CULLMAN, Ala. – Latecomers rushing through the lobby of the courthouse to reach the elevators could hear the opening notes reverberating throughout the building as the Sacred Harp singing convention got underway Saturday, July 13. The Cullman County Courthouse Sacred Harp Convention opened with a brief welcome from the chairman, followed by a fast succession of tunes as singers took turns leading the centuries-old shape note songs. Songs in the tune book, entitled “The Sacred Harp,” date back to the 17th and even the 16th century and are sung at full volume in four-part unaccompanied harmony.
The third-floor courtroom was filled with singers from seven states as well as listeners, many of whom return every year to hear the music and observe the Sacred Harp traditions. Several of the leaders and listeners present remarked that they had attended this same convention since they were children. Emotions ran high at times as song leaders brought to mind former friends and family members, some with tearful memories of those who’ve passed away, and others with humorous anecdotes.
Once a common occurrence in courthouses all over the South, Cullman’s is now the only regularly scheduled event of its kind in the nation, though occasional special events will take singers into courthouses. Factors ranging from shifting cultural tastes and lack of interest in old-fashioned things to concerns about church-state separation led to a decline in courthouse singings over the years. Though it may not draw crowds of thousands like it used to, the tradition has managed to stay alive in Cullman.
What happens at a singing convention?
Well, singing, of course! If you grew up in a church with hymnals, you will probably be familiar with many of the songs, though the style of performance might be a little different. Convention singing is unaccompanied by instruments, and focuses on four-part vocal harmonies. Songs can be joyful, loud and boisterous or dark and soulful.
Convention singers follow a long-standing form, singing from a modern edition of a songbook that dates back to the 1840s in a style known by several names:
- Shape/Shaped Note Singing: The notes in the sheet music have different shapes depending on the note in the scale: round, square, triangular.
- Fa-So-La/Fasola Singing: The names given to three note shapes. When the singers warm up at the beginning of a song, they are not singing in a foreign language or speaking in tongues; they are singing the notes by name.
- Sacred Harp: Takes its name from the title of the most popular songbook used.
Event host Tom Booth said previously, “This style of acapella music is sung from a book called ‘The Sacred Harp’ that was published in Cullman during the 1960s and 70s, but dates back to 1844. The book uses shaped notes that were created as a means of teaching people to read music and harmonize in multiple parts.”
Singers sit in a square, grouped by vocal part – soprano, alto, tenor, bass – with the director standing in the center. The director changes from song to song, so if your favorite song is in the book, you can request and even lead it, if you like. Performance is unrehearsed, and singers of all skill and experience levels are welcome, even if they are unfamiliar with shaped notes.
At Sunday’s memorial session, prayers and songs were offered to remember deceased singers and those unable to attend due to illness or an inability to travel. Current chairman Booth addressed the assembly with a short tribute to Henry C. Guthery Sr. of Trimble, Alabama, a mainstay of the convention who passed away the previous week. Guthery served 25 times in the previous 30 years as the convention’s chairman, and made numerous contributions to it. He was much-beloved and many who attended spoke of his kindness and tireless efforts to promote Sacred Harp singing.
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