Miller, Chapter 2: Travels to the Center of the Square

In Chapter 2 of Sacred Harp Singing and American Pluralism, Miller goes into detail about the tradition of Sacred Harp conventions and singings. Originating in the Southern U.S. the late nineteenth century, this tradition draws people from all over the country to join in singing anthems and hymns according to a notation system specific to Sacred Harp singing. This reading focuses particularly on the interaction between those who attend the singings and the formation into which they arrange themselves while singing. An entire convention (2+ days) or a singing (1 day) is geared around this formation, the "hollow square". A song leader stands in the center of this square with his back toward the alto section, facing the tenor section, with basses to the right and trebles to the left of him or her. The front row singers are almost always of higher experience levels and seniority. There have been times in the past when these singing events would draw crowds of around 1000 people, but these days they typically have an attendance of around 300 people. However, it seems that the energy, loyalty and attraction to this tradition is still very much alive.

A typical singing day would start with women waking early to begin preparing food for the "dinner-on-the-grounds." The convention chairman then might make announcements or signal the start of singing. At this point, people would take places in the hollow square and follow lessons led by the leader at the center of the square or sing the songs led by them. Anyone can volunteer to lead a song, but for most it takes a good amount of time and experience to work up the courage and skill to lead. Most members consider their first lead a turning point in their spiritual experience with Sacred Harp singing. After the singing, there is a memorial service for those members who have passed away since the previous singing event, followed by dinner-on-the-grounds.

Miller describes many facets of this event in great detail. There is definitely a sense of community fostered by the way in which the singers are arranged and the way newcomers come into the group. For example, there is a lot of play in group dynamics based on voice part, genders within the voice part, and physical orientation of that voice part during singing. Also, Miller touches on the idea of place vs. people as the primary driving force of a singing event. An indoor venue in Chicago for example tends to emphasize the importance of people joining together, whereas a beautiful rural space in Georgia plays a lot more into the event than the Chicago venue might.

There is also a lot of discussion about the different roles that members can take on during a singing. People can volunteer to lead songs, act as executive members, serve as arrangers, or serve on a committee. There is a lot of thought and planning that goes into making a singing or convention as powerful for the participants as possible.