Next singing this Sunday, June 14... Plans for July Ozark Folk Center Gathering

It has been a long time since we've joined together to sing. May 2nd in Harrison for the NWA Sacred Harp Singing Convention was almost six weeks ago, and after all the rainfall last month, I hope that all of the Shiloh Singers have a chance to enjoy a wonderful drive through the Ozarks' thick green forests on Sunday, June 14, 2015. The destination is the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History's General Store to sing from The Sacred Harp and the Missouri Harmony from 1:30 to 4:00 P.M. The temperature is expected to be in the 80's with an occasional shower to cool things down. For those who can get to Springdale around noon, the ad hoc lunch group will gather at AQ Chicken House on Hwy Bus. 71 for lunch and catching up with news of family and friends. All are welcome, bring a friend and enjoy the afternoon with singing.

First of all, our thanks to all who participated in the Harrison event, the cooks who brought their best dishes and desserts, to Dan Brittain who has been the guiding light behind this annual event and the congregation of St. John's Episcopal Church who generously opened their doors to provide such a wonderful place to sing. I'm sorry if you were unable to attend. We had a good time but you were missed.

The month of July is not far away and we have several events to talk about. First, the annual Ozarks Folk Center State Park Shape Note Gathering, scheduled for July 9-11 in Mountain View, AR. The instructors for the school and singing will be Gaylon Powell and Dan Brittain, both well known in the nationwide Sacred Harp and Shape Note world. Holly Ruth Gale and Charley Sandage will assist. 

July 9, Thursday evening - A short introductory singing and discussion at 6:00 until 6:45 P.M. to introduce the event in the small White Oak Auditorium located in the Administration Building.  Folks can go to the main show in the theater and buses will be available afterwards to take attendees directly to the main auditorium for the evening program.

July 10, Friday - On the stage of the Folk Center Auditorium, a presentation of all the oblong shape note books in use today. We will have samples from each to sing. Teachers can also earn in-service credit for participation on Friday.
    9:00- 11:30 A.M. - Morning session
    1:00 – 4:00 P.M. - Afternoon session
    7:00 P.M. - The singers take part in the Friday show.

July 11, Saturday- An exciting new event for the Folk Center as part of the weekend gathering. There will be an All-Day singing at the Old High School Auditorium. One half of the day will be devoted to the 1991 Denson Book, the other half to the Christian Harmony. Location: Old Mountain View High School Auditorium (Stone County Historical Society), 204 School Avenue, just off of Main Street in Mountain View.
    10:00 - 11:35 A.M. - Morning session
    1:15 - 3:30 A.M. - Afternoon session
Plan on a Dutch treat for lunch. I think we called that "foraging" on your own when I was in the Army. Of course, we will add more details as they become available, or check out the Ozark Folk Center Announcement at: http://www.ozarkfolkcenter.com/events/?isofc=1&id=2325

Then on Sunday, July 12th, knowing that not everyone can get to Mountain View on Saturday, we still plan on having our regular monthly singing in Springdale in the General Store from 1:30 until 4:00 P.M. following the normal Sunday schedule.

One more thing: Thanks to Allyn Lord, Director at the Shiloh Museum who forwarded the announcement of the reprinting of the Original Sacred Harp tune book originally published in 1911. The singers at Harrison in May actually had a chance to see a copy of the reprint. It's a piece of history some of you may want to keep in your personal library.

Original Sacred Harp: Centennial Edition

"We've just published this commemorative reprint of a much-loved 1911 historical edition of The Sacred Harp, with a new introduction on the book’s legacy and context. Edited by Jesse P. Karlsberg, this Centennial Edition of Joseph Stephen James's Original Sacred Harp" makes newly accessible a trove of engaging music and James’s fascinating historical notes on each of the book's 609 songs."

Learn more historical information about the book: "Old Strings on a New Harp" by Jesse P. Karlsberg.

To order a copy of the book, visit The Sacred Harp Publishing Co: "Original Sacred Harp: Centennial Edition" publisher's page.

To view or download a PDF copy of the May, 2015, "Sacred Harp Publishing Company's  Newsletter" that you can print and share, visit:

Photo and text from the Sacred Harp Publishing Company, May 13, 2015.

And a personal note: Several of the regular singers already know that the Shiloh Singers mailing list has grown in size to the point we had to split the database into two smaller mailing lists to keep from apparently exceeding Google's limits on  non-commercial mailings. Later, we found that some of the email names and addresses were corrupted at some point before, during or after the conversion process. I'll spare you the details. However if you know of a singer who no longer gets the Shiloh newsletter and should, or a new singer who registered and never got a newsletter, please let me know or encourage them to resubscribe. I've been working with computers since the days when dinosaurs like the big IBM's roamed the earth and sometimes their smaller cousins - Windows, Macs and Linux - still win.

We hope to see all of you who can get to Springdale on Sunday. We'll make a joyful noise and have a good time.