Since you may be wondering
what this is...
start by clicking here to watch a video from OPB's "Oregon Art Beat" featuring Sacred Harp singing in Portland, OR.

Good news!! Now there are regular weekly gatherings to sing the Sacred Harp in Salem, Oregon. These are community singings, open to the public and free of charge. Guests are welcome to visit and join in, or just listen. No experience is required, all it takes is a desire to sing. As Sacred Harp singers we are not practicing for a performance. These are not rehearsals. We gather to sing purely for the enjoyment of the music, for ourselves, for each other and to be uplifted.

          

The music for the songs is all written in shape notes. The songs are easy to learn, and are four-part choral pieces for men's and women's voices. They are meant to be sung unaccompanied and in full voice, or loud, although to sing loudly is never a requirement for participation.

The songs we sing are all found in a book titled "The Sacred Harp". This collection of over 500 venerable religious songs and folk tunes was first published in 1844 and has been in use continuously ever since. It was revised in the early '90s and is now often referred to as the 1991 Denson Revision. Many of the songs in this collection date back to the 18th century in America.

Sacred Harp song books are available to borrow for the duration of the singing and may be purchased there for twenty dollars, our cost.

We are looking forward to having this wonderful American tradition take off in Salem. Please join us and help us to sing!