Southern Harmony - Singings

Singings

Benton, Kentucky

Although singing from the Southern Harmony is finding renewed interest at present, for many years it survived in one annual singing held each fourth Sunday in May at the Marshall County courthouse in Benton, Kentucky. It is called "Big Singing Day". The Big Singing Day has been held since 1884, when it was organized by James Roberts Lemon, a newspaper owner and publisher in western Kentucky.

The songs at the Big Singing are sung a cappella, mostly in three-part harmony. Men or women may sing any part, but traditionally only men led the class. Women led in the Big Singing for the first time in 2005, with Dr. Deborah Carlton Loftis leading in 2006. The singing is an all day event, with about an hour and a half break for lunch. The morning singing consists of a type of practice session. There is a call to order, after which the session is opened by singing "Holy Manna" and having an invocation. Many leaders in the morning session will lead the song that they have been selected to sing in the afternoon session. After lunch that session is also opened by singing "Holy Manna". This is followed by an official welcome address. A selected group of leaders direct the singing according to a printed program, and time is also left for other visiting singers. According to the traditional performance, each leader is responsible for giving the pitch of his song. Most songs are sung slightly lower than the key in which they are written. Songs are first sung "by the note" - in which the solmization is sung through - then followed "by the line", in which the words are sung.

The Southern Harmony has remained unchanged since 1854, unlike its counterpart the Sacred Harp, which went through several revisions in the 20th century. About 75% of the songs are presented in three-part harmony, which tends to emphasize their modal quality and dispersed harmony.