An update on Progress at the Shiloh Museum and emphasis on keeping our singers safe during a pandemic.

Syd Caldwell, NWA's Ambassador to Sacred Harp Singing, called a few days ago to report that he had discussions with Allyn Lord at the the museum about the Fall Convention. The museum is opening slowly and still has some "restricted areas" and areas of concern where space or other safety factors are worrisome. My contribution to the conversation is only that I've been reading the CDC statements that were posted and taken back down and how airborne diseases are spread via droplets or with aerosols. Most of the research on droplets seems to go back to TB studies in 1934, where the disease was and still is shared by droplets. COVID-19 virus is small enough to be spread within an aerosol, which has a longer range, further than the normal "social distance" of only 6 feet. Activities where aerosols and the virus may be spread include indoor groups, particularly large indoor groups, without masks, such as choirs, basketball games, political rallies, and such.

While the Shiloh Meeting Hall where we sing has hard surfaces and still new air conditioning, a traditional Sacred Harp square where singers are at full volume facing each other doesn't sound like a reasonable position to take even this October. Arkansas has a "case fatality rate" (CFR) much lower than experienced in much of the U.S. But the available hospital space in ICU's has been a factor as more people test positive.

The Shiloh Museum is "safely reopening."

In any case, Syd asked that I informally poll other singers as he was running out of time on his schedule, and the results were consistent that the Shiloh Singers follow the museum's schedule. Any of the singers who would like to know more about the Shiloh Museum's efforts to refurbish facilities, improve displays and safeguard irreplaceable resources can sign up for the museum's newsletter. With all the hard work by museum staff and the improvements, Springdale will have an even better museum to preserve Springdale's history and prominence in the history of the Ozarks.

The museum is also carefully reopening in an effort to keep everyone safe while letting people visit and enjoy the museum's exhibits and the shade trees and get on with as many normal activities as possible or that can be modified to keep everyone safe. 

If you'd like to get on museum's mailing list, send an email to the museum at:  shiloh@springdalear.gov and ask to be added to their "News and Events" email list.  In the meantime, the museum will be open Monday through Fridays and closed Saturdays. Every Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to noon, is reserved for high-risk visitors only.

+  If you have any fever, chills or shortness of breath, please stay home until you feel better.

+  The museum is limiting the number of visitors at one time, based on social distancing.

+  Please be patient until room is available. Please use the front entry door and use the side door for exits to maintain safe distancing. Visitors in wheelchairs may ring the bell on the east door and someone will open the door and assist your entry.

+  Visitors must wear a face mask unless they are under 2 years of age or have trouble breathing or other incapacitation. Please practice social distancing while visiting and keep children nearby.

+  Purses are OK but please leave strollers or other personal belongings in your car.

+  Due to the small space, the museum store is closed until the "all clear" is given.

+  If you are a researcher, please call, email or regular mail any research questions or photo requests as space is limited.

All that being said, I have been impressed with the work already done and the photos posted in the museum's "News and Events" newsletter. If you have any questions call the museum at 479-750-8165 or use the email address: shiloh@springdalear.gov

Virtual Singings during the Pandemic

For those not on Facebook,
"Some people have been frustrated by the fact that virtual singing announcements are
scattered around various groups and hard to find. Clarissa Fetrow set up a calendar where people can find and add virtual singings all in one place: https://teamup.com/ks3ix6aajdw2xjz3ja"

Be on the lookout for the emailed October edition of the Shiloh Singers Newsletter that will have more information about how to access some of the virtual Covid Singings. 

The Shiloh Museum is not just about the past

Katy Black and "Mr. T" in safer days.

The Shiloh Museum is a place to learn about the people and events that formed our present. The museum's newsletter generally closes with a note about "Mr.T," the museum's resident supervising cat. "Thomas" to his friends has even visited our singings when we sang in the General Store building. He usually has the last word in the "News and Events" newsletter.

The picture shows Thomas giving my wife a big hug a couple of year's ago when social distancing was not required. These days he might be more likely put a paw on your cheek to remind you to wear your mask or pat you hand to remind you to wash your paws if you get too close.

A museum that has a friendly cat, also has friendly people. So watch for changes in the news from the museum and see all the improvements at your community's Shiloh Museum of Ozark History. 

We'll publish any changes we hear about on this website or a special edition of the Shiloh Singer's newsletter that is published once a month when we're not in recess for pandemics and the safety of our singers. We don't want to take any chances with our friends and neighbors.

Take care out there. Wear your mask, keep your distance, avoid large crowds and wash your paws!  Mr. T even has me saying that!!

BR549

Singing on December 9th (with snacks!)

Bill Caldwell leading in the Shiloh Meeting Hall

Our last singing of 2018 will be this Sunday, December 9th from 1:30 P.M. to 4 P.M. at the Shiloh Meeting Hall in Springdale, AR; visitors warmly welcome.  As usual, anyone interested is invited to convene at AQ Chicken in Springdale at noon for lunch. We usually try to bring holiday cookies and snacks to be enjoyed during the break, so feel free to bring something to share, and come ready to snack!

For those interested, work is beginning on another revision of the "red book." Here"s an update from the Sacred Harp Publishing Company's Facebook page:

Inputs to the Music-Revision Committee that is revising The Sacred Harp, including recommendations of music to consider, may be sent to:
Music Committee
P.O. Box 4243
Huntsville, AL 35815
or Revision@SacredHarp.com 

also from the Facebook Page:

The Board of Directors of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company unanimously approved a revision of The Sacred Harp, 1991 Edition. David Ivey has agreed to serve as the chair of the Music Committee. This decision builds on discussions with members of the singing community and among the board over the last several years. We anticipate that the revision process will take 4–5 years. The board is grateful to David for agreeing to take on this role and looks forward to sharing information with the community throughout the revision process.

and another update from the Original Sacred Harp Website:

The Board of Directors of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company unanimously approved a revision of The Sacred Harp, 1991 Edition. David Ivey has agreed to serve as the chair of the Music Committee. This decision builds on discussions with members of the singing community and among the board over the last several years. We anticipate that the revision process will take 4–5 years. The board is grateful to David for agreeing to take on this role and looks forward to sharing information with the community throughout the revision process.

mb

October Singings in Springdale

Hello Sacred Harp Friends!

It’s officially fall, and our October singing will soon be upon us.  The next meeting will be Sunday, October 14^th from 1:30 P.M. to 4 P.M. at the Shiloh Meeting Hall in Springdale, AR; visitors warmly welcome.  As usual, anyone interested is invited to convene at AQ Chicken in Springdale at noon for lunch.  

We also have fall singing school and all day singing scheduled for the end of this month at the Shiloh Meeting Hall. The Fall Singing School will be October 26^thfrom 6:30 P.M. to 8 P.M followed by an All Day Singing from 9:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. on October 27^th, with a pot-luck lunch around noon. Our teacher for the singing school this year will be Matt Bell from Memphis, TN. We’re grateful to have him!

Quick Update—Singing Opportunity June 30th

The time and date of the Grand Opening of the Shiloh Meeting Hall (formerly the Odd Fellow's Hall) has been confirmed: July 30th at 2 P.M. Sacred Harp singing will be at 2 inside in the A/C, and there will be a presentation for the grand opening and other musical groups following. We appreciate being invited to use the Shiloh Meeting Hall for our future singings.

For those of you who use Facebook (those that don't may still be able to access the presentation; I'm not sure), some of our group were involved in a presentation about Shape Note Singing at the Fayetteville Public Library earlier this summer (it also includes a little information about the Shiloh Meeting Hall). The above link should lead to a recording of the presentation.

Early Summer Singings

Our next 2nd Sunday singing will be June 10th from 1:30 to 4 at the Shiloh Museum. As per usual, those interested can meet at AQ Chicken at noon for lunch.

The Shiloh Museum is quickly finishing construction on the Odd Fellow's Hall, and plan a dedication on Saturday June 30th , likely at 10am, but the time is not set in stone. Allyn Lord, the museum's director, has suggested that we might sing at the dedication, so we'll take a head count of those who think they can attend at our meeting on June 10th, and firm up any details.

Soon after, July 5-7, will be the Annual Shape Note Singing in Mountain View, AR. This will be a weekend full of shape note singing, including singing and teaching sessions with Dan Brittain and Gaylon Powell, and singing from both four-shape and seven-shape books. Follow the links above and below for more information. Mountain View Maps to the Ozark Folk Center Gathering and Saturday, July 7th Schedule.

We had a wonderful time at our NWA Shiloh Singing Convention on May 5th at St. John's Episcopal Church. Over the course of the day, we had around 25 singers total in attendance. Donations were raised to cover the cost of the minutes books and the use of the St. Johns's Kitchen; we agreed the remainder would go to St. John's efforts toward reconstructing their daycare into a landing place for women and families facing domestic abuse.

Our regular singing on May 12th, Mother's day, was also quite lively. Thank you all for your kindness to my grandmother when she visited; she really enjoyed hearing our music and meeting some of the folks I sing with. It was a wonderful Mother's Day for us!

At both meetings, we announced the transition from B.R. managing the website and newsletter to Darryl and Margaux covering the jobs between them; Darryl will send out the newsletter and Margaux will manage the website.  I think we'll all miss B.R.'s warm style, but he's ready for a rest, and so he's passed the torch to Darryl and I.  Thank you, B.R., for your work all these years, and for your training these last months. And we thank all of you in advance for your patience.

Update: Three Singings in May

First Singing: Our yearly Northwest Arkansas Sacred Harp Singing Convention will be Saturday, May 5, 2018 from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm in the St. John's Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 707 W. Central Ave., Harrison AR. We'll be having a pot-luck lunch, so bring your favorite prize-winning hot dish, cold dish, snack, or dessert to share.  I'm told refrigeration and microwave heating will be available.  For more information, please see the map and flyer below.  There's a rumor about an informal jam following the singing, so those interested in playing or listening might want to bring an instrument, a pair of spoons, or just plan to hang around for a bit after 3.






















NWA Sacred Harp Singing Convention 2018 Flyer


Second Singing: As we discussed at our last meeting, we will have our regular 2nd Sunday singing at the Shiloh Museum on May 13th 2018 from 1:30-4:00. As usual, those interested can also join a group of singers at AQ Chicken in Springdale at noon for lunch before the singing.


Update:
Third Singing: B.R. has been in touch with folks from the singing in Washington, AR, and has confirmed that they will be having a singing on May 19th 2018 from 10:00 am-3:00 pm at the Washington United Methodist Church in Washington, AR. Here is a link to more information and an interactive map: Washington AR Singing

Singing on 9/13 and Other Events in September and October

September 13th Singing at the Shiloh Museum: It's time for the monthly reminder that the Shiloh Sacred Harp Singers of NW Arkansas will be singing in the General Store of the Shiloh Museum on Sunday afternoon, September 13, 2015 from 1:30 until 4:00 P.M. Visitors are always welcome, so come watch, tap your feet, look at the music in a loaner book while we're singing and join in the the singing.

Photo: Bill Caldwell leads the Shiloh Singers at the August 9th singing in the Shiloh Museum General Store.

Children, or "next generation singers," are also welcome to join in too. The fact is that our singing sessions are somewhat informal and you'll be surrounded by others who just enjoy singing the old songs as they were sung by our ancestors before small rural congregations could afford pianos and organs. Your participation is encouraged. 

Updated: 9/14/15 After the Singing Report - Had 25 adults and children at the singing plus the local cat who helped entertain the children. Just as the singing ended, a kitten of a similar color showed up at the open door but was afraid to come in. The children instinctively made a bee-line for the kitten who instinctively ran for the barn at full speed and was not seen again.  It is wonderful to have children to attend and sing. 

We also had about several college students who were taking a music class and Andrew Albers and Bill Caldwell gave them some history and info on sacred harp and our type of singing. Hope they all make an A+ on their assignment. We were also joined by several singers from the Tulsa group planning their singing school and singing in Oct. 26th. 

Syd Caldwell forwarded an email Monday morning from Stanley Smith, one of the Sacred Harp composers who plans to be with us at the October NWA Singing Convention. Syd used a cell phone yesterday to share a couple of Sacred Harp songs with Stanley. One of the better uses of cellular technology: 

Thanks for calling and letting me hear “Not Made with Hands” and “Haw Ridge”. Ya’ll did a great job on both. Relay to all that I appreciate it very much. I sure did my heart good hear your singing and that you did my song. Ya’ll did so good, you can do it again sometime. Looking forward to being out there soon. - Stanley

September 26th Singing School and Sacred Harp Singing in Tulsa: But the monthly second Sunday singings are only just the start for the next two months. We're even more excited by the news that Sacred Harp singers in the Tulsa area have organized as Tulsa Friends of Sacred Harp Singing and they have planned a one-day Tulsa Shape Note School and Singing on Saturday, September 26, 2015 from 9:30 A.M. until 3:30 P.M. at the First Lutheran Church, 1244 S. Utica Ave. Dan Brittain will be leading the singing school. Thanks to Frank Christel for sharing the Facebook page link for more information about the Tulsa event at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1022825927749050/ and to Elaine King who is hosting the Tulsa group's new Facebook pages.

Updated: 9/11/15 - We just got a note from Frank that the Tulsa group has posted their web page at: http://shapenoteoklahoma.org/ with info, slides and a YouTube video. Check it out.

October 23rd and 24th NWA Fall Sacred Harp Singing School and Convention: We've already talked about the NW Arkansas Fall Sacred Harp Singing School on Friday evening, Oct. 23rd and the All-Day Singing Convention and Dinner on the Grounds on October 24th in Springdale. The singing school will be in the General Store, where we usually sing each month, from 6:30 to 8:30 P.M. The Saturday convention will be across the street from the Shiloh Museum entrance in the 1st Security Bank Community Room, just south of the drive in bank. The singing will start at 9:30 A.M. and conclude at 3:30 P.M. with a pot luck noon meal. Rather than repeat all of the details again in the newsletter, you can catch up with the details on last month's newsletter posting. Thanks again to Elaine King's creative efforts on her computer, click on this link: NWA Singing School and Convention flyer for a PDF copy that you can easily view or download to print and share with others.

Other Official and Unofficial activities: Updated: 9/11/15 - Thanks to Syd Caldwell for his note that Susan Young, Outreach Coordinator at the Shiloh Museum, will present a program on Sacred Harp at the Harrison Public Library on September 22, 2015 at 5:30 P.M.

As usual, any singers or visitors who wish to join the singer's table at AQ's Chicken House in Springdale for AQ's usual assortment of chicken dishes are welcome to arrive around noon this Sunday. Just ask the reception desk for directions to the singers and they'll point you in the right direction. It's a good time to visit and ask questions about Sacred Harp singing.

...And one more thing: We're still having headaches (program updates? regressions? driver error?) with our email and mailing list software. The September email newsletter was delayed while the mailing list was pieced back together yet again. While I hope the lists (two of them now) will stay fixed this time, we had to eliminate several damaged entries. IF you DID NOT get a copy of the September newsletter this month, and would like to get back on the list, please send an email to: brt.black@gmail.com so that we can make sure you are on the list. Of course if you got a copy and wish to just follow the news on this web site, directions for getting off the list are at the bottom of each newsletter.

As always we'll look forward to singing with you on Sunday afternoon.

Update: Winter storm may hamper travel for January singing.

Updated: 1/12/13 7:30 P.M. - The Shiloh Singers of NW Arkansas will be singing in the Country Store on the ground of the Shiloh Museum this Sunday, January 13th, at 1:30 P.M. weather permitting. As of early Saturday evening, the much closer look at the weather headed out of Canada has been less optimistic. The 6:00 P.M. weather reports are calling for a "Winter Weather Advisory" with freezing rain Saturday evening with sleet or freezing drizzle after midnight. A low of around 25 degrees and north winds of 10 to 15 mph are expected in Fayetteville and Springdale. Total nighttime ice accumulations of 0.1 to 0.3 of an inch are possible. Decreasing clouds "should" start to clear off during the morning turning sunny before mid-day with a high of 33 degrees. Even so, there's still a possibility of ice on roads and bridges that are not frequently salted and some spots could be slick.

Earlier this week, the long-range wild-guess for Sunday's weather in the Fayetteville - Springdale area was for partly cloudy and colder temperatures but no severe weather (like snow or ice) was expected. The expected highs are in the upper 30's. We planned to fire up a second coffee pot to also have plenty of hot water for tea or hot chocolate. 

No excuses needed with weather alerts and I think caution is warranted particularly if you're using less traveled roads. Katy and I will test the roads on the way to early church in Alma. Then I'm going to load up and then make the final decision about 10:45 Sunday morning. I-540 is usually salted if any snow or ice is found. I just hate not to be there to welcome anyone who shows up... but we'll be careful.
 
As usual, we'll head for AQ's Chicken House in Springdale for lunch if the weather has improved. (Hot chicken and dumplings really go well with a cool day!)

One of the important topics we wanted to discuss was planning for the annual Missouri State Sacred Harp Singing Convention that's held in St. John's United Church of Christ in Pinckney, MO northwest of Washington, MO. The event, hosted each year by the St. Louis Shape Note Singers, is held on the 2nd Sunday in March and the Saturday before, which will be March 9 and 10, 2013, Last year, nine Shiloh Singers were able to join an estimated 140 singers from as far away as Wisconsin, Ohio, Alabama and Georgia.

Photo: 2012 Missouri Convention - "It's always fun to sing with a church full of good singers!"

There's no better way to learn to sing Sacred Harp songs than to sing with the supporting voices of over a hundred dedicated singers from all over the region. Or you can follow my example by sitting next to an experienced singer and trying to follow their lead as closely as you can. They'll figure out that you're trying to learn. After two days of singing, you'll return home a little hoarse but a much more experienced Sacred Harp singer. Hopefully, we'll have some extra car space to share for those who are new singers or who don't want to drive that distance. I'll send out more detailed information on the schedule and accommodations as soon as it's received.

Syd Caldwell asked that I remind everyone that Texas will host two Sacred Harp Conventions in January and February.
29th Annual William J Reynolds Singing
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Cowden Hall, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1809 West Broadus, Fort Worth, Texas.
Contact: Dan Brittain for more details or email: Timothy Studstill, or the School of Church Music, (817) 923-1921, ext. 3100. (1991 Revision/Dutch Treat)

The Texas Sacred Harp Convention
Saturday and Sunday, February 23 and 24, 2013
Coker United Methodist Church, San Antonio, TX
231 E. North Loop Road, off Highway 281, north of the airport.
Info: http://hollowsquare.org/theflyertable/texasstateconvention.html

If you're in the Springdale area on Saturday, January 12, 2013, from 10 A.M. until 2 P.M. the Shiloh Museum is sponsoring their annual Cabin Fever Reliever. The event features "Collectors Edition" displays by local NW Arkansas collectors. While you're there, check out the "Single Pens, Saddlebags and Dogtrots" exhibit featuring photos of log buildings in the Arkansas Ozarks.

Photo: Learning about collecting bird carvings at the 2012 Cabin Fever Reliever.

We certainly hope you'll be singing with us this year and hope to see you Sunday afternoon if the weather clears. We'll warm up the Country Store with good songs and good fellowship.