The Higher Ground All-Day Singing

ABOUT

After 22 years in Terre Haute, The Higher Ground All-Day Singing is moving to Bloomington, Indiana. The event is also being held as a memorial in honor of Darrell Swarens, who passed away last year and was a beloved Shape Note singer throughout the country. The event will take place on Saturday, March 23, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Fairview United Methodist Church (600 W 6th St., Bloomington, Indiana) with a traditional dinner on the grounds at noon. We will be singing from the 1991 revision of The Sacred Harp and from The Missouri Harmony. Loaner song books will be available. Local singers are encouraged to bring a dish for the traditional potluck dinner on the grounds around 12:30PM. A voluntary donation will be taken to cover expenses. Shape Note, also known as Sacred Harp singing, is part of an American tradition that developed over two-hundred years ago. At the core of this tradition are the annual all-day singing conventions. This year will mark the first time Bloomington will host two all-day singing events within a year. Some background: All events welcome beginners and newcomers, with no musical experience or religious affiliation required — in fact, the tradition was born from colonial “singing schools” whose purpose was to teach beginners to sing...Sacred Harp “singings” are not performances. There are no rehearsals and no separate seats for an audience. Every singing is a unique and self-sufficient event with a different group of assembled participants. The singers sit in a hollow square formation with one voice part on each side, all facing inwards so we can see and hear each other. However, visitors are always welcome to sit anywhere in the room and participate as listeners. - fasola.org You can find more information at the Bloomington Sacred Harp website: www.bloomingtonsacredharp.org

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