Sacred Harp Conventions in old Alabama

While researching Sacred Harp singing in Alabama – particularly the work of W. M. Cooper in revising the Sacred Harp early in the 20th century – I have encountered numerous mentions of Sacred Harp conventions. A compiled list of of almost 60 conventions mentioned appears below, and at least one source in which each is given.  Conventions in the list are (or at least believed to be) those which solely used The Sacred Harp or one of its revisions. It is nevertheless possible that some allowed some other books at times. Some of these convention still exist and are well-known, while others are gone and forgotten. Any dates of origin below are those in the source document and are only as accurate as the person making the claim. This listing intends to preserve their names online for those who have no access to these newspapers. In some cases it is possible that some conventions are duplicates – for example, a convention may have changed its name. “Musical Convention” was the early common denominator, but as other books encroached on The Sacred Harp a convention might add “Sacred Harp” to its name to identify its textbook or to assert they adopted the exclusive use of it.

Alabama Sacred Harp Conventions.

• Aiken Musical Convention, The Ozark Banner-Advertiser, Ozark, Alabama, Thursday, September 28, 1893 - Page 3
• Ashville Sacred Harp Singing Convention, Southern Aegis, Ashville, Alabama, Wednesday, March 24, 1915 - Page 3
• Bear Creek Sacred Harp Singing Convention, Franklin County Times, Russellville, Alabama, Thursday, August 28, 1919 - Page 3 (org. circa 1898)
• B. F. White Sacred Harp Musical Association, The Ashland Progress, Ashland, Alabama, Friday, August 06, 1920 - Page 1 (also B. F. White Sacred Harp State Singing Convention; used J. L. White’s song book)
• Boiling Spring Musical Convention, People’s Party Advocate, Ashland, Alabama, Friday, September 08, 1893 - Page 3 (also Boiling Springs)
• Butler County Singing Convention, The Greenville Advocate, Greenville, Alabama, Wednesday, April 26, 1911 - Page 4
• Central Choctawhachie Musical Convention, The Times and News, Eufaula, Alabama, Thursday, November 07, 1895 - Page 2; The Abbeville Times, Abbeville, Alabama, Thursday, May 16, 1907 - Page 4
• Central Sacred Harp Singing Convention, The Florala News, Florala, Alabama, Thursday, September 13, 1917 - Page 1
• Chambers County Sacred Harp Singing Convention, The Alexander City Outlook, Alexander City, Alabama, Wednesday, August 07, 1918 - Page 1
• Chanehatchie Sacred Harp Musical Convention, The Times and News, Eufaula, Alabama, Thursday, November 08, 1906 - Page 3 (also Chaneehatchee, Chaneyhatchee, Chanyhatchie) possibly organized circa 1880
• Choctawhatchee Musical Convention, The Times and News, Eufaula, Alabama, Thursday, May 24, 1906 - Page 2
• Clayhatchie Musical Convention, The People’s Ledger, Enterprise, Alabama, Thursday, July 31, 1902 - Page 1
• Clear Creek Musical Convention, The Guntersville Democrat, Guntersville, Alabama, Thursday, August 16, 1900 - Page 3
• Cleburne County Sacred Harp Singing Convention, The Cleburne News, Heflin, Alabama, Thursday, August 05, 1920 - Page 3
• Coffee County Musical Convention, The Elba Clipper, Elba, Alabama, Friday, June 29, 1906 - Page 3 (used both books, “old” and “revised” Sacred Harp; The Elba Clipper, Thursday, June 22, 1905 - Page 1)
• Columbia Musical Convention, Dothan Home Journal, Dothan, Alabama, Tuesday, January 27, 1903 - Page 5
• Cotaco Singing Convention, The Tribune-Gazette, Cullman, Alabama, Saturday, July 27, 1901 - Page 1
• County Line Singing Convention, The Troy Messenger, Troy, Alabama, Wednesday, August 28, 1907 - Page 8
• Covington County Sacred Harp Singing Convention, The Andalusia Star, Andalusia, Alabama, Tuesday, August 28, 1917 - Page 4
• East Alabama Musical Convention, South Western Baptist, Tuskegee, Alabama, Thursday, October 28, 1858 - Page 1; South Western Baptist, October 24, 1861 - Page 2 (name varies and may have originally been an extension of the Southern Musical Convention of Georgia)
• Elmore County Sacred Harp Singing Convention, The Weekly Herald, Wetumpka, Alabama, Thursday, June 25, 1914 - Page 3
• Enterprise District Musical Convention, The Ozark Tribune, Ozark, Alabama, Tuesday, August 30, 1904 - Page 4 (org. 1904)
• Escambia Musical Convention (at Mortimer, Alabama), The Pine Belt News, Brewton, Alabama, Thursday, July 22, 1915 - Page 1 (org. circa 1907)
• Etowah Sacred Harp Singing Convention, The Gadsden Times-News, Gadsden, Alabama, Friday, July 30, 1909 - Page 4 (also Etowah County)
• Fayette and Lamar County Sacred Harp Musical Convention, The Marion County News, Hamilton, Alabama, Thursday, July 26, 1923 - Page 1
• Hillabee Singing Convention, The Andalusia Star, Andalusia, Alabama, Tuesday, August 28, 1917 - Page 4 (org. circa 1873)
• Houston County Musical Convention, Dothan Eagle, Dothan, Alabama, Friday, August 08, 1913 - Page 1
• Jay Bird Sacred Harp Singing Convention, The Guntersville Democrat, Guntersville, Alabama, Thursday, June 30, 1910 - Page 3
• Jefferson County Sacred Harp Singing Convention, The Gadsden Daily Times-News, Gadsden, Alabama, Saturday, August 03, 1907 - Page 2
• Macedonia Singing Convention (Bullock County), Union Springs Herald, Union Springs, Alabama, Wednesday, July 22, 1885 - Page 3
• Marshall County Sacred Harp Singing Convention, The Guntersville Advertiser, Guntersville, Alabama, Tuesday, August 14, 1917 - Page 3
• Middle Creek Musical Convention, Southern Star, Newton, Alabama, Wednesday, September 13, 1922 - Page 3
• Mt. Pisgah Singing Society, The LaFayette Sun, LaFayette, Alabama, Wednesday, July 26, 1911 - Page 1
• Newton Musical Convention, Southern Star, Newton, Alabama, Wednesday, October 04, 1916 - Page 2
• Pigeon Creek Musical Convention, The Greenville Advocate, Greenville, Alabama, Wednesday, July 22, 1908 - Page 4
• Pike County Sacred Harp Singing Convention, The Troy Messenger, Troy, Alabama, Wednesday, November 10, 1909 - Page 5
• Pilgrim’s Home Musical Convention, Dothan Eagle, Dothan, Alabama, Friday, October 31, 1913 - Page 6
• Randolph County Sacred Harp Singing Convention, The Roanoke Leader, Roanoke, Alabama, Wednesday, June 06, 1917 - Page 1
• Redan Union Sacred Harp Singing Society, The Cullman Tribune, Cullman, Alabama, Thursday, June 03, 1915 - Page 6
• Rock Creek Mountain Home Sacred Harp Singing Convention, The Tribune-Gazette, Cullman, Alabama, Saturday, August 10, 1901 - Page 1
• Sand Mountain Sacred Harp Singing Convention, The Gadsden Daily Times-News, Gadsden, Alabama, Saturday, August 03, 1912 - Page 1
• Shiloh Singing Convention, The Monroe Journal, Claiborne, Alabama, Thursday, April 13, 1893 - Page 3
• Skirum Creek Sacred Harp Singing Convention, The Boaz Leader, Boaz, Alabama, Thursday, July 27, 1916 - Page 2
• Southeastern Sacred Harp Musical Convention, The Ozark Banner-Advertiser, Ozark, Alabama, Thursday, September 28, 1893 - Page 3; The Troy Messenger, Troy, Alabama, Wednesday, September 18, 1907 - Page 5 (also Southeast Alabama, South Eastern, Southeastern Alabama)
• Southern Harmony Musical Convention, Abbeville Herald, Abbeville, Alabama, Thursday, June 28, 1923 - Page 1 [i]
• State Musical Convention, The Lamar Democrat, Vernon, Alabama, Wednesday, July 06, 1910 - Page 5
• St. Clair County Sacred Harp Semi-Annual Singing Convention, Southern Aegis, Ashville, Alabama, Wednesday, July 05, 1916 - Page 3
• Sweetwater Musical Convention, Crenshaw County News, Luverne, Alabama, Thursday, April 21, 1921 - Page 5 (also Alabama Sweetwater, Sweet Water) org. circa 1862
• Talladega County Sacred Harp Singing Convention, The Ashland Progress, Ashland, Alabama, Friday, August 20, 1915 - Page 1
• Union Singing Convention of DeKalb County, The Fort Payne Journal, Fort Payne, Alabama, Wednesday, August 05, 1903 - Page 1 (The Fort Payne Journal, Wednesday, May 03, 1905 - Page 1)
• Union Singing Convention of the 4th District, The Greenville Advocate, Greenville, Alabama, Wednesday, June 18, 1890 - Page 3
• Valley Grove Sacred Harp Singing Convention, The Cullman Tribune, Cullman, Alabama, Thursday, August 25, 1910 - Page 7
• Walker County Sacred Harp Singing Convention, Mountain Eagle, Jasper, Alabama, Wednesday, July 18, 1917 - Page 1
• Warrior River Sacred Harp Singing Convention, The Southern Democrat, Oneonta, Alabama, Thursday, July 30, 1914 - Page 1 (organized 1874, The Southern Democrat, Thursday, March 14, 1907 - Page 4)
• West Cullman Singing Convention, The Tribune-Gazette, Cullman, Alabama, Saturday, July 27, 1901 - Page 1

Honorable mention

• Chilton County Singing Convention Number 3, The Union-Banner, Clanton, Alabama, Thursday, May 11, 1911 - Page 1 (Sacred Harp and Christian Harmony)
• The Macedonia 4th of July singing was organized by John S. Terry and others in 1872; Union Springs Herald, Union Springs, Alabama Wednesday, July 09, 1913 - Page 1

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[i] Southern Harmony Musical Convention, despite its name, was a Sacred Harp convention (see also Abbeville Herald, Abbeville, Alabama, Thursday, July 01, 1920 - Page 8).