Sacred Harp Singing

The National Sacred Harp Singing Convention was held in Alabama every June from 1980 until 2023. More than 500 participants typically gathered to celebrate the Sacred Harp singing tradition in the state. The convention attracted music and history lovers worldwide, including from the United Kingdom, which is home to closely-related traditions such as West Gallery music and Georgian psalmody. In Alabama, Sacred Harp is often called fasola or shape-note singing. The convention was sponsored by the Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association, which posted schedules of singings, minutes, and announcements.

In Sacred Harp, singers sit in a square to focus the sound of their voices inward and gain optimum balance. They sit in sections determined by singing part: Basses (men) face the trebles (male and female), and altos (females) face the tenors (male and female), who sing the melody. The leader stands in the center of the square and begins with an opening prayer and a brief organizational meeting and then announces the songs by page number. The opening pitch is sounded, and the leader beats time with a vertical motion of the hand, starting by singing fa sol la and mi. No musical instruments accompany the singers.

First held in 1980 at Samford University, the convention was established through the work of Hugh McGraw, a well-known Sacred Harp singer, with the help of Claude H. Rhea, dean of the School of Music at Samford, and associate dean Gene Black. The convention features all-day singings and a dinner each day. The singers use the 1991 Denson revision of The Sacred Harp, a four-part a cappella shape-note book, as their text, with the exception of one night session, called "The Alternate Sing." In that session, singers use the Cooper Book, The Christian Harmony, An Eclectic Harmony II, and new songs penned by participants in the convention.

The convention was organized and run by a volunteer committee. There were no dues for membership or convention fees; however, a daily collection was taken to cover expenses. Also, CDs recorded at previous conventions were sold to help raise funds. When Samford University ceased its involvement with the convention, local churches provided their buildings to accommodate the singers. Every song was recorded during the convention, as was the name of the leader, and this information was published annually in the Minutes Book.