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Sunday, July 17, 2016

Sacred Harp and July 17th

A couple of Sacred Harp historical facts that happened on July 17th (excerpted from Fasola Singings, as posted by Stanley Smith).
  1. Sunday, July 17, 2016 will be the 100th anniversary of the death of Mr. W. M. Cooper.  In 1902, he published a revision of the Sacred Harp which is known today as the Cooper Edition or “Cooper Book”. 
  2. July 17th is also the birthday of one of Sacred Harp’s most interesting “characters” (which is subject to interpretation). In 1961, Stanley Smith “came on the scene”.  Good or bad, the Sacred Harp world has never been the same!!! ( :-D) 
It is odd that two people who worked on the Cooper Edition have this date in common, just flip the last 2 digits of the years (1916 and 1961).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STANLEY!

1 comment:

R. L. Vaughn said...

Recently I found another intriguing confluence on this date. On July 17, 1902 a permanent organization on revising the Sacred Harp was set in place. Officers were W. M. Cooper, chairman; W. A. Robinett(e), vice-chairman; and S. C. D. Brown, secretary.
See To Revise and Amend The Sacred Harp.