12th Annual
Iowa All-Day Singing - March 30, 2013, at the Blue Point
Church, Grinnell, Iowa.
The
church is located on the Poweshiek County Fairgrounds on the
south edge of Grinnell (East Street, betweenWashington and
Ogan streets), with easy access from I-80 and Hwy 146.
The acoustics are fabulous. Dinner on the grounds will
be held in the 4-H Building next door (with multiple bathrooms
- those who have come to Berwick will understand the
significance of that).
10
a.m. - 3:30 p.m., with Dinner on the Grounds at noon.
All are welcome, regardless of experience, at any time during
the day. Loaner books will be available.
This
flyer
includes a map and all other information.
Regular Singing
in Iowa:
Second Saturdays in Grinnell
Third Saturdays in Cedar Rapids
Every Sunday in Fairfield
Cedar
Rapids: Third Saturdays - 1-3 p.m. - Kenwood Park
United Methodist Church, 175 34th St. NE in Cedar Rapids.
The church is set well back from the street. Both the
entrance and a deep parking lot (accessible from 34th St.) are on
the north side of the church. Books provided. All are
welcome; no experience is required. Please bring a snack to
share, if you can. And bring a friend, too! Info: Gaile or Bryan.
Fairfield: Every
Sunday - location varies. Info: Jennifer Hamilton, email or (641)
472-8422.
Grinnell:
Second Saturdays - 1-3 p.m. - Stewart
Art Center, 926 Broad St. (downtown, the former city
library) Info: Bruce
Voyles.
All-day Singings in the Midwest:
(Click here for a complete, international
listing of annual singings. And if you need more
contact info for any of the singings below, drop me a note.)
MARCH
First Sunday and Saturday before - Ohio State Convention,
Dayton, location to be announced. Info: John Bealle.
Second Sunday and Saturday Before - Missouri State Convention,
St. John's United Church of Christ, Pinckney MO - Hwy 94, 11.5
miles west of Marthasville. Info: Paul Figura, (314) 962-4870,
stlfasola -at- stlfasola.org.
Saturday before Fourth Sunday - Higher Ground Singing -
Centenary United Methodist Church, 301 N. 7th Street, Terre
Haute IN. Info: Darrell Swarens.
Fifth Saturday - Iowa All-Day Singing - Blue Point Church,
Poweshiek County Fairgrounds, Grinnell, IA. Info: Bruce Voyles.
* * * *
* * *
Regular Local Singings in other
places:
Click here
for information about regular monthly singings in other
places, including...
Madison, WI: First and third Sundays - 3-5 p.m. -
Grace Episcopal Church Guild Hall, 116 W. Washington Ave.
Minneapolis and St.
Paul, MN: nearly every Tuesday and Sunday, one place or the
other. Info: www.freude.com/mnfasola/
Check out
these Links for more information
about Sacred Harp singing.
What is Sacred Harp singing?
Also known as "shapenote" or "fasola"
singing, you can think of it as Do-It-Yourself Choral
Singing for those who just love to sing, beginners and
proficient alike.
It's egalitarian: everybody
gets to pick a song and, if they want, lead it.
It's learner-centered: the
entire tradition is based on a book designed to teach
people to read music and sing it.
The repertoire is vast: from
ancient melodies to traditional folk, gospel, and hymn
tunes to the soaring masterworks of Western
hymnody.
Though most of the song texts are
based on religious themes and psalms, Sacred Harp
singings have long served as catalysts for
non-sectarian community building, whatever the
backgrounds or beliefs of the participants.
We sing
because we love to sing, and the Sacred Harp is a fabulous
collection of music to sing from. It is not a religious
service, although it is spiritually invigorating.
Certainly, it is a whole lot of fun.
Who to contact in Iowa?
I'm always happy to chat about Sacred Harp
and help folks get in touch with other singers. Please
feel free to contact me about that or to submit additional
information (or corrections) for this page by email or snailmail.
Thanks! Annie
