2006 Illinois Sacred Harp Convention

I could not wait for today...as I had hoped I would be setting out for the Illinois Sacred Harp Convention. Even though I had touched base with the St. Louis group just weeks ago and I had not yet been able to attend a singing, I felt brave enough to head to Taylorsville, IL and give it a try. I was blessed to have Brother Chris agree to go with me, and we listened to a Sacred Harp CD all of the way there. To make the day even better, my parents also decided to attend for the first time and meet us there. The event started at 10:00 a.m. at the Christian County Historical Museum, and we quickly tried to find a seat in our correct sections. I would estimate that there were between 50 and 60 people in attendance today, and here are a few pictures of the group sitting in the hollow square. Great acoustics!

After singlng for a couple of hours (with a few breaks), we headed outside for "dinner on the grounds". Delicious food, and wonderful conversations. There were no other Primitive Baptists in attendance...yet, we met many Sacred Harp singers who know church folks from across the country. We became acquainted with some great families, and Dad even became reconnected with some individuals whose piano he had tuned in the past. It seemed that everyone went out of their way to make us feel so welcome. Here's just part of the line at lunch.