February 12th Singing and Missouri State Sacred Harp Convention in March...

February is a short month but things start happening quickly. First on the list is this Sunday's, Feb. 12th, monthly singing in the General Store on the grounds of the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale. As usual, singing will start about 1:30 in the afternoon and we'll sing until 4:00 P.M. Visitors and potential singers who want to learn more about Sacred Harp or shape note singing are always welcome. If you arrive in Springdale early, you're always invited to have lunch with other early singers and friends who gather at the AQ Chicken House "around noon" each singing Sunday. Just ask for the "singer's table."

I hope our February singing is a good "warm-up" for the next big event which is considered to be one of the best of the early state singing conventions each year and being centrally located, enjoys participation by singers from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. Since so many of our local Shiloh Singers attend the Missouri Convention each year, the Shiloh Singers' March singing is declared in recess on March 12th and our next local singing will be on April 9th. Please mark your calendars.

******

The St. Louis Shape Note Singers are well into preparations for the 32nd Annual Missouri State Sacred Harp Convention, March 11th and 12th, and Missouri singers are hoping to see and sing with many friends and friends-we-have-not-yet-met.  It is not too early to make your motel reservations for this year's convention - especially since there is a Feb 17th cut-off date at two of the motels where we have secured reduced rates.

Photo: St. John's United Church of Christ, Pinckney, MO

Here are the reduced rates they have obtained.  In all cases, the stated rates are prior to taxes and the group name is "Sacred Harp".  Call the motel directly to obtain the reduced rates.

Washington, MO (location of the Saturday evening social) -

    Super 8, 636-390-0088:  $70 for 2 Doubles or 1 Queen.

    Best Western, 636-390-8877:  $102.60 for 2 Queens or 1 King.  Cut-off date for this rate is Feb 17th.

Warrenton, MO –

    Baymont Suites, 636-456-6000:  $50/night for either 2 Queens or 1 King.

    Holiday Inn Express, 636-456-2220: $120/night for 2 Queens or 1 King.  Cut-off date for this rate is Feb 17th.

Union, MO –

    Super 8, 636-583-8808: $70 for 2 Doubles or 1 Queen.

To see where these lodging options are relative to locations for the Convention and the Saturday evening social and the St. Louis metropolitan area and airport, visit:  www.tinyurl.com/pinckney

There are also a large number of Bed and Breakfast establishments in this popular area: www.tinyurl.com/BandBWashMO  Note that additional B&Bs will be displayed as you pan across this map.

We hope that the wide array of lodging choices will suit any who might want to come.  Come sing with us !

View a YouTube video from the 2016 Convention:

Thanks and a hat-tip to Paul Figura for developing and posting the above information. Visit the Google group at https://groups.google.com/group/fasola-singings.

******

While you're marking your calendars, circle or highlight May 6, 2017 which is the date of the Northwest Arkansas Convention at St. John's Episcopal Church in Harrison, AR. Singing will be from 10:00 A.M. until 3:00 P.M. with a break for a pot-luck lunch. There are more annual singings on tap for the rest of the year.

One More Thing:  We just got the 2016 Minutes/2017 Directory Books from Judy Caudle in Alabama this week. (Thank you Judy!) We'll be updating the Regional Singings webpage for 2017 in the next several days. Please let me know at Sunday's singing or with an email if you have a special singing in Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas or Louisiana that you want to promote so we can make sure your special event is added to the regional singings list on page 4 on the Shiloh Singers website. We can always add items during the year but we want to continue to promote the local events within easy driving range in our part of the country.

Hope you can get to the Shiloh Singers Singing on Sunday or sing somewhere on Sunday...