Sacred Harp’s Introductory Lesson

I searched in Newspapers.com for introductory lessons in Sacred Harp. An “introductory lesson” in Sacred Harp is traditionally a lesson of two or three songs led after the first song and prayer, though this formula is not the same in all cases.

Searching for “sacred harp” & “introductory lesson,” I found over 1100 matches; over 200 for “singing convention” & “introductory lesson;” and 90 matches for “musical convention” & “introductory lesson.” Obviously, I have not looked at all the some 1400 hits. Some of the hits are outliers – for example, “Sacred Harp” & “introductory lesson” only happening to be on the same page of the newspaper, but not in relation to each other. Some are 7-shape singings. Nevertheless, most of the hits appear to be relevant. The vast majority are in Alabama, and most of them from southeast Alabama. This is likely a coincidence of what papers are available on Newspapers.com, which areas tended to report their singings to newspapers, and which areas most commonly used the terminology. Here are a few examples.

The Boiling Springs Convention of 1893. After the house was called to order, prayer had, and officers elected, there was a 1-1/2 intermission (apparently for lunch). This was followed at 1:30 p.m. with an introductory lesson by G. F. Hunt. (People’s Party Advocate, Friday, September 8, 1893, page 3.) Afterward there was a recess of 15 minutes. It does not indicate how long this lasted, but the recess after the introductory suggests the lesson went on for a substantial time. A program announcement of the Boiling Springs Convention at the Second Baptist Church in Talladega in 1906 gives 30 minutes allotted for the introductory lesson – 11:30 am till noon.

Annual singing at Mt. Zion in Barbour County, Alabama, May 1903. After the singing was called to order, songs led by chairman, and permanent organization (i.e., election of officers) “An introductory lesson of fifteen minutes was given by W. M. Cooper, of Dothan, and the lesson was continued by W. M. Boyd, Jessie Rountree and Tom Renfroe, each one giving three pieces.” After this they took a five minute recess. (The Troy Messenger, Wednesday, May 20, 1903, page 4.)

Sacred Harp Singers Association meeting in Cullman County Courthouse in 1937. The introductory lesson was conducted by Jim Evans, D. E. Williams, Otto Allred, and Ed Thomas. (The Cullman Banner, Friday 16 July 1937, page 2.)

In 1871 the Southwestern Alabama Musical Convention introductory lesson was 25 minutes, and in 1884 the Carroll County (Georgia) Musical Convention introductory lesson was 30 minutes, followed by a recess. In 1893 at the Hillabee Convention in Chambers County, J. J. Bishop gave the introductory lesson with “time unlimited.” At the 1929 Boiling Springs Convention in Ashland, Alabama, the minutes specifically mention that J. B. Dean “had been chosen at the last convention” to lead the introductory lesson. At the 1942 Middle Creek (Alabama) Convention, after prayer “the Chairman appointed C. O. Hagler to direct three songs as the introductory lesson...”

Unfortunately, in most cases the introductory lesson is basically just reported as happening. There is little of any details of just how it was conducted. Most of the reports seem to have in common the first leader after the meeting is called to order, and a prominent lesson. It most cases the chairman first calls the singing to order with a song, and after that the introductory lesson occurred. The 1893 Boiling Springs is an exception to that rule.

B. F. White derived some of the pattern of the organization of the singing convention from another organization with which he was familiar, the Baptist association. The introductory lesson of Sacred Harp seems to correspond with the introductory sermon of the Baptist association.