Revising The Sacred Harp Symposium

Join us for a day of presentations on all aspects of the revision process, with opportunities to learn, sing, and socialize.

About this Event

Join us at an all-day symposium, “Revising the Sacred Harp,” on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, at Emory University’s Woodruff Library (540 Asbury Circle, Atlanta, GA).

The symposium will feature presentations on all aspects of the new revision of The Sacred Harp: 2025 Edition, which will be launched at the United Sacred Harp Musical Association convention on Saturday and Sunday, September 13–14 at The Foundry at Puritan Mill in Atlanta.

Presenters will include members of the Revision-Music Committee, contributors to the book’s design and production, attributions, and text research teams, and composers whose songs are included in the new revision. This will also be your first opportunity to get your personal copy of The Sacred Harp: 2025 Edition (please note that multi-copy and case orders will be available at the United Convention on Saturday-Sunday). The symposium is open to the public. Tickets cost $25 to help us cover the cost of the provided lunch and coffee breaks.

Doors will open at 8am for check-in and book distribution and the symposium will start with a plenary session led by Revision Music-Committee Chairman David Ivey. Participants will have the option to attend multiple concurrent sessions during the day with a break for a provided lunch at noon. We will close with a session of singing from the new book concluding at 5pm.

Paid parking ($14) is available at Emory’s Fishburne Parking Deck (1672 N Decatur Rd, Atlanta, GA). Woodruff Library is an accessible facility (details available here). Please direct any questions to dW5pdGVkIHwgc2FjcmVkaGFycCAhIGNvbQ==.

Agenda


🕑: 09:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Plenary session: “The 2025 Revision Story”
Host: David Ivey

🕑: 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
The rudiments
Host: Lauren Bock (and special guests)

🕑: 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
Composers and their songs 1

🕑: 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Editing texts
Host: Will Fitzgerald

🕑: 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Composers and their songs 2

🕑: 12:00 PM - 01:15 PM
Lunch and committee Q&A

🕑: 01:15 PM - 02:00 PM
Book design and production
Host: Jesse P. Karlsberg (and special guests)

🕑: 01:15 PM - 02:00 PM
Scriptures
Host: Karen Rollins

🕑: 02:15 PM - 03:00 PM
Attributions
Host: Rachel Hall

🕑: 02:15 PM - 03:00 PM
Music selection and editing
Host: David Wright

🕑: 03:15 PM - 04:00 PM
Designing a new shape-note
Host: Jesse P. Karlsberg

🕑: 03:15 PM - 04:00 PM
Composers and their songs 3

🕑: 04:15 PM - 05:00 PM
Closing session: Singing from the 2025 Edition