Singings

The best way to learn more about Sacred Harp singing is to experience it in person. There are many annual and local singings scattered across the United States, most heavily concentrated in the rural south, and there are also singings in England and Canada.

Annual singings

All-day or multi-day singing conventions, with traditional potluck “dinner on the grounds” at noon, are the core of the Sacred Harp tradition. They are usually scheduled annually by weekend, for example, “the 2nd Sunday in June”. Some conventions have been meeting in the same or nearby location for 150 years or more.

These Directories are maintained by Dr. Warren Steel, U. Mississippi:

Maps and Driving Directions

Many singings are held in rural settings that can be very difficult to find. You may want to check Maps and Driving Directions for maps to more than 100 singing locations (over 130 singings).

Annual singings take place all over the country, but most are in Alabama and Georgia. Will Fitzgerald has produced this excellent map showing the distribution of singing locations in 2004.

Local or “practice” singings

Almost all the local singing groups are open to the public and to new members.

Check the Local Regular Singing Directory for the group nearest to you.

Some local singing groups also have their own web sites: