Illinoisans, among others nationwide, still find in these hymns a mixture of dark poetry, joy and spiritual uplift. In Illinois, we sing the old music out of a book called The Sacred Harp. In Kentucky, people still sing from William Walker's Southern Harmony, first published in 1835. In North Carolina and parts of Alabama and Mississippi, Christian Harmony singers use books by that name, also first compiled by Walker. And in recent years Sacred Harp singing has spread nationwide.
Singers sit facing inward in a hollow square.
Each individual is invited to take a turn 'leading,' i.e. standing in the center, selecting a song, and beating time with the hand. We sing for each other, not an audience. Our singing tends to be loud, heartfelt, genuine and emotional. It wallops your stomach, vibrates your spine, makes the inside of your head buzz. But it's not just the volume.