Birmingham church to host Sacred Harp convention

The 23rd Annual National Sacred Harp Singing Convention will be held June 13–15 at Trinity United Methodist Church, Birmingham.
   
Buell Cobb, chairman of the event, said organizers are expecting participants from as many as 25 states, as well as England and Australia.
   
“Twenty to 30 years ago you wouldn’t find Sacred Harp singing anywhere outside the South, and now it’s all over the United States as well as other countries,” he said.
   
The Thurdsay and Friday singing begins both days at 9:30 a.m. and concludes at 3 p.m. with the evening sessions running from 7 to 9 p.m. The half day Saturday session, which concludes the event, is from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
   
“Come anytime,” Cobb said. “Friday and Saturday are traditionally bigger days, because more people can get off [work] then.”
   
The singers, who are divided into four parts — treble, tenor, alto and bass — use the four shape-note system to create the eight-note scale. Fa is a triangle, Sol is a circle, La is a square, and Mi is a diamond.
   
According to Cobb, the most audible differences between shape-note singing and singing today, is the singing of the shape-notes before the singing of the verses. Cobb said singers running short on time will sacrifice verses of a song rather than the singing of the notes. “It’s a spectacular entrance to the song,” Cobb said.
   
The name Sacred Harp comes from the tunebook used by the singers. Written by B.F. White and E.J. King, it was first published in 1844, and has been through few revisions.
   
Two versions of the book are used today, the Cooper book, and the Denson book. Cobb said the convention’s singers will be using the Denson version, since it is used more widely.
   
“Sacred Harp came at the apex of the tradition,” Cobb said. “It’s changed little in 150 years.”
   
For Cobb, the rewards of shape-note singing are easily noted. “It’s spiritually uplifting, musically gratifying and a great social exchange.”
   
And the reward for listeners?
   
“It’s a wonderful, wholesome activity,” Cobb said. “It’s part of our southern heritage.”