Singing on Sunday and planning for more singing in October...

This is a busy weekend at the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History. If you're a quilter, on Saturday, Sept. 9th, there's the 40th Annual Quilt Fair on the lawn between the museum and general store. The quilt fair includes a variety of quilts, and there's live entertainment by Greenland Station band. The quilt fair will be open between 10 A.M. and 2 P.M.

Second, the Shiloh Singers of NW Arkansas will be singing in the country store on Sunday afternoon, Sept 10th, starting at 1:30 and continuing until 4:00 P.M. As usual, visitors and visitors with children are invited to sit in on the session. They can just listen or they can use a "loaner" song book to follow along and hopefully even sing along. The country store is the white building east of the museum building and barn at 118 W. Johnson Avenue in Springdale.

If you prefer to have lunch before singing, there's usually a table or two of singers at AQ Chicken House at 1207 N Thompson St in Springdale. Visitors are also welcome to really sit down and visit and ask questions. We try to gather around noon.

Click on photo for larger view

Photo: Andrew Albers leads the outdoor singing under the trees at the Murrell Home in October, 2016. 

The Shiloh Singers have been invited again to have an old fashioned outdoor singing at the 2nd Annual Agriculture Festival at the Murrell Home Historic Site in Park Hill, OK. The three day festival starts on Friday October 6 with demonstrations, exhibits, entertainment, food, shopping and more. I guess the outdoor singing is more. Last year there was a pioneer church service delivered at 11 A.M. as it might have been under the trees near the Murrell Home. After a short break for lunch and forming a square with benches, hay bales or bring your own camping chairs, the singers will conducted their regular October 8th Sunday Singing at the Murrell Home from about 12:30 until 3:30 P.M. We've just changed the location.

Click on poster for larger version

As was the case last year, singers from Oklahoma are invited to bring guests and join the fun. We enjoyed meeting singers from the Tulsa area and the Oklahoma City group that meets in Edmond on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month.  We enjoyed meeting singers from Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas last year and hope to meet even more new friends and singers in the historic setting that the Murrell Home provides. Singers are also invited to explore the home and exhibits during their visit.

For more info about the Murrell Home Historic Site see: http://www.okhistory.org/sites/georgemurrell

There's a second October event we need to discuss at this Sunday's lunch and plan at the Sunday singing. The NW Arkansas Fall Singing is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, 9:30 A.M. 3:00 P.M. Syd Caldwell has been planning on a Singing School on Friday evening, October 20th, before the all day Saturday singing which last year ran from 6:30 until 8:30 P.M. Both new singers and more experienced singers can benefit for the instruction in an informal environment paced to mix instruction and a warm up for the Saturday singing to follow. More details will be provided after the planning session in next month's newsletter and on the website.

I know everyone has been busy. Some of our singers have many friends, fellow singers and relatives in Texas as well as Florida, Georgia and Alabama. Katy and I share your concerns. We found out about the Shiloh Singers by attending the quilt show in 2004 after we moved to Arkansas. It's a busy time but Sunday afternoon is a good time to gather, sing, enjoy the company of like-minded singers. Join us and spend an afternoon singing the old shape note songs with harmony and enthusiasm. It will do you a world of good! Hope to see you Sunday!