Bloomington Sacred Harp

Shape note singing in and around Bloomington, Indiana

Regular Singing Location and Time – 2nd and 4th Tuesdays

We meet twice a month. Our local singings are held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month from 7-9 PM in the lower level of the Fairview Methodist Church.  (600 W 6th St.) Park in the lot on the north side of the building and enter through the lower level doors on the southeast side of the building.

Newbies are encouraged and, don’t worry, loaner books are provided!

Upcoming dates: November 13th and 27th, December 11th (Dec 25th will likely be canceled)…

On January 5th, 2019, join us for a special singing demonstration at the Winter Farmers Market located at the Harmony School, 909 E. 2nd Street, Bloomington, Indiana. We will meet in the hall outside of the gymnasium at 8:45am and sing from 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

BIG NEWS! The 23rd annual Higher Ground (Darrell Swarens memorial) Singing is moving to Bloomington, Indiana. It will take place on March 23, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Fairview United Methodist Church with a traditional dinner on the grounds at noon.

Posted by john in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
24 Oct 2018

Local Paper Features Bloomington Sacred Harp Singing

The following article is posted in full with permission from The Herald-Times. The photos have been added by Aaron.

(By Connie Shakalis, Oct 21, 2018) Music lovers can shape their weekend around a shape note singing event that’s become a tradition in Bloomington.

Shape note singing also goes by “sacred harp” — referring to the human body (like a harp) as an instrument. Developed in North America from 1770 to the mid 1800s as a way for teachers to instruct students how to read music and sing, it shared a comeback with the revival of folk singing in the 1960s.

Reading music can be difficult, and scores can be exceedingly complicated. Sight singing — picking up a piece of sheet music and immediately trying to grasp the tune, rhythm, key and tempo — is even harder. And for singers, it can be daunting. Read more…

Posted by Aaron Jones in local singing announcements and tagged , ,
13 Oct 2018

15 years of All-Day Singings in Bloomington

Coming up in just a few days, join us for the 15th Annual Bloomington All-Day Sacred Harp Singing. The event takes place at Fairview United Methodist Church (600 W 6th St) on Saturday, Oct 27th, 2018. We will sing from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with a traditional potluck dinner on the grounds at noon. *Local singers are encouraged to bring a dish to share.

Providing a hearty meal is just one little way we can care for the folks who travel, in some cases, 100s of miles to join us! Read more…

Posted by Aaron Jones in Uncategorized
28 Jul 2018

Bloomington now hosting Two All Day Singings!

The 23rd annual Higher Ground (Darrell Swarens memorial) Singing is moving to Bloomington, Indiana. It will take place on March 23, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Fairview United Methodist Church with a traditional dinner on the grounds at noon. Please stay tuned for updates and feel free to ask any questions on our Facebook group page. *We hope to sing from The Missouri Harmony book in addition to the The Sacred Harp, 1991 edition–loaner books will be available. Stay tuned for updates!

The 15th annual Bloomington All Day Singing is set for October, 27, 2018 in the same location (10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) with a traditional dinner on the grounds at noon. RSVP here and help us share this event on Facebook:

 

Check back for updates! Read more…

Posted by Aaron Jones in Uncategorized
23 Oct 2017

Photos from the Bloomington All Day Singing


On Saturday, October 21st, I believe we had a record number in attendance for the 14th Annual Bloomington All Day Sacred Harp Singing. Around 80 people joined us over the course of the five hour event from many states–singing 70+ songs. Special thanks to all of the visitors from out-of-state and local media, WFHB and The Herald Times, for covering the event!

Put it on your calendar for next year- Oct 27th 2018. RSVP here:

A post shared by Aaron Jones (@aeronious) on

We hope you’ll join us at our next local meeting time, again, at Fairview United Methodist Church. 600 West 6th St. Bloomington, IN. You’ll find us in the church basement, 7pm-9pm. Remember…

WE MEET ON THE 2ND AND 4TH TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH.

 

 

Posted by Aaron Jones in Uncategorized
08 Oct 2016

A Message from Moira Smiley

1936166_105800615853_3060082_nOne of the reasons I became interested in Shape Note music was from hearing Moira Smiley sing in Bloomington, IN. One particular concert took place as part of the Bloomington Early Music Festival. I was hooked.

I decided to reach out to Moira to see if she would do a personal video talking about the influence of Shape Note music on her music and also to help us spread the word about our upcoming All Day Singing. Here is her response. Down below, I’ll post some of Moira’s music. Update: This post is from 2016. This year’s All Day Singing takes place on October 21st. Details here.


Read more…

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