It’s not a reprint. Why Sacred Harp singers are revamping an iconic pre-Civil War hymnal

AP News ^ | Updated 9:15 AM CDT, May 29, 2025 | HOLLY MEYER

[E. Pluribus Unum]

BREMEN, Ga. (AP) — Singers at Holly Springs Primitive Baptist Church in West Georgia treat their red hymnals like extensions of themselves, never straying far from their copies of “The Sacred Harp” and its music notes shaped like triangles, ovals, squares and diamonds.

In four-part harmony, they sing together for hours, carrying on a more than 180-year-old American folk tradition that is as much about the community as it is the music.

It’s no accident “The Sacred Harp” is still in use today, and a new edition — the first in 34 years — is on its way.

Since the Christian songbook’s pre-Civil War publication, groups of Sacred Harp singers have periodically worked together to revise it, preserving its history and breathing new life into it. It’s a renewal, not a reprint, said David Ivey, a lifelong singer and chair of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company’s revision and music committee.

“That’s credited for keeping our book vibrant and alive,” said Ivey.

First published in 1844 by West Georgia editors and compilers Benjamin F. White and Elisha J. King, revisions of the shape-note hymnal make space for songs by living composers, said...

“This is a book that was published before my great-grandparents were born and I think people will be singing from it long after I’m dead,” said Karlsberg, who met his wife through the a cappella group practice, which is central to his academic career. It’s also his spiritual community.

“It’s changed my life to become a Sacred Harp singer.”

Cuts, additions and other weighty decision making

The nine-member revision committee feels tremendous responsibility, said Ivey, who also worked on the most recent 1991 edition.

Sacred Harp singers are not historical reenactors, he said. They use their hymnals week after week. Some treat them like scrapbooks or family Bibles, tucking mementos between pages, taking notes...

[gobucks]

Thanks for good memories!! I haven’t thought of this in over 30 yrs..
I actually did it with a small group in North Carolina back in the early 1990s, but I don’t think we were using the actual Sacred Heart book. But it was definitely non-instr. “shape note” singing. :-) It was exotic.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shape_note

[George Varnum]

I collect music of the late 18th to early 20th century, mostly hymns and gospel music, and have a couple of original “Sacred Harp” end-binders.
I never got into shape note singing myself, but recently invited a bunch of Amish fellows from a nearby community over to check out my collection. Six of them arrived on bicycles with their shape note hymnals, which is apparently all they use in their “simple” faith tradition, and for an hour or two sang in 4 part harmony in my parlor. It was wonderful!

[buridan]

Thanks for the interesting post!

Here’s a link to a film about Sacred Harp singing:

https://www.folkstreams.net/films/sweet-is-the-day

[ckilmer]

there are shape note singing groups all over the country now. but they’re all mostly urban in nature and very liberal,

I sang with them in the washington dc metro area for a couple years.

occasionally there were country shape note sessions where country people would show up. they were rare and fleeting. I think they figured things out pretty quickly.

I love shape note sound but i didn’t care for the people.

[MayflowerMadam]

That’s beautiful singing. Shape notes are interesting.