AP PHOTOS: A 180-year-old singing tradition is getting a new edition of its beloved hymnal
BREMEN, Ga. (AP) — A Christian hymnal called 'The Sacred Harp' is at the heart of a more than 180-year-old American singing tradition that is as much about the community as it is the music.
Initially published in 1844, a new edition of the songbook — the first in 34 years — is being released later this year by the Sacred Harp Publishing Company. The refresh is meant to breath new life into the hymnal while preserving its history and role in the a cappella group practice known as Sacred Harp singing.
'The Sacred Harp' is a shape-note songbook, which aims to make singing accessible. Its musical notation uses notes that look like triangles, ovals, squares and diamonds, and it's sung in four-part harmony.
The book is precious to its singers, who are excited and nervous about how the 2025 edition will turn out. The nine-member revision committee working on the new version feels a tremendous responsibility to get it right. Some songs will be cut and others by living composers will be added as happened in previous revisions.
Sacred Harp singers are not historical reenactors, but part of a living worship and music tradition. Their copies of the songbook are well-used. Memories and emotions get attached to specific songs, and favorites in life can become memorials in death.
The songs are sung in a hollow square formation. Singers organize into four voice parts: treble, alto, tenor and bass. Each group takes a side, facing an opening in the center where a rotating song leader guides the group and keeps time as dozens of voices come from all sides.
____
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
Tyler Ford, Ben Foster picked to work NBA Finals for the 1st time. The famed 'white jacket' awaits
Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — For NBA players, the prize is the gold trophy. For NBA referees, the prize is the white jacket. And for Tyler Ford and Ben Taylor, the jacket has arrived. Soon, so will the moment they've worked a long time for — they're going to be blowing the whistle at the NBA Finals. Ford and Taylor were the two first-time selections on a roster of 12 referees that were announced Tuesday as those picked to work the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. The series begins Thursday in Oklahoma City. 'That jacket's really sweet and it's sort of our trophy,' Ford said. 'There's a special significance to the white jacket. Everybody's who's been in the finals or aspires to do the finals recognizes that. You get one when you're an alternate because you walk out there and you take a picture and you've got to be prepared, but it's a little different when you're actually one of the 12 and you'll be working on the floor.' Both have been alternates before, so they know what the white jacket looks like and feels like. But Taylor made sure that he'll know the difference between the ones he got as an alternate and the ones he'll get now as a full-fledged finals referee. 'I literally wrote on every one of them. I wrote ALT on the tag of every one I've got so far,' Taylor said. 'It's the culmination of life's work. I got into the minor leagues at 20 or 21 years old. It's all I've ever known and it's all I've ever done. It's the pinnacle. The extreme pinnacle is Game 7 crew chief, but this is a strong step in that direction.' Scott Foster is the most veteran of the finals referees; he was picked to work the title series for the 18th time. Tony Brothers and Marc Davis were both picked for the 14th time, James Capers for the 13th time, Zach Zarba for the 12th time and John Goble for the ninth time in his career. David Guthrie is now an eight-time selection for the finals, while Josh Tiven was picked for the sixth time, James Williams for a fifth time and Sean Wright for a second time. 'We are grateful for these 12 individuals and their dedication to serving the game at the highest levels throughout the season,' said Byron Spruell, the NBA President for League Operations. 'Being selected to work the NBA Finals is the top honor as an NBA official, and I congratulate this exceptional group on a worthy achievement.' Courtney Kirkland and Kevin Scott were picked as alternates. Foster has officiated the most NBA Finals games among this year's referees with 25, while Davis has worked 21 and Brothers has worked 17. NBA Finals officials were selected based on their overall performance throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs. Officials were evaluated by the NBA Referee Operations management team after each round to determine advancement in this year's postseason, the league said. Ford and Taylor got the calls informing them they had made it from Albert Sanders Jr., the league's head of referee operations. Neither knew when — or if — the call was coming, and knew they had no control over the decision. 'It's a lot of mental ability to be able to say, 'OK, can I live with the work that I've done and be OK with whatever comes?'' Taylor said. If previous form holds, each of the 12 will work one of the first four games in the series as part of a standard three-person crew. If the series goes past Game 4, the NBA will continue assigning as needed from the same pool for the remainder of the matchup. The crews for each game are typically announced around 9 a.m. Eastern on game days. For Ford, it just so happens that Game 2 is on his 40th birthday Sunday — if it works out that way — and he worked the G League Finals the year he turned 30. Whichever game he works, it'll be around his 40th birthday, so there's some neat symmetry there as far as merging a work milestone with a milestone birthday. 'This is what you work for,' Ford said. 'You want to be in these moments.' ___ AP NBA: recommended
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
2025 French Open quarterfinals: How to watch the Coco Gauff vs. Madison Keys match
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. It'll be an all-American showdown during Wednesday's French Open quarterfinals. No. 2 Coco Gauff and No. 7 Madison Keys will face off bright and early for their U.S. fans, beginning at 5 a.m. ET. The odds favor Gauff, but whoever wins this match will face the winner of the Mirra Andreeva vs. Lois Boisson quarterfinals match. In the U.S., coverage of this year's tournament will air on TNT and truTV, and every match will air on Max. Here's everything you need to know about how to watch Gauff vs. Keys. How to watch Coco Gauff vs. Madison Keys at the 2025 French Open: Date: Wednesday, June 4 Advertisement Time: 5 a.m. ET Location: Stade Roland-Garros, Paris TV channel: TNT, truTV Streaming: Max When is the Gauff vs. Keys match at the 2025 French Open? American tennis stars Coco Gauff and Madison Keys will meet in the women's quarterfinal at the French Open on Wednesday, June 4, at approximately 5 a.m. ET. 2025 French Open channel: The 2025 Roland-Garros tennis tournament, including the Coco Gauff vs. Madison Keys quarterfinals match, will air on TNT and truTV, with all matches streaming on Max. How to watch the French Open without cable: Disney Best bundle with French Open coverage Max, Disney+ and Hulu bundle (ad-free) Get access to Disney+, Hulu and Max with this bundle. If you go ad-free ($29.99/month), you'll save up to 38% compared to individually paying for all three services — and you'll gain access to all French Open coverage. If you don't already have access to these platforms, this is a great option that really covers your bases, streaming-wise. You'll get access to three vast libraries, fully stocked with everything Marvel, all those Disney princesses (new and old) and Hulu's robust catalog of shows on demand the day after they air. That includes the latest episodes of Abbott Elementary, Grey's Anatomy and more, plus the most recent seasons of The Last of Us, The Pitt and White Lotus on Max. $29.99/month at Disney How to watch the French Open with a VPN: If you want to catch every match of the French Open and don't subscribe to Max or a live TV streaming service, in Australia, a majority of the action is streaming free with ads on 9Now, and in Austria, it's all streaming free with ads on ServusTV. Advertisement Don't live in either of those places? Don't worry: You can still stream like you do with the help of a VPN (virtual private network). A VPN helps protect your data, can mask your IP address and is perhaps most popular for being especially useful in the age of streaming. Whether you're looking to watch Friends on Netflix (which left the U.S. version of the streamer back in 2019) or tune in to the next F1 race without a cable package, a VPN can help. Looking to try a VPN for the first time? This guide breaks down the best VPN options for every kind of user. Stream French Open coverage ExpressVPN ExpressVPN offers "internet without borders," meaning you can tune into an Austrian or Australian livestream this month as opposed to paying for another streaming subscription. All you'll need to do is sign up for ExpressVPN, change your server location and find free livestream coverage on 9Now or ServusTV. ExpressVPN's added protection, speed and range of location options make it an excellent choice for first-time VPN users looking to stretch their streaming abilities, plus, it's Engadget's top pick for the best streaming VPN. New users can save 61% when they sign up for ExpressVPN's two-year subscription. Plus, the service offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you're nervous about trying a VPN. From $4.99/month at ExpressVPN 2025 French Open schedule: June 4: Quarterfinals singles play continues Advertisement June 5: Women's semifinals singles play June 6: Men's semifinals singles play June 7: Women's final June 8: Men's final French Open 2025 men's seeds: Jannik Sinner Carlos Alcaraz Alexander Zverev Taylor Fritz Jack Draper Novak Djokovic Casper Ruud Lorenzo Musetti Alex de Minaur Holger Rune Daniil Medvedev Tommy Paul Ben Shelton Arthur Fils Frances Tiafoe Grigor Dimitrov Andrey Rublev Francisco Cerúndolo Jakub Menšík Stefanos Tsitsipas Tomáš Macháč Ugo Humbert Sebastian Korda Karen Khachanov Alexei Popyrin Alejandro Davidovich Fokina Denis Shapovalov Brandon Nakashima Félix Auger-Aliassime Hubert Hurkacz Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard Alex Michelsen French Open 2025 women's seeds: Aryna Sabalenka Coco Gauff Jessica Pegula Jasmine Paolini Iga Świątek Mirra Andreeva Madison Keys Zheng Qinwen Emma Navarro Paula Badosa Diana Shnaider Elena Rybakina Elina Svitolina Karolína Muchová Barbora Krejčíková Amanda Anisimova Daria Kasatkina Donna Vekić Liudmila Samsonova Ekaterina Alexandrova Jeļena Ostapenko Clara Tauson Beatriz Haddad Maia Elise Mertens Magdalena Fręch Marta Kostyuk Leylah Fernandez Peyton Stearns Linda Nosková Anna Kalinskaya Sofia Kenin Yulia Putintseva More ways to watch the 2025 French Open:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Writer Bernardine Evaristo receives lifetime accolade for a career of breaking boundaries
LONDON (AP) — Bernardine Evaristo doesn't like boundaries. For the Booker Prize -winning novelist, rules about genre, grammar or what a working-class biracial woman can achieve are all to be challenged and swept away. Evaristo was announced Wednesday as recipient of the 100,000-pound ($135,000) Women's Prize Outstanding Contribution Award for her 'transformative impact on literature and her unwavering dedication to uplifting under-represented voices." Evaristo, 66, received the prize both for her work to help promote women and writers of color, and for writing that takes in poetry, a memoir and seven novels including the Booker-winning 'Girl, Woman, Other.' 'I just go wherever my imagination takes me,' she said. 'I didn't want to write the kind of novels that would take you on a predictable emotional or moral journey.' An eclectic output Evaristo had already explored autobiographical fiction, historical settings and alternate realities when she won the Booker in 2019 for 'Girl Woman, Other,' a polyphonic novel told from the point of view of a dozen characters, largely Black women, with widely varying ages, experiences and sexualities. She was the first woman of African heritage to be awarded the prize, which was founded in 1969 and has a reputation for transforming writers' careers. When she won, Evaristo was 60 and had been a writer for decades. She says the recognition 'came at the right time for me.' 'Maybe I wouldn't have handled it so well if I was younger,' she told The Associated Press at her London home. 'It changed my career –- in terms of book sales, foreign rights, translation, the way in which I was viewed as a writer. Various other opportunities came my way. And I felt that I had the foundations to handle that.' Evaristo's house on a quiet suburban street is bright and comfortable, with wooden floors, vibrant textiles and a large wooden writing desk by the front window. Large photos of her Nigerian paternal grandparents hang on one wall. Her work often draws on her roots as the London-born child of a Nigerian father and white British mother. Like much of Evaristo's work, 'Girl, Woman, Other' eludes classification. She calls it 'fusion fiction' for its melding of poetry and prose into a novel that relishes the texture and rhythm of language. 'I kind of dispense with the rules of grammar,' she said. 'I think I have 12 full stops in the novel.' If that sounds dauntingly experimental, readers didn't think so. 'Girl, Woman, Other' has sold more than 1 million copies and was chosen as one of Barack Obama's books of the year. Passion for poetry Evaristo traces her love of poetry to the church services of her Catholic childhood, where she soaked up the rhythms of the Bible and sermons, 'without realizing I was absorbing poetry.' When she started writing novels, the love of poetry remained, along with a desire to tell stories of the African diaspora. One of her first major successes, 'The Emperor's Babe,' is a verse novel set in Roman Britain. 'Most people think the Black history of Britain only began in the 20th century,' Evaristo said. 'I wanted to write about a Black presence in Roman Britain -– because there was a Black presence in Roman Britain 1,800 years ago.' Another novel, 'Blonde Roots,' is set in an alternative historical timeline in which Africans have enslaved Europeans, and was nominated for a major science-fiction award. 'Mr Loverman,' which centers on a closeted gay 70-something Antiguan Londoner, was an attempt to move beyond cliched images of Britain's postwar Caribbean immigrants. It was recently made into a BBC television series starring Lennie James and Sharon D. Clarke. Levelling the playing field Her latest award is a one-off accolade marking the 30th anniversary of the annual Women's Prizes for English-language fiction and nonfiction. Women's Prize founder Kate Mosse said Evaristo's 'dazzling skill and imagination, and her courage to take risks and offer readers a pathway into diverse and multifarious worlds over a 40-year career made her the ideal recipient.' Evaristo, who teaches creative writing at Brunel University of London, plans to use the prize money to help other women writers through an as-yet undisclosed project. She has long been involved with projects to level the playing field for under-represented writers, and is especially proud of Complete Works, a mentoring program for poets of color that she ran for a decade. 'I set that up because I initiated research into how many poets of color were getting published in Britain at that time, and it was under 1%' of the total, she said. A decade later, it was 10%. "It really has helped shift the poetry landscape in the U.K.," she said. Partial progress Evaristo followed 'Girl, Woman, Other' with 'Manifesto,' a memoir that recounts the stark racism of her 1960s London childhood, as well as her lifelong battle for creative expression and freedom. If Evaristo grew up as an outsider, these days she is ensconced in the arts establishment: professor, Booker winner, Officer of the Order of the British Empire, or OBE, and president of the 200-year-old Royal Society of Literature. That milestone -– she's the first person of color and the second woman to head the RSL -– has not been trouble-free. The society has been ruffled by free speech tows and arguments over attempts to bring in younger writers and diversify its ranks -– moves seen by some as watering down the accolade of membership. Evaristo doesn't want to talk about the controversy, but notes that as figurehead president she does not run the society. She says Britain has come a long way since her childhood but 'we have to be vigilant.' 'The country I grew up in is not the country I'm in today,' she said. 'We've made a lot of progress, and I feel that we need to work hard to maintain it, especially in the current political climate where it feels as if the forces are against progress, and proudly so. 'Working towards an anti-racist society is something that we should value, and I hope we do, and that we don't backslide too much.'
