the name shows the shapes for each solfege syllable
Fasola solfege

Sacred Harp singing in Michigan

In the Lansing area, we sing on the first and third Mondays of each month, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, at Edgewood United Church, 469 N. Hagadorn, East Lansing, MI, with occasional location changes on holidays.

We sing in the Sacred Harp style, also referred to as “shape note singing,” which is a community singing where participants sing for the joy of singing. Shape note singing is a version of solfege, where the shape of a note indicates its pitch location in the musical scale, similar to that used in the film The Sound of Music.

We sing from The Sacred Harp, a shape note hymnal that has been in continuous publication since 1844. A singing style that became rooted in the American South, The Sacred Harp tradition has spread across the country and around the world.

We split the room into four sections, which is referred to as the hollow square, one side each for tenors, altos, basses, and trebles, comprised of both male and female voices (excepting the alto section, which is all female). The melody is carried by the tenor section.

Edgewood United Church
469 N Hagadorn Rd
East Lansing, MI

  • All are welcome!
  • No experience necessary
  • Books are available to borrow (at the singing) or purchase
  • The doors lock automatically at 8 pm, call (517) 775-9831 for admittance if the doors are locked.

Email Notices Sign-up
There are two lists, one for local singers, which has a reminder email of our singings every other week or so, plus an occasional extra, and a Regional list, which has fewer emails, notices about big “all-day” singings within reach by car.

Other Sacred Harp groups nearby: