Shiloh Singers Newsletter for May, 2012

The regular May 27th Sunday Singing at the Shiloh Museum Canceled
I sincerely hope that the number of people in our group who will be traveling in May is evidence that the economy is starting to improve. I suppose the discussions about travel plans started at the NWA Sacred Harp Singing Convention in Harrison and Syd counted up all those who plan to be traveling or who have other commitments on May 27th, the 4th Sunday. So far, it looks like our group will be about eight "regulars" shy of a quorum in May. Accordingly, Syd suggested I publish the May newsletter early and let all the Shiloh Singers know so people won't drive a great distance only to find a sign on the door of the country store building that the singing had been canceled. So please help spread the word to any of the Singers or friends who might talk with during the next week or two in case they missed getting the email and plan to attend the May 27th singing.

Syd also contacted Susan Young at the museum who will post a note about the cancellation on the door prior to the scheduled singing. I know everybody hates to cancel a singing, and none of us want this to become a habit, but it looks like the right thing to do in this particular case.


Saint Johns Episcopal Church in Harrison hosted the NW Arkansas Sacred Harp Singing Convention on May 5th. Twenty singers and guests enjoyed a good singing and a well-supplied pot luck lunch in the Parish Hall. Thanks to Dan Brittain for coordinating the event and getting the word out to all the regional singers each year. And a special thanks to the cooks, who as usual, brought out their best recipes for the mid-day meal. 

 Picture: The Shiloh Sacred Harp Singers of NW Arkansas  gathered on the steps of the St. Johns Episcopal Church Parish Hall for a group picture during the afternoon break on May 5, 2012. (Click on the image for a larger version from Picasa.)


Gail Cowart reports that the Discovery Box Project continues to make excellent progress. Gail had two HD video cameras at Harrison to help record some of the singing for possible use with the instructional video planned for the Discovery Box.

But Gail was most enthusiastic about the recent video taping session with the Youth Choir at First UMC in Fort Smith, "The Youth Choir is the best." Dan did a good job training the young singers in a special shaped note singing workshop that was recorded. Before the workshop was over, several young singers were standing in the center of the hollow square leading the group.  "Holy Manna" (thanks Mary Ellen ) is their favorite song and Gail hopes the young singers will sing it at one of the church's regular services next Fall.

After the Youth Choir's special Mother’s Day program, the Youth Choir is on summer vacation.

Hope you enjoy the rest of May and we'll look forward to singing on June 24th at 1:30 P.M. in the country store at the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History. See you then...

Discovery Box video recorded in Fort Smith...

On the afternoon of April 25th, Gail Cowart and his committee of Discovery Box volunteers made a video recording of the Youth Choir at First Methodist Church, in Fort Smith singing shaped note music. According to Gail who has already reviewed most of the video, the results were "excellent."  He also added, "Thanks to the Youth Choir, Nancy Vernon, David Whiteis,  Dan Brittain and everybody else. This is exciting, just excellent.  The singers were perfect."

Everyone working with the Discovery Box project was looking forward to this special afternoon and those present at the recording session were impressed by how quickly the young singers adapted to the historic form of shaped note singing.

When finished, the Discovery Box will be shared with other young students, about the same age, who want to learn more about how music was sung over 150 years ago, brought along with pioneers who moved into Arkansas from their original homes in the east. That traditional form of singing is still maintained by groups of shaped note singers all over America. The Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale maintains a number of Discovery Box educational activities that can be loaned to interested teachers in the area.

Enjoyable singing in April...

To paraphrase what Garrison Keillor says about Lake Wobegone. "It's been mostly a quiet month for the singers in Northwest Arkansas." Things sort of broke loose in a few places nearby during April but at least the weather for April's singing at the museum was sunny and cool in Springdale.

Picture: Mary Ellen Wilkinson and Gail Cowart singing bass at the March 25th singing.

After a very active March with two activities at the ALHA convention in Fayetteville, work on the Discovery Box to share shaped note singing with younger singers, and our usual monthly singing, April has been mostly quiet. That ended Sunday, April 22nd, at 1:30 P.M. at our April Singing in the Shiloh Museum Country Store when we opened a door or two for our monthly singing. We had a good singing with several visitors we've added to the mailing list. We hope they'll join us again.

There were two prayer requests on the list:

• Please keep Rev. Randi and Joe Henderson in your prayers as Joe recovers from his accident. I hope we'll have an update on Joe's condition on Sunday.
• Second, Susan Young had also asked earlier before the singing that we also keep Becca Martin Brown and her husband Larry in our prayers this month. Larry is fighting terminal cancer. Those in the NWA may know Becca as the feature editor of The Morning News or for her support for the museum and its many activities. 

Syd Caldwell had just returned from Alabama where he attended a singing at Old Harmony Primitive Baptist Church. Syd shared pictures and videos with the group. In the video below, Margie Smith leads "Weeping Sinners" 108T from The Sacred Harp.

Syd, thanks for sharing. Hope to see everyone in Harrison on May 5th for the NWA Sacred Harp Singing Convention.