Linking in Lincoln: March 10, 2008

Lyrically Linking

Most of us don’t know the first thing about Sacred Harp singing. Bet you didn’t know, for example, that Sacred Harp singing doesn’t require any harps. In fact, there are no instruments involved whatsoever. Go figure. Essentially, this style of musical expression takes the form of a four-part, bellowing harmony, its tone deep and a bit dark—not your grandmother’s gospel music. Interested in learning more? Kathryn Eastburn has penned a fascinating account of the origins and modern-day incarnations of the Sacred Harp movement in A Sacred Feast: Reflections on Sacred Harp Singing and Dinner on the Ground, the freshest offering from UNP’s At Table series. Anyone interested in music, Southern culture, religion, history, or food (essentially, everyone), will want to snag a copy of this book for their shelves.

In the meantime, check out these links on Sacred Harp singing and ready yourself for the next opportunity to impress fellow cocktail-party-goers with your knowledge of this fairly obscure musical subject.

Link to this great article adapted from a segment on NPR’s “All Things Considered” for a concise, educational overview of what Sacred Harp singing is all about, a link to the on-air discussion, and full-length clips of live Sacred Harp performances: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1534280.

Visit the charmingly named Fasola Web site at http://fasola.org/, sponsored by the Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association. Here you’ll find a great overview of Sacred Harp music, local and national gatherings, resources for learning the genre (including a summer camp called Camp Fasola!), and links to other informative sites.

If you want to hear what all the fuss is about, hop over to FloridaMemory.com, the online state archives of Florida, for MP3 files containing interviews with Sacred Harp singers and recordings of their performances at http://www.floridamemory.com/OnlineClassroom/sacred_harp/documents.cfm.

Interested in locating a Sacred Harp singing group in your area? Go to http://www.mcsr.olemiss.edu/~mudws/regional.html for a listing of Sacred Harp groups by region. Whether you reside in Nashville or New York City, there’s a group near you!

That brings this installment of “Linking in Lincoln” to its melodious end. Don’t forget to visit us tomorrow for “This Week in History.” Until then, bloggers!