Third Sunday Charlestown Shapenote Sing
2007–2008 Singings: December 17, January 21, February 18, March 17, April 21, May 19 ~ No Charlestown singing in June, July, or August ~ September 15, October 20, November 17, December 21
Essential Info
	When?  Third Sundays, singing from 3-6 pm.  Break for snacks around 4:30. What?  Singing from The Sacred Harp, both Denson 1991 and Cooper 2000 editions, Norumbega Harmony and Northern Harmony. Where? St. John's Episcopal Church, 27 Devens St., Charlestown, Massachusetts Who?  Open to all! Contact info: Mail us! Or call Robert or Elizabeth at home: 617-242-7092 or mobile phone: 617-331-4373
Getting There
	St. John's is in the Charlestown section of Boston, Massachusetts.  Public transportation, either on the Orange Line or the 92 bus, is close by.  By car, it is close to I-93 and the Gilmore and Charlestown bridges.  Park on the street, or at the nearby MDC ice rink, across from the shopping center on Austin Street. Directions to St. John's
What is this all about?
	If you go to a "dance," you go to dance.  When you come to our sing, come to sing! The singing is an opportunity to sing great, uniquely American unaccompanied choral music together.  As is traditional, the singing is highly democratic--anyone who wants to may call and lead songs.  We sing mostly from The Sacred Harp, 1991 Edition, the leading example of shape-note hymnals that were popular in the early 1800s in America.  The idiosyncratic style of its hymns is characterized by strong rhythm and simple harmonic structures that break many of the Old World strictures in a powerful, expressive way.  We also sing from the Cooper Edition of The Sacred Harp, which includes some excellent songs from later, Southern traditions, and both The Norumbega Harmony and Northern Harmony, which include valuable colonial and modern New England shape-note tunes.
Other Information
	The singing is free, but we take up a collection to help St. John's defray its building heating and maintenance costs. Loaner books for all four books are available, but please bring along your own book if you have one.
Other shapenote singings in the area
	There are many other singings in New England and around the country. Annie Grieshop maintains a master list of regular singings. The closest regular singings are: First Sundays: In Plymouth or East Sandwich (winter digs) Second Sundays: The Boston Connexion singing in Brookline Second Mondays: Norumbega Harmony hosts a singing in Newton Center Third Sundays: That’s the Charlestown singing! Fourth Sundays: The Rhode Island Sacred Harp Singing in Providence There are several annual “conventions” (big singings) in New England, which you can track down at FaSoLa.