Appalachian Association of Sacred Harp Singers

Who are we?

The Appalachian Association of Sacred Harp Singers is an informal group that meets to sing from the Sacred Harp shape-note tradition. We also sing from Southern Harmony. The group was formed around 1980. Our mailing list contains over 40 singers. Our monthly sings generally draw about 12 singers. Our yearly convention is attended by about 40 singers from surrounding states.

All singers, whether trained or not, whether you can read shapes or not, are always welcome. We always have extra books (which you can buy if you want) at our sings. Everyone who wants gets a chance to pick and lead songs; we provide free "on the job" training.

We have a fairly informal structure. The organizing committee currently includes the following. (Note: remove the underscore from all mail addresses.) Mary Brinkman (secretary, past song leader), Charles Coulston (song leader, treasurer), Zachary Davis, Raphael Finkel, Keith MacAdam, James Thobaben, and Ron Pen (past song leader). Every singing, someone is appointed by the song leader to be the convener; the convener makes sure everyone who wants has a chance to lead.

Here is a picture taken December, 2008 at a joint singing with the Berea Shape Note group at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Mercer County, Kentucky.

When and where do we meet?

We meet 3p to 5p, usually on the second Sunday of every month except June, July, and August, usually at the John Jacob Niles Gallery (here is a map) of King Library North, at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Our schedule for 2012-13:

Sun, Sept 9	UK Niles Gallery, Lexington	3-5pm
Sun, Oct 14	UK Niles Gallery, Lexington	3-5pm
Sun, Nov 11	UK Niles Gallery, Lexington	3-5pm
Sun, Dec 9	Mount Zion Church, Mercer County, KY photo	3-supper
Sun, Jan 13	UK Niles Gallery, Lexington	3-5pm
Sun, Feb 10	UK Niles Gallery, Lexington	3-5pm
Sun, Mar 10	UK Niles Gallery, Lexington	3-5pm
Sun, Apr 14	UK Niles Gallery, Lexington	3-5pm
Sun, May 12	UK Niles Gallery, Lexington	3-5pm
Sat, May 18	KY Singing Convention, Pisgah presbyterian Church, Versailles, KY	9am-3pm

Our annual singing (the Kentucky Sacred Harp Singing Convention) is the Saturday before the third Sunday in May. We have held the convention in the Pisgah Presbyterian Church a few miles West of Lexington since 1995.

We also present occasional concerts at local churches and art venues.

What is shape note?

Shape note is an early American form of notation for untrained church choirs. Each note is written not only on ordinary staff lines (for those who can read them) but also with a shape that indicates its position in the scale. There are 7-shape schemes. The books we sing from use a 4-shape scheme, with the notes in a major scale as follows: fa so la fa so la mi fa

Can I see some?

You might look at Lansdowne, set to shape note by Raphael Finkel, a member of our group.

What are our favorite songs?

Follow this link to see what we sang at the 1998 Kentucky State Sacred Harp Convention. Here is a snippet of Jordan (page 66), recorded from the 1995 convention. Here is a PDF file of our favorite tunes.

What does it cost?

We have no dues or other fees. We raise stamp money by an occasional paid engagement. We pass the hat at the yearly convention to cover the cost of publishing our minutes.

Upcoming events

Tim Eriksen Thursday, April 11, 2013, in the John Jacob Niles Gallery of the Little Fine Arts Library, University of Kentucky. There will be a trio concert at noon, then a Shape Note singing school from 7:00-9:00pm in the same location.

You can hear the Tim Eriksen Trio on YouTube and watch another YouTube video.

Tim Eriksen is acclaimed for transforming American tradition with his startling interpretations of old ballads, love songs, shape-note gospel and dance tunes from New England and Southern Appalachia. He is perhaps most famous for his involvement in the shape note music for the movie, Cold Mountain, and as founder of the hardcore Americana band Cordelia's Dad, but he has been involved with numerous artists and genre-crossing projects. He combines hair-raising vocals with inventive accompaniment on banjo, fiddle, guitar and bajo sexto – a twelve string Mexican acoustic bass – creating a distinctive hardcore Americana sound that ranges from the bare bones of solo unaccompanied singing on his album Soul of the January Hills through the stripped-down voice and bajo sexto Christmas album Star in the East to the lush, multi-layered arrangements on Josh Billings Voyage, the new album of northern roots American music from the imaginary New England village of Pumpkintown. Contact: Donna Kwon.

Regularly scheduled singings near us

Columbus, OH: First, third, fifth Sundays, 4p-6p. Fred Todt (614) 291-0282. web site.

Cincinnati, OH: Second Sundays, 4:30p-7:30p, Community Friends Meeting, 3960 Winding Way, Cincinnati, OH 45229. John Bealle (remove underscore from mail address), (513) 861-1137.

Louisville, KY (Ohio Valley Shape Note Singers): Third Sundays, 2:30p-4:30p, Vine Street Baptist Church. Michele Cull (remove underscore from mail address) Michele Cull (502) 533-7510. Web: http://sites.google.com/site/ohiovalleyshapes2

Louisville, KY (More the Merrier Shape Note Singers): First Sundays, 6p-9p, place to be announced. Tim Morton (remove underscore from mail address)

How can I learn more?

If you are interested in shape note, you should certainly visit the fasola home page and a compilation of shape-note resources .

Various songbooks are available from various sources, generally at cost. We sell both the Sacred Harp and Southern Harmony at cost. You can get the newly revised 1994 edition of Christian Harmony from the Alabama Christian Harmony Singing Association, PO Box 535, Centreville, AL 35042. Feel free to send mail to any of our organizing committee (listed above).