Attention Dayton Area Singers

Come join us in acapella, shape-note singing from the

Sacred Harp

Lutheran Church of Our Savior - Patterson Far Hills Estate

What is the music of the Sacred Harp?

The Sacred Harp is an eclectic tune book, containing examples of several different forms, genres, and styles, and is written in four part "Shape-Notes". Several of the tunes in The Sacred Harp were composed in England during the period 1690-1810, not for cathedrals or royal chapels, but for churches and chapels in towns and countryside, and for urban charity hospitals. Many tunes were written by New Englanders between 1770 and 1810. Among them were Boston tanner William Billings, New Haven merchant Daniel Read, and Vermont schoolmaster and innkeeper Justin Morgan. During the years 1810-1870, many more tunes were composed or adapted by southerners from popular or traditional songs, including marches, dance tunes, and camp-meeting spiritual songs. These composers include Ananias Davisson of Virginia, William Walker of South Carolina, and Sacred Harp compilers B.F. White and E.J. King of Georgia. Twentieth-century composers represented in the Sacred Harp include members of the McGraw family of Georgia, the Denson family of Alabama, and, since 1991, several composers living outside the southern United States.

Where and when is it sung in the Dayton area?

Lutheran Church of Our Savior - Oakwood, Ohio

155 East Thruston Blvd.

Dayton, Ohio 45419

 

Schedule:

·         Regularly scheduled singings occur September thru May on the 4th Sunday of each month, 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. No monthly singings occur June through August.

·         Unscheduled singings are sometimes held on special occasions. Please call or email for information.

 

Directions:  

Our singings are held at the Lutheran Church of Our Savior (LCOS) in Oakwood, Ohio a lovely community adjacent to the city of Dayton. We sing in the acoustically sound Gold room, which is located in the west wing of the church property. This Tudor style wing is the former home of the Patterson family and is easily accessible for the handicapped. Please park in the front or west parking lot and enter the home from either of the two entrances. As you face the entrance to the church sanctuary, the attached home where we will sing will be on your left.
Coming from the South.
1. Take the Edwin C. Moses Blvd. exit - 51 - toward Nicholas Rd. - 0.1 miles
2. Turn right onto Edwin C. Moses Blvd, and go 0.8 miles.
3. Turn Right onto West Stewart St and go 0.4 miles.
4. Turn Right onto South Main Street, (Route 48), and go 0.9 miles.
5. Turn Left onto East Thruston Blvd, and go 0.4 miles to LCOS. It's at the top of the hill on the left. Now this left on Thruston here is the only weird spot...it's like a 6 way stop light. Thruston goes off to the left and up the hill.
 
Coming from the North.
1. Take the Albany St. exit 52A toward Stewart St. - 0.1 miles.
2. Stay straight to go onto Campbell St. 0.3 miles.
3. Turn Left onto Stewart St, go about 1.0 miles.
4. Turn Right onto South Main Street, (Route 48), and go 0.9 miles.
5. Turn Left onto East Thruston Blvd, and go 0.4 miles to LCOS. It's at the top of the hill on the left. Now this left on Thruston here is the only weird spot...it's like a 6 way stop light. Thruston goes off to the left and up the hill.

Who sings this music?

Sacred Harp music is sung by common folks with common voices who love to sing. The music is shared by people from all walks of life –professionals, students, tradesmen, farmers, the butcher the baker and the candlestick maker. Opera singers, rocket scientists, guitar pickers, drivers of old trucks, doctors, and lawyers and such. Sight reading ability is neither a requirement nor a necessity. We will teach you what you need to know. All you need to bring is your spirit.

Additional Information:

Search the Web for "Sacred Harp" using any main search engine, or, http://fasola.org

Local Dayton Area Contact:

John Bayer, 937-835-3323. Email: johnbayer@juno.com

Books: Loaner books will be available for you to freely use. Or, if you wish to purchase a Sacred Harp tune book, they will be available, at our cost, for $13.25.