O where, tell me where, shall I find your singing school.

You'll find it under the tall oak where the leaves do shake and blow,

You'll find a half hundred a-singing faw, sol, [law].

--from The Social Harp (1855)

A singing school is a school in which students are taught to sightread vocal music

Vocal music

Vocal music is a genre of music performed by one or more singers, with or without instrumental accompaniment, in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but does not feature it prominently is generally considered instrumental music Vocal music is a genre of...

. Singing schools are a long-standing cultural institution in the Southern United States.

Historically, singing schools have been strongly affiliated with Protestant Christianity

Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

. Some are held under the auspices of particular Protestant denominations that maintain a tradition of a cappella

A cappella

A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...

 singing, such as the Church of Christ and the Primitive Baptists. Others are associated with Sacred Harp

Sacred Harp

Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that took root in the Southern region of the United States. It is part of the larger tradition of shape note music.- The music and its notation :...

, southern gospel

Southern Gospel

Southern Gospel music—at one time also known as "quartet music"—is music whose lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...

, and similar singing traditions, whose music is religious in character but is sung outside the context of church services.

Often the music taught in singing schools uses shape note

Shape note

Shape notes are a music notation designed to facilitate congregational and community singing. The notation, introduced in 1801, became a popular teaching device in American singing schools...

 notation, in which the notes are assigned particular shapes to indicate their pitch. There are two main varieties of shape note systems: the four-note, or fasola, system used in Sacred Harp music, and the seven-note system used in southern gospel music. Some churches, including some Baptist churches (though fewer and fewer), use hymnal

Hymnal

Hymnal or hymnary or hymnbook is a collection of hymns, i.e. religious songs, usually in the form of a book. The earliest hand-written hymnals are known since Middle Ages in the context of European Christianity...

s printed in shape notes.

While some singing schools are offered for credit, most are informal programs.

History

Singing schools began in the Northeastern United States

New England

New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

 in the early days of American history. The New England colonies were founded by settlers seeking religious freedom; they believed in the importance of congregational singing of hymns in Christian worship

Christian worship

In Christianity, worship is adoration and contemplation of God.-Overview:Throughout most of Christianity's history, corporate Christian worship has been primarily liturgical, characterized by prayers and hymns, with texts rooted in, or closely related to, the Scripture, particularly the Psalter;...

 and thus saw it as important to train each churchgoer to sing. William Billings

William Billings

William Billings was an American choral composer, and is widely regarded as the father of American choral music...

 was one of the earliest and most important of the New England singing school teachers. One of his singing schools was held in 1774 in Stoughton, Massachusetts. According to Hall, "The school taught by William Billings is the first and only one with all the pupils given." A few members of this singing school later helped organize the Stoughton Musical Society

Stoughton Musical Society

Organized in 1786, this is currently America's oldest choral society. Over the past two centuries it has had many distinguished accomplishments. In 1908, when incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the name was changed to Old Stoughton Musical Society...

 in 1786, now the oldest surviving choral society in the United States.

According to Eskew and McElrath, "The singing school arose as a reform movement in early eighteenth-century New England." In some denominations

Religious denomination

A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity.The term describes various Christian denominations...

, controversies existed on whether congregations should sing audibly, and whether singing should be limited to the Psalms

Psalms

The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...

 of David

David

David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...

. This New England controversy centered around "regular singing" versus the "usual way". The "usual way" consisted of the entire congregation singing in unison tunes passed on by oral tradition. "Regular singing" consisted of singing by note or rule. Though intended for the entire congregation, "regular singing" sometimes divided the congregation into singers and non-singers. Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

 ministers John Tufts

John Tufts

John Tufts may refer to:*John Q. Tufts , American politician*John Tufts , early music educator...

 and Thomas Walter were among the leaders in this "reform movement". Tufts' An Introduction to the Singing of Psalm Tunes is generally considered the first singing school manual. By the middle of the 18th century, the arguments for "regular singing" had generally won the day. By the end of the 18th century, the singing school manuals had become standardized in an oblong-shaped tunebook, usually containing tunes with only one stanza of text.

New systems of music notation, including shape note

Shape note

Shape notes are a music notation designed to facilitate congregational and community singing. The notation, introduced in 1801, became a popular teaching device in American singing schools...

s, were developed by singing school teachers as an aid in learning to sing by sight. Shape note systems included a four-shape "fasola" system prominent before the Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

 and surviving largely in the Sacred Harp

Sacred Harp

Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that took root in the Southern region of the United States. It is part of the larger tradition of shape note music.- The music and its notation :...

, and various seven-shape systems which gained popularity in the postwar period and are still seen in some denominational hymnals and in Southern Gospel

Southern Gospel

Southern Gospel music—at one time also known as "quartet music"—is music whose lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...

 music.

Eventually, singing schools in the north faded to obscurity, while in the south and west they became a prominent social event for small-town Americans looking for something to do.

Singing schools were often taught by traveling singing masters who would stay in a location for a few weeks and teach a singing school. A singing school would be a large social event for a town; sometimes nearly everyone in the town would attend and people would come for miles. Many young men and women saw singing schools as important to their courtship traditions

Courtship

Courtship is the period in a couple's relationship which precedes their engagement and marriage, or establishment of an agreed relationship of a more enduring kind. In courtship, a couple get to know each other and decide if there will be an engagement or other such agreement...

. Sometimes the entire life of a town would be put on hold as everyone came out to singing school. In this way, singing schools resembled tent revival

Tent revival

A tent revival is a gathering of Christian worshipers in a tent erected specifically for revival meetings, healing crusades, and church rallies. Tent revivals have had both local and national ministries....

s.

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American author who wrote the Little House series of books based on her childhood in a pioneer family...

 related attending a singing school as a young lady in These Happy Golden Years

These Happy Golden Years

These Happy Golden Years, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, was published in 1943 and is the eighth of nine books written in her Little House series, also known as The Laura Years. This book is based on Laura's adolescence near De Smet, South Dakota, in the late 19th century, and focuses on Laura's short...

, one of the Little House books

Little House on the Prairie

Little House is a series of children's books by Laura Ingalls Wilder that was published originally between 1932 and 1943, with four additional books published posthumously, in 1962, 1971, 1974 and 2006.-History:...

. Her husband, Almanzo Wilder

Almanzo Wilder

Almanzo James Wilder was the husband of Laura Ingalls Wilder and father of Rose Wilder Lane, both noted U.S. writers.- Early life :...

, courted her there.

One common tradition was the "singing school picture" taken of the teacher and students on the last day of school. Many old black and white photographs exist as records of these events from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; genealogical researchers

Genealogy

Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...

 often find these records useful. The pictures were often taken in front of a blackboard with the name of the teacher and date of the school. Some of these pictures show small classes, while others record very large schools.

Singing schools underwent many changes as cities grew and the population moved away from an agrarian lifestyle. One of the most notable changes was the length of schools; at one time it was common for schools to last four weeks. This was shortened over time, and today most of the larger singing schools last for two weeks, though the Gospel Singers of America School of Gospel Music still lasts for three weeks.

Singing schools began to hold less interest for the general public as time went on and could rarely get attendance from an entire town. Instead, schools were attended by interested students from a much larger region. In the case of Sacred Harp singing schools, students usually attended because of their interest in the Sacred Harp singing tradition; in other schools, students attended because of an interest in vocal church music, especially for those churches that maintain an all a capella music tradition.

Traveling singing school masters faded away in favor of annual schools in the same location. Primitive Baptists have established three permanently located singing schools in the state of Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 (Harmony Hill at Azle

Azle, Texas

Azle is a city in Parker and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,947.Popular tourist attractions include marine sports at Eagle Mountain Lake such as swimming, fishing and boating.-Geography:...

, Harmony Plains at Cone

Cone, Texas

Cone is an unincorporated community in Crosby County, Texas, United States. It lies on U.S. Route 62, thirty-four miles northeast of Lubbock, and has an estimated population of 70. It is part of the Lubbock Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

, and Melody Grove at Warren). There are several non-denominational seven-shape singing schools throughout the southern United States, including the North Georgia School of Gospel Music in Georgia and Ben Speer's Stamps-Baxter School of Music in Tennessee. Camp Fasola, which was founded in 2003, is an attempt by Sacred Harp enthusiasts to establish a permanent annual singing school.

Singing schools are also common in Missionary Baptist churches, as well as rural churches across the South. This includes Methodist, Church of God, Southern Baptist, and other denominations. Many of these churches still prefer to use shape note hymnals, as opposed to round note versions that many denominational publishing houses provide. In southern gospel singing schools, convention songbooks are used to teach sight-singing, music theory, and conducting. Some music publishing companies have also published music theory books for use in the schools.

Curriculum

The basic subjects taught at singing schools are music theory

Music theory

Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...

 and sight reading

Sight reading

Sight-reading is the reading and performing of a piece of written music, specifically when the performer has not seen it before. Sight-singing is often used to describe a singer who is sight-reading.-Sight-reading:...

 (the ability to sing a piece of music on first reading). Most religious schools also focus extensively on song leading, the ability to direct a group in vocal music. Song leading requires both music theory skills and public speaking

Public speaking

Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...

 skills. Most song leading classes are open to both genders, but some schools are associated with Christian religious traditions that allow only male leadership and therefore only offer such classes to males. In addition, many schools teach composition and ear training.

Sacred Harp singing schools use one or more of the 20th century editions of The Sacred Harp as curriculum. Some of these schools are one-day workshops held in conjunction with a singing convention. The emphasis is on teaching newcomers and advanced musicians the note system and traditions of Sacred Harp.

Many singing schools have published their own small textbooks on music theory, harmony, and song and lyric composition. These are often offered to students as part of the tuition charge of the school. At some schools, students are also obliged to purchase a pitch pipe, a small instrument that sounds a single note. Primitive Baptists commonly practice pitching by ear, instead of with the pitch pipe. Southern gospel schools use the piano

Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...

 as accompaniment and do not use pitch pipes.

It is common for students to continue to return to their singing school year after year, even after completing the entire curriculum the school offers, for additional practice as well as for the social opportunity the school represents. Many singing school students eventually become teachers. Though singing schools are not as prominent today as they were, for many people they are still an important yearly event.

List of singing masters

Ordered chronologically by date of birth.

• William Billings
  William Billings
  William Billings was an American choral composer, and is widely regarded as the father of American choral music...
  
   (1746–1800)
• Justin Morgan
  Justin Morgan
  Justin Morgan was a U.S. horse breeder and composer.He was born in West Springfield, Massachusetts, and by 1788 had settled in Vermont. In addition to being a horse breeder and farmer, he was a teacher of singing; in that capacity he traveled considerably throughout the northeastern states...
  
   (ca. 1747- ca. 1798)
• Jacob French
  Jacob French
  Jacob French born July 15, 1754 in Stoughton, Massachusetts and died in 1817. He was a singing master and one of the first American composers.-Publications:*The New American Melody *The Psalmodist's Companion...
  
   (1754-1817)
• Joseph Funk
  Joseph Funk
  Joseph Funk was a pioneer American music teacher, publisher, and one of the first American composers.Joseph Funk was born April 6, 1778 , in Berks County, Pennsylvania, the son of Henry and Barbara Funk, and a grandson of Bishop Henry Funck...
  
   (1778–1862)
• Benjamin Franklin White
  Benjamin Franklin White
  Benjamin Franklin White was a shape note "singing master", and compiler of the shape note tunebook known as The Sacred Harp. He was born near Cross Keys in Union County, South Carolina, the twelfth child of Robert and Mildred White.-Musical career:White and Elisha J...
  
   (1800–1879)
• Jesse B. Aikin
  Jesse B. Aikin
  Jesse Bowman Aikin was a shape note "singing master", and compiler of the shape note tunebook The Christian Minstrel. Aikin was the first to produce a song book with a seven-shape note system. He vigorously defended his "invention" and his patent, which included the elimination of bass and treble...
  
   (1808–1900)
• William Walker
  William Walker (composer)
  William Walker was an American Baptist song leader, shape note "singing master", and compiler of four shape note tunebooks, most notable of which was The Southern Harmony.-Life:...
  
   (1809–1875)
• Aldine Silliman Kieffer
  Aldine Silliman Kieffer
  Aldine Silliman Kieffer was a leading 19th century proponent of shape note musical notation, music teacher and publisher....
  
   (1840–1904)
• Wilson Marion Cooper
  Wilson Marion Cooper
  Wilson Marion Cooper of Dothan, Alabama, was a notable musician and music teacher within the Sacred Harp tradition. Marion Cooper was born in Henry County, Alabama, the son of W. S. and Elizabeth Ann Cooper. He was a cousin of Alabama governor William C. Oates.- Overview :W. M. Cooper prepared a...
  
   (1850–1916)
• Seaborn Denson
  Seaborn McDaniel Denson
  Seaborn McDaniel Denson was a notable Alabama musician and singing school teacher within the Sacred Harp tradition. He was a son of The Rev. Levi Phillips Denson, a Methodist minister, and Julia Ann Jones Denson. Seaborn Denson was born April 9, 1854 in Arbacoochee, Alabama. He married Sidney...
  
   (1854–1936)
• Charles H. Gabriel
  Charles H. Gabriel
  Charles Hutchinson Gabriel was a writer of gospel songs and composer of gospel tunes. He is said to have written and/or composed between 7,000 and 8,000 songs, many of which are available in 21st century hymnals. He used several pseudonyms, including Charlotte G. Homer, H. A. Henry, and S. B...
  
   (1856–1932)
• Anthony Johnson Showalter
  Anthony Johnson Showalter
  Reverend Anthony Johnson Showalter was an American gospel music composer, teacher and publisher. He was born May 1, 1858 in Cherry Grove, Virginia. Showalter was trained in the Ruebush-Kieffer School of Music and was teaching in singing schools by age fourteen. In 1884, he formed the Showalter...
  
   (1858–1924)
• Thomas Denson
  Thomas Jackson Denson
  Thomas Jackson Denson was a notable Alabama musician and singing school teacher within the Sacred Harp tradition. He was the youngest of the four sons of the Levi Phillip Denson, a Methodist minister, and Julia Ann Jones Denson. Thomas J. Denson was born in 1863 in Arbacoochee, Cleburne County. He...
  
   (1863–1935)
• James David Vaughan
  James David Vaughan
  James David Vaughan was a music teacher, composer, song book publisher, the founder of the Vaughan Conservatory of Music and the James D. Vaughan Publishing Company.-Biography:...
  
   (1864–1941)
• Tillit Sidney Teddlie
  Tillit Sidney Teddlie
  Tillit Sidney Teddlie was a singing school teacher, composer, publisher, and minister of the Church of Christ.Teddlie was born June 3, 1885 at Swan, Texas , the son of Theodore and Sarah Ann Teddlie. In 1903, he was baptized into the Church of Christ, and also taught his first singing school,...
  
   (1885–1987)
• William Burton Walbert
  William Burton Walbert
  William Burton Walbert was a gospel music singer, composer, and editor. He was born in Barren County, Kentucky, USA on May 18, 1886. He was long associated with the James D. Vaughan Music Company, and was son-in-law to James David Vaughan. His son was a noted pianist, James D. Walbert. After James...
  
   (1886–1959)
• Virgil Oliver Stamps
  Virgil Oliver Stamps
  Virgil Oliver Stamps was a shape note promoter, singer, composer, and singing school teacher.V. O. Stamps was born in and raised in the Stamps Community in Upshur County, Texas, and was a key individual in early gospel music publishing. As a youth, he worked with his father in a sawmill, and used...
  
   (1892–1940)
• Robert Sterling Arnold
  Robert Sterling Arnold
  Robert Sterling Arnold was a shape note music publisher, singer, composer, and singing school teacher. He was born January 26, 1905 at Coleman in Coleman County, Texas, the son of Millard Franklin and Rowena Victoria Arnold.Arnold received his musical training from southern shape note teachers...
  
   (1905–2003)
• Joe Roper (1915–1990)
• Videt Polk (1919–2002)
• Byron E. Reid (1929- )
• Hugh McGraw
  Hugh McGraw
  Hugh McGraw is a leading figure in contemporary Sacred Harp singing. He was the General Chairman of the committee that created the 1991 Denson revision of The Sacred Harp and played an important role in promoting the spread of Sacred Harp singing...
  
   (1931 - )
• Pauline Thompson (1944 - )
• Richard DeLong
  Richard DeLong
  Richard Lee DeLong is a leading figure in contemporary Sacred Harp singing. He has taught frequently in singing schools and served as the youngest member of the editorial board that created the 1991 Revision of The Sacred Harp, the most widely used book for Sacred Harp singing.Born in Atlanta,...
  
   (currently active)
• Eugene McCammon (currently active)
• Marty Phillips
  Marty Phillips
  Marty Phillips of Crossett, Arkansas, USA is a gospel singer, songwriter, as well as editor of the Jeffress/Phillips Music Company. A composer of many songs, he is most noted for "What A Meeting In The Air"...
  
   (currently active)
• Joel D. McKissack (1955-)
• Tim Eriksen
  Tim Eriksen
  Tim Eriksen is an American musician, musicologist, and professor. He is the leader of the band Cordelia's Dad, a solo artist, and was a performer and consultant for the award-winning soundtrack of the film Cold Mountain.-Cordelia's Dad:...
  
   (1966-) (currently active)

Date needed:

• Autrey Hayes
• Key Dillard
• Gene Jeffress
• Jimmy L. Jeffress
• James E. Reid

List of singing schools

• Alabama School of Gospel Music, Snead State Junior College, Boaz, Alabama
  Boaz, Alabama
  Boaz is a city in Etowah and Marshall Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is part of the 'Gadsden, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area'. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 9,551. Boaz is known mainly for its outlet shops....
  
  
• Ben Speer's Stamps-Baxter School of Gospel Music, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
  Murfreesboro, Tennessee
  Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in...
  
  
• Brockwell Gospel Music School, Brockwell, Arkansas
• Camp Fasola (Sacred Harp
  Sacred Harp
  Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that took root in the Southern region of the United States. It is part of the larger tradition of shape note music.- The music and its notation :...
  
  -affiliated), Anniston, Alabama
  Anniston, Alabama
  Anniston is a city in Calhoun County in the state of Alabama, United States.As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 24,276. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 23,741...
  
   and Double Springs, Alabama
  Double Springs, Alabama
  Double Springs is a town in Winston County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,003. The city is the county seat of Winston County.- Geography :Double Springs is located at .According to the U.S...
  
  
• Cumberland Valley School of Gospel Music, Pulaski, Tennessee
  Pulaski, Tennessee
  Pulaski is a city in Giles County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 7,870 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Giles County. It was named to honor the Polish-born American Revolutionary War hero Kazimierz Pułaski...
  
  
• Do Re Mi Gospel Music Academy, Lebanon, Tennessee
  Lebanon, Tennessee
  Lebanon is a city in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the United States. The population was 20,235 at the 2000 census. It serves as the county seat of Wilson County. Lebanon is located in middle Tennessee, approximately 25 miles east of downtown Nashville. Local residents have also called it...
  
  
• Gospel Singers of America Singing School, Pass Christian, Mississippi
  Pass Christian, Mississippi
  Pass Christian , nicknamed The Pass, is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States, along the Gulf of Mexico. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area...
  
  
• Haralson County Singing School, Bremen, Georgia
  Bremen, Georgia
  Bremen is a city in Haralson County and Carroll County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 6,227.Locally the name of the city is pronounced BREE-muhn...
  
  
• Haskell Singing School, Church of Christ, Haskell, Texas
  Haskell, Texas
  Haskell is a city in central Haskell County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,106. It is the county seat of Haskell County.-Geography:Haskell is located at ....
  
  
• Foundation School of Church Music, Church of Christ, Buda, Texas
  Buda, Texas
  Buda is a city in Hays County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,404 at the 2000 census. City leaders estimated the population exceeded 5,100 in 2008 and the official 2009 Census Bureau estimate showed the population had increased to 7,784 as of July 1, 2009. The 2010 US Census listed...
  
  
• Jeffress School of Gospel Music, Crossett, Arkansas
  Crossett, Arkansas
  Crossett is the largest city in Ashley County, Arkansas, United States, with a population of 5,507, according to 2010 Census Bureau estimates. Combined with North Crossett and West Crossett, the population is 10,752...
  
  
• Leoma School of Gospel Music, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee
  Lawrenceburg, Tennessee
  Lawrenceburg is a city in Lawrence County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 10,796 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lawrence County...
  
  
• National School of Gospel Music, Tennessee, Kansas, and California
• North Georgia School of Gospel Music, Cleveland, Georgia
  Cleveland, Georgia
  Cleveland is a city in White County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,907 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of White County....
  
  
• Southern Gospel Music School of America, Chattanooga, Tennessee
  Chattanooga, Tennessee
  Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
  
  
• Texas Southern Gospel School of Music, Navarro College, Corsicana, Texas
  Corsicana, Texas
  Corsicana is a city in Navarro County, Texas, United States. It is located on Interstate 45 some fifty-five miles south of downtown Dallas. The population was 24,485 at the 2000 census...
  
  
• Tri-County Singers Association School, Charleston, West Virginia
  Charleston, West Virginia
  Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
  
  
• West Virginia School of Gospel Music, Kenna, West Virginia
  Kenna, West Virginia
  Kenna is an unincorporated community in southern Jackson County, West Virginia, USA. It lies along West Virginia Route 34 just west of its interchange with Interstate 77, south of the city of Ripley, the county seat of Jackson County. Its elevation is 787 feet . Although Kenna is...
  
  
• Mountain State School of Gospel Music Dunbar, West Virginia
  Dunbar, West Virginia
  Dunbar is a city in Kanawha County, West Virginia, along the Kanawha River. The population was 7,907 at the 2010 census estimate. Dunbar was incorporated on April 19, 1921, by an Act of the West Virginia Legislature, and named for Dunbar Baines, a prominent area banker.-History:Located at Dunbar is...
  
  

Articles

• Shape-Note Singing Schools - by David Warren Steel
• Singing With So-Fa Syllables - article about singing schools and shape notes
• Old Stoughton vs. Sacred Harp Singing - by Roger Lee Hall

Web sites of singing schools

• The Alabama School of Gospel Music, Boaz, Alabama
• Ben Speer's Stamps-Baxter School of Music, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
• Brockwell Gospel Music School, Brockwell, Arkansas
• Camp Doremi, Little Switzerland, North Carolina
• Camp Fasola, Alabama
• Cumberland Valley School of Gospel Music, Pulaski, Tennessee
• Do Re Mi Gospel Music Academy, Lebanon, Tennessee
• Foundation School of Church Music, Buda, Texas
• Four States Praise Camp, Canfield, Arkansas
• Gospel Singers of America School of Gospel Music, Pass Christian, Mississippi
• Harmony Highlands, Jasper, Alabama
• Harmony Hill Singing School, Azle, Texas
• Harmony Plains Singing School, Cone, Texas
• Jeffress School of Gospel Music, Crossett, Arkansas
• Leoma School of Gospel Music, Lawrence County Youth Camp, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee
• National School of Music
• North Georgia School of Gospel Music, Cleveland, Georgia
• The Singing School at Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas
• Southern Gospel Music School of America, Chattanooga, Tennessee
• Texas Southern Gospel School of Music, Corsicana, Texas
• Mountain State School of Gospel Music, Dunbar, WV

Further reading

• Bandel, Betty (n.d.) Sing the Lord's Song in a Strange Land: the Life of Justin Morgan
• Cheek, Curtis Leo (1968) The Singing School and Shaped-Note Tradition, by Curtis Leo Cheek (thesis in partial fulfillment of a Doctor of Musical Arts, University of Southern California)
• Foote, Henry Wilder (n.d.) Three Centuries of American Hymnody
• Goff, James R. (n.d.) Close Harmony: A History of Southern Gospel
• Hall, Roger L. (1989) Music in Stoughton: A Brief Survey
• Jones, Burt (n.d.) A Practical Handbook for Singing and Songleading
• Marini, Stephen A. (2003) Sacred Song in America: Religion, Music, and Public Culture. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.

Video Documentaries

• Shearon, Stephen, and Mary Nichols, prod. (2010) "I'll Keep On Singing": The Southern Gospel Convention Tradition.
• Hall, Roger, prod. (2010) "Land of Our Hearts": A New England Music Miscellany (William Billings Singing School).