Sacred Harp is a uniquely American tradition that brings communities together to sing four-part hymns and anthems. It is a proudly inclusive and democratic part of our shared cultural heritage. Participants are not concerned with re-creating or re-enacting historical events. The tradition is a living, breathing, ongoing practice passed directly to us by generations of singers, many gone on before and many still living. All events welcome beginners and newcomers, with no musical experience or religious affiliation required — in fact, the tradition was born from colonial “singing schools” whose purpose was to teach beginners to sing and its methods continue to reflect this goal. Though Sacred Harp is not affiliated with any denomination, it is a deeply spiritual experience for all involved, and functions as a religious observance for many singers. Sacred Harp “singings” are not performances. There are no rehearsals and no separate seats for an audience. Every singing is a unique and self-sufficient event with a different group of assembled participants. The singers sit in a hollow square formation with one voice part on each side, all facing inwards so they can see and hear each other. However, visitors are always welcome to sit anywhere in the room and participate as listeners. Technically, the style of singing is “shape note singing” because the musical notation uses note heads in 4 distinct shapes to aid in sight-reading, but it is often called “Sacred Harp” singing because the books that most singers use today are called “The Sacred Harp,” with the most prominent of these being the 1991 Denson edition. The term “sacred harp” refers to the human voice — that is, the musical instrument you were given at birth. In 1844, The Sacred Harp was just one of more than 100 oblong hymn books published in the U.S. It has been continuously updated ever since. Along with other hymn books from the era, a handful of which are also still published and used, its repertoire of over 500 4-part a cappella hymns, odes, and anthems is part of the foundation of our vibrant oral tradition. There are dozens of living composers still actively writing new tunes within the traditional styles and shape note format.
In order to determine the final coordinates you will need to solve the following puzzle:
LEBANON (1 of 3)
JOYFUL (3 of 3)
ETERNAL HOME (1 of 3)
GEORGIA (1 of 3)
NEW JERUSALEM (1 of 3)
SWEET CANAAN (2 of 2)
ORTONVILLE (2 of 2)
BEACH SPRING (1 of 2)
NEW BRITAIN (2 of 2)
WEEPING SINNERS (2 of 3)
WARRENTON (2 of 3)
WAYFARING STRANGER (3 of 3)
OLD HUNDRED (2 of 2)
CORONATION (1 of 2)
This puzzle is not meant to be difficult. If you need a nudge, let me know. Google is your friend.
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.