REVISION-MUSIC COMMITTEE STATUS REPORT, OCTOBER 2024
From: David Ivey <davidiveyusa@gmail.com>
Date: October 5, 2024 at 10:02:45 PM EDT
To: fasola-singings <fasola-singings@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [fasola-singings] Revision-Music Committee Status Report – October 2024
Reply-To: davidiveyusa@gmail.com
The Revision-Music Committee is pleased to announce plans for the release of the revised Sacred Harp songbook in September 2025. The revision process began in October 2018 when the Board of Directors of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company approved the revision of The Sacred Harp, 1991 Edition.
We will introduce the new book at the 2025 session of the United Sacred Harp Musical Association. The convention will be held at the historic DeKalb Courthouse in Decatur, Georgia, on September 13 and 14.
The United Convention has a deep association with the revision of The Sacred Harp that makes it a uniquely appropriate venue to launch the new songbook. The convention authorized the 1911 revision, the last time a convention held this authority before it was assumed by the Sacred Harp Publishing Company.
The Saturday session will be dedicated to the introduction of the new book and its new songs, recognition of composers, and recognition of the committee and adjunct committees and working groups. The Sunday session will be a regular singing day from the new songbook.
Additionally, the committee is making plans for other events on this weekend. We are planning a one-day forum at nearby Emory University on the Friday before the convention centered on the new revision of the songbook. The committee is also planning a social on Saturday evening to celebrate the new revision. All singers will be invited to both events.
The revised songbook will be introduced in the United Kingdom the following weekend, September 20 and 21, at the United Kingdom Sacred Harp Convention. Specific plans will be announced later by the UK Convention.
Two special singing sessions were held in June to sing and record 157 finalist songs selected from more than 1,100 submissions. These singing sessions were held in Bristol, UK, and Bremen, Georgia. The committee is using these sessions and recordings to make final decisions on which songs will be added to the book. This followed eleven previous sessions held to sing and record submitted songs. We are grateful to the many singers who have participated in these sessions.
The Book Design and Production Adjunct Committee has engraved the text and music for more than 400 songs expected to be retained from the 1991 edition. The adjunct committee continues to work on engraving and layout and is exploring possibilities for the printing and binding of the new songbook.
Thank you for your continuing encouragement and support for this committee.
Revision-Music Committee: David Ivey (Chair), Lauren Bock, Helen Brown, Richard Ivey, Jesse P. Karlsberg, Nathan Rees, Karen Rollins, Terry Wootten, and David Wright
# # #