About Us

There’s no harp in Sacred Harp singing — no instruments at all. Just the power of voice, in four-part harmony. The origin of the music goes back centuries — first in England, then in colonial New England, then the music migrated south, where it took root.

The songs come from a tunebook first published in 1844, and use a system of printed shapes, instead of standard music notation, to help untrained singers learn how to read the music.

Sacred Harp singing isn’t at all like the soaring tones of traditional gospel music. “Sacred Harp is a whole other thing,” Block says. “This is full-body, shout-it-out singing. The harmonies are stark and haunting — raw, even. In Sacred Harp, you don’t want a sweet sound.”

Learn more about our community and the beautiful world of Sacred Harp: