31 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303202414/http://www.freude.com/mnfasola/convention.html|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Sacred Harp Singing beyond the US====
In more recent times Sacred Harp singing has spread beyond the borders of the United States.

===== United Kingdom =====
The United Kingdom has had an active Sacred Harp community since the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UK Sacred Harp Calendar |url=https://www.ukshc.org/history |access-date=2025-09-29 |website=UK Sacred Harp Convention History |language=en-GB}}</ref> The first [https://www.ukshc.org UK Sacred Harp convention] took place in 1996. There are active regular [https://www.sacredharp.uk/local-singings local singings] and [https://www.sacredharp.uk/region/ukie all-day singings] in many places around the UK.

===== Canada =====
Canada has a decades-long tradition of Sacred Harp singing, particularly in [[Southern Ontario]] and the [[Eastern Townships]] of [[Quebec]]. Singings have been organized weekly in [[Montreal, Quebec]] since 2011, as well as a monthly afternoon sing, and the first Montreal all-day sing took place in the spring of 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/groups/montrealsacredharpsingers/|title=Montreal Sacred Harp Singers|work=Facebook|access-date=31 March 2016}}</ref> Sacred Harp singing has happened on a monthly basis for years in [[Toronto]].

===== Australia =====
Australia has had Sacred Harp singing since 2001, and singings are held regularly in Melbourne,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.facebook.com/groups/147368602037141/|title=Facebook|website=[[Facebook]] |access-date=31 March 2016}}</ref> Sydney,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/groups/surryhillsshapenotesingers/|title=Facebook|website=[[Facebook]] |access-date=31 March 2016}}</ref> Canberra<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/groups/Canberrashapenote/|title=Facebook|website=[[Facebook]] |access-date=31 March 2016}}</ref> and Blackwood.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blackwood-Academy/121582631252295|title=Blackwood Academy|website=[[Facebook]] |access-date=31 March 2016}}</ref> The first Australian All Day Singing was held in Sydney in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timberandsteel.wordpress.com/2012/09/17/australias-first-ever-sacred-harp-singing-convention-hits-sydney/|title=Australia's First Ever Sacred Harp Singing Convention Hits Sydney|work=Timber and Steel|access-date=31 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013173648/https://timberandsteel.wordpress.com/2012/09/17/australias-first-ever-sacred-harp-singing-convention-hits-sydney/|archive-date=13 October 2016|url-status=live|date=17 September 2012}}</ref>

===== Ireland =====
In January 2009, Sacred Harp singing was introduced to [[Ireland]], by Juniper Hill of [[University College Cork]], spreading quickly from a class module into the wider community. In March 2011 U.C.C. hosted the first annual Ireland Sacred Harp Convention, and the Cork community held their first All-Day Singing on 22 October 2011. There are now also growing Sacred Harp communities in Belfast and Dublin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://corksacredharp.com/|title=Cork Sacred Harp|access-date=31 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414051219/http://corksacredharp.com/|archive-date=14 April 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

===== Continental Europe =====
In the most recent development, Sacred Harp singing has expanded beyond the limits of English-speaking countries to mainland Europe. In 2008 a singing community was established in Poland (which hosted the first Camp Fasola Europe in September 2012).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://campfasola.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Camp-Fasola-Application-Europe-2012.pdf |title=Application form for Camp Fasola Europe |access-date=30 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130610062825/http://campfasola.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Camp-Fasola-Application-Europe-2012.pdf |archive-date=10 June 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> In Germany there are regular weekly or monthly singings in Bremen,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sacredharpbremen.org/en/home/|title=Sacred Harp Bremen|access-date=14 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328170134/http://www.sacredharpbremen.org/english|archive-date=28 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Hamburg,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sacredharphamburg.weebly.com/|title=Sacred Harp Singing in Hamburg – Sacred Harp Hamburg Singing School – Home|work=Sacred Harp Singing in Hamburg|access-date=31 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327072111/http://sacredharphamburg.weebly.com/|archive-date=27 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Berlin,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sacredharpberlin.de|title=Sacred Harp Berlin|website=Sacred Harp Berlin|language=en|access-date=2018-03-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928101308/http://sacredharpberlin.de/|archive-date=28 September 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Cologne<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sacredharpcologne.com|title=Sacred Harp Cologne|website=Sacred Harp Cologne|access-date=2018-03-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820111528/http://www.sacredharpcologne.com/|archive-date=20 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and Munich, most of them with their own annual All-Day singings.  Elsewhere in Germany, singers meet irregularly in Frankfurt, Gießen and Nürnberg. Recently groups have started up in Amsterdam,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://amsterdam.sacredharp.nl/|title=Sacred Harp Amsterdam|access-date=13 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117083139/https://amsterdam.sacredharp.nl/|archive-date=17 November 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Paris and Clermont-Ferrand,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/sacredharpauvergne|title=Sacred Harp Auvergne|website=[[Facebook]] |access-date=31 March 2016}}</ref> Oslo, Norway, and Uppsala, Sweden.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://originalsacredharp.com/2015/12/31/406-and-more-in-sweden/|title=406 and More, in Sweden|work=The Sacred Harp Publishing Company|access-date=31 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160320225053/http://originalsacredharp.com/2015/12/31/406-and-more-in-sweden/|archive-date=20 March 2016|url-status=live|date=31 December 2015}}</ref> Both the Swedish and Norwegian groups have arranged all-day singings; the 10th Oslo All-Day Singing will be June 2026, 5.- 7. 

Regular singings also take place in Israel,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/groups/523129294493213/|title=Facebook|website=[[Facebook]] |access-date=31 March 2016}}</ref> and in April 2016, an all-day singing was held in Paris, France.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/events/889389147819151/|title=Sacred Harp Paris – 1st All Day Singing|website=[[Facebook]] |access-date=31 March 2016}}</ref>

===Use in popular works===
Sacred Harp singing appears as [[diegetic music]] in the films ''[[Cold Mountain (film)|Cold Mountain]]'' (2004)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2004-01-04-0401040417-story.html |title='Cold Mountain' shows off sacred singing |first=Nancy Henderson |last=Wurst |work=Chicago Tribune |date=4 January 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2004/02/13/via_cold_mountain_old_music_is_revived/ |title=Via 'Cold Mountain', old music is revived |first=Tara |last=Burghart |agency=Associated Press |date=13 February 2004 |work=The Boston Globe}}</ref> and ''[[Lawless (film)|Lawless]]'' (2012), and as background music in ''[[The Ladykillers (2004 film)|The Ladykillers]]'' (2004).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sacredharpaustralia.com/resources/sacred-harp-in-contemporary-music/ |title=Sacred Harp in contemporary culture |work=Sacred Harp Australia |access-date=2019-05-05|date=16 August 2015 }}</ref>

The 2010 song "[[Tell Me Why (M.I.A. song)|Tell Me Why]]" by [[M.I.A. (rapper)|M.I.A.]] includes a sample of "The Last Words of Copernicus" by [[Sarah Lancaster (composer)|Sarah Lancaster]], recorded at the 1959 United Sacred Harp Convention in [[Fyffe, Alabama]], by [[Alan Lomax]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/wrecking_ball/ |title=Bruce Springsteen: Wrecking Ball (Columbia) &#124; Under the Radar – Music Magazine |author=Chris Tinkham |publisher=undertheradarmag.com |date=22 March 2012 |access-date=10 August 2016}}</ref> The album version of [[Bruce Springsteen]]'s "[[Death to My Hometown]]" (2012) also samples this recording.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://originalsacredharp.com/2012/03/28/sightings-bruce-springsteens-sacred-harp-sample/ |first1=John |last1=Plunkett |first2=Jesse P. |last2=Karlsberg |title=Bruce Springsteen's Sacred Harp Sample |date=28 March 2012 |journal=The Sacred Harp Publishing Company Newsletter |volume=1 |number=1}}</ref>

Electronic musician [[Holly Herndon]]'s 2019 track "Frontier" includes a performance of Herndon's music by a singing class in Berlin, Germany.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2042093/holly-herndon-frontier/music/ |title=Holly Herndon – "Frontier" |first=Julia |last=Gray |date=2 May 2019 |work=Stereogum |publisher=Prometheus Global Media}}</ref>

The 2014 animated miniseries ''[[Over the Garden Wall]]'' features an original shape-note style composition in the second episode, "Hard Times at the Huskin' Bee".<ref>{{cite thesis|last=Resler|first=Chloe|date=2022|title=Musical Narrative and Cultural Context in the Animated Miniseries Over the Garden Wall|publisher=University of North Colorado}}</ref>

[[Laurie Anderson]]'s 2024 multimedia show ''United States V'' included a performance of "David's Lamentation" (Sacred Harp 268) by a rotating group of UK Sacred Harp singers.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rogers |first1=Jude |title=Laurie Anderson: Ark: United States V review – a long and winding bid to make sense of America |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/nov/24/laurie-anderson-ark-united-states-v-review-aviva-studios-manchester-ai-weiwei-a-long-and-winding-bid-to-make-sense-of-america |access-date=27 March 2025 |work=The Observer |date=24 November 2024}}</ref>

==Origins of the music==
{{See also|Sacred Harp hymnwriters and composers}}
The music used in Sacred Harp singing is eclectic. Most of the songs can be assigned to one of four historical layers.

{{ordered list
| The oldest of these layers comes from 18th century New England, and represents a rendition in shape notes of the work of outstanding early American composers such as [[William Billings]] and [[Daniel Read]], who worked as singing masters.
| A second layer comes from the decades around 1830, following the migration of the shape note tradition to the rural South. Many of the songs in this layer are believed to be originally secular [[folk music|folk tunes]], harmonized in parts and given religious lyrics. As one would expect from the folk origin of such music, it often emphasizes the notes of the [[pentatonic scale]]. They often employ stark, vivid harmonies based on open fifths. Most of the songs of this layer were originally composed in just three parts (treble, tenor, bass), with the altos added later, as noted above.

The sound of this musical layer, as well as to some extent ''The Sacred Harp'' in general, can be observed by comparing versions of the well-known hymn "[[Amazing Grace]]", which is familiar to many Americans in a form such as the following:

<score override_audio="AmazingGraceFamiliarStyle.OGG">
<< <<
\new Staff { \clef treble \time 3/4 \partial 4 \key c \major \set Staff.midiInstrument = "piano"
  \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \override Score.BarNumber #'transparent = ##t
  \relative c''
  << { g4 | c2 e8 c | e2 d4 | c2 a4 | g2 g4 | c2 e8 c | e2 d8 e | g2 \bar"" \break
  d8 e | g2 e8 c | e2 e8 d | c2 a4 | g2 g4 | c2 e8 c | e2 d4 | c2 \bar"|." } \\
  { e,4 | e2 g4 | bes2 bes4 | f2 f4 | e2 e4 | e2 g4 | c2 g4 | g2
  g4 | e2 g4 | bes2 bes4 | f2 f4 | e2 e4 | e2 g4 | c2 f,4 | e2 } >>
}
\new Lyrics \lyricmode {
A4 -- maz2 -- ing4 grace!2 How4 sweet2 the4 sound,2
That4 sav'd2 a4 wretch2 like4 me!2
I4 once2 was4 lost,2 but4 now2 am4 found,2
was4 blind,2 but4 now2 I4 see.2
}
\new Staff { \clef bass \key c \major \set Staff.midiInstrument = "piano" \relative c'
  << { g4 | c2 c4 | c2 c4 | a2 a4 | c2 c4 | g2 g4 | c2 c4 | b2
  g4 | g2 c4 | c2 c4 | a2 a4 | c2 c4 | g2 g4 | c2 b4 | c2 } \\
  { c,4 | c2 g'4 | c,2 g'4 | f2 f4 | c2 g'4 | c,2 e4 | g2 c4 | g2
  g4 | c,2 g'4 | c,2 g'4 | f2 f4 | c2 g'4 | c,2 c4 | g'2 g4 | c,2 } >>
}
>> >>
\layout { indent = #0 }
\midi { \tempo 4 = 80 }
</score>

In ''The Sacred Harp'' (1991 edition), "Amazing Grace" is harmonized quite differently. Note that the "air", or melody, is in the tenor.

<score sound="1">
<< <<
\new Staff { \clef treble \time 3/4 \partial 4 \key c \major \set Staff.midiInstrument = "flute" %sopran
  \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \override Score.BarNumber #'transparent = ##t
  \relative c'' { \sacredHarpHeads
  c4 | e2 e4 | g2 g4 | e2 e4 | d2 d4 | e2 c8 e | g2 f8 e | d2 \bar"||" \break
  d4 | c2 c4 | e2 g4 | e2 e8 d | c2 c4 | g2 c4 | e2 d4 | e2 \bar"|." }
}
\new Staff { \clef treble \key c \major \set Staff.midiInstrument = "flute" %alt
  \relative c' { \sacredHarpHeads
  e4 | a2 c4 | c2 b4 | a2 a4 | b2 b4 | g2 c4 | c2 b8 a | g2
  b4 | c2 c4 | c2 c4 | g2 c8 a | g2 g4 | e2 a4 | c2 b4 | g2 }
}
\new Lyrics \lyricmode {
A4 -- maz2 -- ing4 grace!2 How4 sweet2 the4 sound,2
That4 sav'd2 a4 wretch2 like4 me!2
I4 once2 was4 lost,2 but4 now2 am4 found,2
was4 blind,2 but4 now2 I4 see.2
}
\new Staff { \clef "treble_8"
  \key c \major \set Staff.midiInstrument = "oboe" %tenor
  \relative c' { \sacredHarpHeads
  g4 | c2 e8 c | e2 d4 | c2 a4 | g2 g4 | c2 e8 c | e2 d8 e | g2
  d8 e | g2 e8 c | e2 e8 d | c2 a4 | g2 g4 | c2 e8 c | e2 d4 | c2 }
}
\new Staff { \clef bass \key c \major \set Staff.midiInstrument = "flute" %bass
  \relative c { \sacredHarpHeads
  c4 | c2 g'4 | e2 g4 | c,2 e4 | g2 g4 | c,2 g'8 a | c2 a4 | g2
  g4 | c2 a4 | g2 e4 | g2 e8 d | c2 c4 | c2 e8 g | a2 g4 | c,2 }
}
>> >>
\layout { indent = #0 }
\midi { \tempo 4 = 80 }
</score>
| A third layer of ''Sacred Harp'' music is from the mid nineteenth century and represents the popular sensibility of that era. A number of these mid-century works have an almost primal simplicity—the harmony is essentially a single extended major chord, and the parts a decoration in slow tempo of that chord.
| The most recent layer consists of the songs that were added to the books during the twentieth century. These are the work of musically creative participants in the Sacred Harp tradition, who strove to create songs that would fit into the existing tradition by adopting the style of one of the earlier periods. About a sixth of the Denson edition is taken up with such compositions, dating from as recently as 1990. The twentieth-century composers often have recycled their lyrics from earlier Sacred Harp songs (or from their sources, such as the work of the 18th-century hymnodist [[Isaac Watts]]). A number of these modern compositions have become favorites of the singing community, and it is anticipated that future editions of ''The Sacred Harp'' will also include new songs.
}}

There are a few additional songs in ''The Sacred Harp, 1991 edition'' that cannot be assigned to any of these four main layers. There are some very old songs of European origin, as well as songs from the English rural tradition that inspired the early New England composers. There are also a handful of songs by European [[classical music|classical]] composers ([[Ignaz Pleyel]], [[Thomas Arne]], and [[Henry Rowley Bishop]]). The book even includes five hymns by [[Lowell Mason]], long ago the implacable enemy of the tradition that ''The Sacred Harp'' has preserved to this day.<ref>See the online Index to the Denson edition: http://fasola.org/indexes/1991/?v=composer {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151011041217/http://fasola.org/indexes/1991/?v=composer |date=11 October 2015 }}</ref>

The description just given is based on ''The Sacred Harp, 1991 edition'', also known as the Denson edition. The widely used "Cooper" edition overlaps considerably (about 60%) in content, but also includes many later songs. A detailed comparison of the two editions has been made by Sacred Harp scholar Gaylon L. Powell.<ref>{{cite web |first=Gaylon |last=L. Powell |title=Comparison Tune Index |url=http://resources.texasfasola.org/tunecomparisonindex.html |website=resources.texasfasola.org}}</ref>

==Other books with the title ''Sacred Harp''==

''The Sacred Harp'' was a popular name for 19th century hymn and tune books, with no fewer than four bearing the title. The first of these was compiled by John Hoyt Hickok and printed in [[Lewistown, Pennsylvania]] in 1832. The second was compiled by Lowell and Timothy Mason and printed in [[Cincinnati|Cincinnati, Ohio]] in 1834, as part of the "better music" movement mentioned above. The publisher released their book as a [[shape note]] edition, while they preferred to urbanize their audience by releasing a round note edition.<ref>Jackson (1933b, 395)</ref>{{sfn|Gould|1853|p=55}}

The third ''Sacred Harp'' was the one by [[Benjamin Franklin White|B. F. White]] and E. J. King (1844), the origin of today's Sacred Harp singing tradition.

Lastly, according to W. J. Reynolds, writing in ''Hymns of Our Faith'', there was yet a fourth ''Sacred Harp'' – ''The Sacred Harp'' published by J. M. D. Cates in [[Nashville, Tennessee]] in 1867.

==See also==
* ''[[Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp]]''
* [[Chattahoochee Musical Convention]]
* [[East Texas Musical Convention]]
* [[List of shape-note tunebooks]]
* [[Sacred Harp hymnwriters and composers]]
* [[Shape note]]
* [[Southwest Texas Sacred Harp Singing Convention]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Anon.|1940}}|reference=Anon. (1940) ''Georgia: A guide to its towns and countryside''. Compiled and written by workers of the Writers' Program of the [[Works Progress Administration]]. University of Georgia Press.}}
* {{cite book|last=Bealle|first=John|year=1997|title=Public Worship, Private Faith: Sacred Harp and American Folksong|publisher=University of Georgia Press|isbn=0-8203-1988-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Clawson|first=Laura|title=I Belong to This Band, Hallelujah!: Community, Spirituality, and Tradition Among Sacred Harp Singers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K8bua5aSIDMC&pg=PA163|date=15 September 2011|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-10959-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Cobb|first=Buell E. |year=1989 |orig-date=1978 |title=The Sacred Harp: A Tradition and Its Music |publisher=University of Georgia Press|isbn=0-8203-2371-3}}
* {{cite book|last=Gould|first=Nathaniel Duren|title=History of Church Music in America|url=https://archive.org/details/historychurchmu00goulgoog|page=[https://archive.org/details/historychurchmu00goulgoog/page/n61 55]|year=1853|publisher=Gould and Lincoln}}
* {{cite book|last=Horn|first=Dorothy D.|year=1970|title=Sing to me of Heaven: A Study of Folk and Early American Materials in Three Old Harp Books|publisher=University of Florida Press}}
* {{cite book|last=Marini|first=Stephen A.|year=2003|title=Sacred Song in America: Religion, Music, and Public Culture|publisher=University of Illinois Press}} See chapter 3, "Sacred Harp singing".
* {{cite journal|last=McKenzie|first=Wallace|year=1989|title=The Alto Parts in the 'True Dispersed Harmony' of ''The Sacred Harp'' Revisions|journal=[[The Musical Quarterly]]|volume=73 |number=73|pages=153–171|doi=10.1093/mq/73.2.153 }}
* {{cite journal|last1=Miller|first1=Kiri|date=Winter 2004|title='First Sing the Notes': Oral and Written Traditions in Sacred Harp Transmission|journal=[[American Music (journal)|American Music]]|volume=22|issue=4|pages=475–501|doi=10.2307/3592990|jstor=3592990}}
* {{cite book|last=Temperley|first=Nicholas|author-link=Nicholas Temperley|year=1983|title=The Music of the English Parish Church|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-27457-9}}

==Further reading==
* Boyd, Joe Dan (2002) ''Judge Jackson and The Colored Sacred Harp''. Alabama Folklife Association. {{ISBN|0-9672672-5-0}}
See also the bibliographic entries under [[Shape note]].
* Campbell, Gavin James (1997) " 'Old Can Be Used Instead of New': Shape-Note Singing and the Crisis of Modernity in the New South, 1880–1920." ''[[Journal of American Folklore]]'' 110:169–188.
* {{cite book|last=Cobb|first=Buell|year=2013|title=Like Cords Around My Heart: A Sacred Harp Memoir|publisher=Outskirts Press|isbn=978-1-4787-0462-1|ref=none}}
* Eastburn, Kathryn (2008) [http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/product/A-Sacred-Feast,673390.aspx ''A Sacred Feast: Reflections on Sacred Harp Singing and Dinner on the Ground''] University of Nebraska Press. {{ISBN|978-0-8032-1831-4}}
* [[George Pullen Jackson|Jackson, George Pullen]] (1933a) ''White Spirituals in the Southern Uplands''. University of North Carolina Press. {{ISBN|0-486-21425-7}}
* Jackson, George Pullen (1933b) "Buckwheat notes", ''[[The Musical Quarterly]]'' XIX(4):393–400.
* Miller, Kiri (ed.) (2002) ''The Chattahoochee Musical Convention, 1852–2002: A Sacred Harp Historical Sourcebook''. The Sacred Harp Museum. {{ISBN|1-887617-13-2}}
* Miller, Kiri (2007) ''Traveling Home: Sacred Harp Singing and American Pluralism''. University of Illinois Press. {{ISBN|0-252-03214-4}}
* Sommers, Laurie Kay (2010) "[http://www.southernspaces.org/2010/hoboken-style-meaning-and-change-okefenokee-sacred-harp-singing Hoboken Style: Meaning and Change in Okefenokee Sacred Harp Singing]" ''[[Southern Spaces]]'' {{ISSN|1551-2754}}
* Steel, David Warren with Richard H. Hulan (2010) ''The Makers of the Sacred Harp''. University of Illinois Press. {{ISBN|978-0-252-07760-9}}
* Wallace, James B. (2007) "[http://southernspaces.org/2007/stormy-banks-and-sweet-rivers-sacred-harp-geography Stormy Banks and Sweet Rivers: A Sacred Harp Geography]" ''[[Southern Spaces]]'' {{ISSN|1551-2754}}

==External links==
===Information and reading===
{{External links|date=August 2021}}
* [http://fasola.org/ Fasola Home Page], a web site dedicated to Sacred Harp music
* [http://www.originalsacredharp.com Sacred Harp Publishing Company], publisher of the most commonly used edition of ''The Sacred Harp'' ("Denson Book")
* [http://www.sacredharpbook.com/ Sacred Harp Book Company], publisher for the Cooper Revision of ''The Sacred Harp''
* [http://home.olemiss.edu/~mudws/harp.html Sacred Harp Singing] by Warren Steel, another web site on the Sacred Harp
* [http://home.olemiss.edu/~mudws/resource/ Sacred Harp and Related Shape-Note Music Resources], a large and well-annotated collection of resources on shape-note music
* {{cite web |url=http://www.arts.state.al.us/actc/compilation/pisgah.html |title=Wiregrass Sacred Harp Singers Era 1980 |work=Musics of Alabama: A Compilation |publisher=Alabama Center for Traditional Culture |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130108081934/http://www.arts.state.al.us/actc/compilation/pisgah.html |archive-date=8 January 2013 |url-status=dead}}

===Online media===
* Public-domain editions: [http://imslp.org/wiki/The_Sacred_Harp_%28Various%29 ''The Sacred Harp'' (1860)]; [https://archive.org/details/11394316.4428.emory.edu ''The Sacred Harp'', J.S. James revision (1911)]; see also [[Shape note#Public-domain shape-note tunebooks|public-domain shape-note tunebooks]]
* [https://shapenotecds.com/ Southern Field Recordings], a large collection of recordings of Sacred Harp singings in the American South
* [http://www.bostonsing.org/recordings/ BostonSing], a large collection of shape-note recordings
* {{cite web |url=https://sacredharpbremen.org/en/home/ |title=Sacred Harp Bremen}} Includes all the songs in the Sacred Harp book: lyrics, sheet music and the individual parts sung by a synthesised voice, and a beginners guide. In English and German.
* [https://www.sacredharptunes.com/ New Compositions in the Styles of the Sacred Harp]

{{christian music}}

[[Category:Sacred Harp| ]]
[[Category:American styles of music]]
[[Category:American Christian hymns]]
[[Category:Christian music genres]]
[[Category:Musical notation]]
[[Category:Shape note]]
[[Category:Four-part harmony]]
[[Category:Choral music genres]]