FREE PIZZA FOR JAN. 11 PALMER SINGERS -- 1 P.M. TO 2 P.M.
Interactive map for 101 Paris St. in Palmer

 Shape-note singing in Palmer, Texas

 (next is Jan. 11, 2009)

  We sing on the second Sunday afternoon each month at First Christian Church, 101 Paris St. in Palmer. The Ellis County town is on I-45 -- 8 miles north of Ennis, 7 miles south of Ferris and 15 miles south of I-20 in Dallas.

 We arrive about 2:00, set up our chairs and begin singing shortly afterward. But any who can't get there that early should join us when they can -- no problem. We sing until 4:00 p.m. A room for our singing is generously provided by the Palmer church.

We usually warm up with some four-part-harmony gospel songs from
our 1939-origin Stamps-Baxter songbooks. We might sing that for
30 minutes, or up to an hour, depending on the preferences of those
attending. Then we sing from several 19th century shape-note books
in the traditional "Sacred Harp style."

Our gatherings are not just for people familiar with the Sacred Harp tradition and style of singing. We also invite complete strangers to it, and are confident they can take part -- with a little introductory information, which we will provide.

 

   One of our singing books is the Ingalls Christian Harmony (1805), a treasure chest of early American music in the tradition of three-part and four-part unaccompanied harmony. The kind of powerful religious and patriotic songs sung by George Washington and his contemporaries. Songs so closely identified with the American colonists that a British general on a warship standing offshore, near the start of the Revolutionary War, was heard* to fume about "those !#@$%@! Psalm singers!"

We also sing from other 19th century sources including The Southern Harmony, one of the most popular and important shape-note singing books of the 19th century. The final, 1854 edition of that book is available online in html and pdf formats. (Non-commercial uses only, such as our singings.) Here is an appreciation of The Southern Harmony with interesting insights.

Also, we sometimes sing from the most widely used version of The Sacred Harp, the 1991 revision of that 1844 collection of songs. Bring your 1991 revision if you own one.

Many of the songs we use are easy enough for anyone to sing even on the first try. Various loaner books and printed sheets are available for use at our singings. No need to buy any of our special songbooks.

 The other singing in the county, at Waxahachie, uses The Sacred Harp, so we try to achieve some variety with this Palmer singing. For the benefit of those of us who also sing in Waxahachie, and others in the region who might enjoy a chance to sing from other shape-note books. Multiple-book singings are a growing trend around the nation.

Share the joy and bring a friend to the next singing.

Newcomers and listeners welcome.

COFFEE AND OTHER REFRESHMENTS SERVED AT OUR SINGINGS






The background music is "Free Grace" (1804) from the Ingalls Christian Harmony.
To play it again, choose Refresh or Reload on your browser.
 

Sing along -- then come sing it with us!

The voice of free grace cries 'scape to the mountains,
In Adam's lost race, has opened a fountain,
For sins and transgressions, and ev'ry pollution
The blood it flows freely in streams of salvation.

Hallelujah to the Lamb, who purchas'd our pardon,
We'll praise Him again when we pass over Jordan.
The fountain is wide, where all may find pardon,
From Jesus' side flows a plenteous redemption:
Though sins they are raised as high as a mountain,
The blood it will cleanse you, that flows from this fountain.

Hallelujah to the Lamb, who purchas'd our pardon,
We'll praise Him again when we pass over Jordan.

O! Jesus ride on, thy kingdom is glorious
O'er death, hell and sin, will make us victorious;
Thy name shall be prais'd in the great congregation,
And saints shall rejoice in ascribing salvation.

Hallelujah to the Lamb, who purchas'd our pardon,
We'll praise Him again when we pass over Jordan.

On Zion we stand, we've gain'd the blest shore!
With harps in our hands, we praise evermore;
We view the blest fields on the banks of the river,
And sing Hallelujahs for ever and ever.

Hallelujah to the Lamb, who purchas'd our pardon,
We'll praise Him again when we pass over Jordan.

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***The "!#@$%@! Psalm singers" incident is reported in "1776" by David McCullough