May 2024 Singings

Updated May 5, 2024

Update: Added the announcement of the Valdosta All-Day Singing on May 11.

The note singers plan to meet on Sunday, May 5th at Zion Baptist Church, 160 Lemon Street, Marietta, GA 30060 at ~3pm (serving lunch between 1:30p -2:30p, so expect the singing to start around 3pm). They have lost a number of singers over the past few years due to the pandemic. If you can come help sing (particular request for men), please try to do so.


May 2nd - 1st Thursday -First Thursday, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Indoor singing from The Sacred Harp and The Eclectic Harmony. Emory Presbyterian Church, 1886 North Decatur Rd, Atlanta GA 30307. Park behind the church, off Westminster Way. "Test-to-Sing" COVID precautions: Vaccination is required; don't come if you have any COVID or flu-like symptoms; same-day COVID antigen test required. Test at home, and bring the details to be verified. Tests are also available on site, if you arrive early. Info: Jim Neal at jim_neal-at-bellsouth-dot-net

May 4th Saturday, 117th Etowah Christian Harmony Spring Singing, Etowah Lions Club, 447 Etowah School Rd., Hendersonville, NC 28739, 10a-3p, DOG at noon, please bring a dish to share. We will sing from William Walker’s “The Christian Harmony” Copies of the most recent reprint of Walker’s 1873 edition will be available for loan and for sale. Contact Diane at dogsongs at gmail dot com

May 4th Saturday - 37th annual Huntsville Sacred Harp All Day Singing – 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Burritt on the Mountain, 3101 Burritt Drive, Huntsville, AL 35801 Contact David Ivey, DavidIveyUSA at gmail dot com

May 5th - 1st Sunday - Eugene Forbes Memorial Sacred Harp Singing - Mt. Zion Primitive Baptist Church, Ashland, AL. 9:30am (Central) with dinner on the grounds at noon. Church is 5 miles south of Ashland on County Road 5. Contact: Sheila Harris.

May 11th, Saturday before the 2nd Sunday - NEW SINGING ALERT!! - The venue for the 1st Valdosta All-Day Singing on May 11th, 2024 has been CHANGED. Please join us at First Christian Church of Valdosta 1905 N Patterson St. Valdosta, GA 31602 We will begin with a singing school at 9:15 AM, followed immediately by singing from The Sacred Harp 2012 Cooper Book Edition (The Blue Book). Loaner books will be available for use. We will break at midday for dinner on the grounds and sing on till about 2 PM. Any doubts, questions, or concerns can be directed to José Camacho by email @ josecamacho1776 at gmail dot com or by Direct Message on Facebook! We hope to see you there!!

May 11th - Saturday before the 2nd Sunday - The Pumpkintown Shape Note Singing (formerly the Furman University Singing) will be held on the Saturday before the second Sunday in May, from 10am until 3pm, at the Oolenoy Community House. We will sing from the Sacred Harp (1991) and the Christian Harmony (2010). We will celebrate our return to singing with a traditional dinner-on-the-grounds. This is a two-room schoolhouse built in the late 19th century, now a site for traditional music performances and jams. (See their Facebook page for pictures: https://www.facebook.com/oolenoybluegrass/.) The address is 5301 Dacusville Hwy, Pickens, SC 29671. It is about 13 miles north of Easley, SC on SC Hwy 135, although those traveling from the north or west may want to access it from Scenic Hwy 11. (Check Google Maps for detailed directions.) The building has a refrigerator, oven, and microwave. We encourage everyone to be responsible for their own well-being and to be considerate of the other participants. Don’t come if you have Covid symptoms or if you think you may have been exposed recently. We will have hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial soap, and disposable food service gloves available for the safety of all singers and visitors. For more information, please contact me at davefarmer-at-charter-dot-net. You may also call me at (864) 676-9003 (home) or (864) 605-8236 (cell). Please join us May 11th in metropolitan Pumpkintown!

May 19th , 3rd Sunday - Cane Creek Church, 3 1/2 miles east of Heflin AL on hwy 78. 9:30am start with DOG at noon. Info: Glenda Collins - glendacollins0122 at yahoo dot com

May 19th 3rd Sunday singing at 6:00p-8:30p, Church of our Saviour in Virginia-Highlands. Singing School at 6:00pm. New and experienced singers are encouraged to come! 6:30-8:30 Singing, with a snack break at 7:30. Church of our Saviour, Garrison Hall (building across from main church entrance) 1068 North Highland Ave. Atlanta, GA 30306. Parking along N. Highland or Los Angeles. Metered spaces are free on Sunday. Contact Amy Wells at 404-436-4522 or amyarmstrongmidwife at gmail dot com for additional information.


Looking ahead to June:

Holly Springs - This will be a one day singing this year on June 3rd (Saturday before the 1st Sunday).

Raymond Hamrick Birthday/Memorial Georgian Harmony Singing, Saturday before the 2nd Sunday at the Community Center in Roberta, GA

Annual ‘June’ singing at the Alpharetta City Hall, 2nd Sunday.

Saturday before the 3rd Sunday - Christian Harmony singing at Blue Ridge Primitive Baptist Church in Chatsworth, GA (unconfirmed at this point in time)

3rd Sunday - annual Sacred Harp singing at Hopewell Church near Roopville, GA.

5th Sunday - special singing of potential revision songs at Holly Springs Church in Bremen, GA.


Note: E-mail addresses on this page are shown with " -at- " in place of the "@" sign. In order to use these addresses, you must insert the "@" sign in place of " -at- ", with no spaces or dashes. This is to prevent abuse by spammers who scan the web for e-mail addresses.


Compiled by John Plunkett. To subscribe to the monthly e-mail version of this newsletter, go to the AtlantaSinging Google Group, and click "apply for group membership." (You'll have to create a Google account for yourself if you don't already have one.) Or you can send an email to mail@atlantasacredharp.org and request to join. Or at many Atlanta-area singings you can sign up to be added to this e-mail list.