Fiery folk hymns in heartwarming harmony... just for the joy of it!

The music we sing is unaccompanied three- and four-part vocal harmony in a rustic style dating back to eighteenth- and nineteenth-century America, still a living tradition in the South and being taken up all over the English-speaking world and beyond. The songs are found in "tunebooks" such as the Sacred Harp (1844), the Southern Harmony (1835) and the Christian Harmony (1866/7), and new tunes are constantly being composed. The words are usually (though not always) religious in nature, but people of all faiths and none sing this music, not as an act of worship but for sheer enjoyment. It's not a performance but a communal participative event, and a "good" voice is not necessary. While music-reading ability is an advantage, it's not essential.

There are two regular singings in Scotland, one in Glasgow on the first Friday of every month and one in Edinburgh on the third Friday.

News

This year, the Scottish All-day Singing will be in Edinburgh for the first time, on Saturday 13 July. Watch this space for more details.

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Our email address is ShapenoteScotland@gmail.com
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Website built and maintained by Harry Campbell ​© 2012–19