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The Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Who are the Sacred Harp singers using a more than 180-year-old hymnal today
'The Sacred Harp' hymnal is beloved by those who sing from it, carrying on the Christian songbook's more than 180-year-old legacy. They are young and old — and all ages in between. Some have been singing from the hymnal all their lives, just as their parents and grandparents had done before them. Others became immersed in the shape-note singing tradition as adults and found fellowship as well as music. As the Sacred Harp community awaits the latest edition of their songbook, here's a look at who these singers are and why this a cappella group practice is important to them. The sacredness of 'The Sacred Harp' for many singers For Isaac Green, Sacred Harp singing is not a hobby — it's spiritual. 'Sacred Harp singing is my church,' said Green. 'I get much more out of listening and thinking about the words I'm singing than I do anybody preaching to me.' Green grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, singing out of a different shape-note hymnal. He discovered 'The Sacred Harp' much later, while living in Alpharetta, Georgia. 'There are definitely some people that have very different beliefs than me, have very different upbringings, have very different day-to-day lives, but when we come together and sing … that can be our one thing that we are in unison over,' he said. Finding singing in the 'backwoods of Alabama' More than 20 years ago, Bridge Hill Kennedy was burned out by music ministry when he joined his sister-in-law at a Sacred Harp singing event. Unfamiliar with the tradition, they looked up YouTube videos beforehand. 'We went into the backwoods of Alabama, and there it was, some of the most beautiful music that I've ever heard," he said. Today, it feeds his soul and boosts his mood. 'This community means the world to me,' Kennedy said. 'I've met people that I never would have met ... and that has given me a greater opportunity to love, even difficult people — opportunities that I would not have had otherwise and I'm grateful for that.' An inherited family tradition Sacred Harp singing is a family tradition for Reba Dell Windom. Growing up, it's how she spent her weekends. 'I don't remember learning to sing. I just thought, well, I could always sing,' said Windom, who has stuck with it throughout her lifetime, loving the fellowship and the practice. She views 'The Sacred Harp' hymnal as a special book deserving of respect, like the Bible. Windom has her grandfather's and her dad's old songbooks. Singing makes her feel close to them, especially when she leads a group of singers through a hymn they used to lead at singing events. 'I like to lead them, and sometimes it makes me cry, but it's just memories,' she said. 'There's quite a few that would be considered my favorite." A young girl's songbook Eleven-year-old Riley McKibbin received her copy of 'The Sacred Harp' from her family with its long line of Sacred Harp singers. At the front of her songbook, a handwritten note dated Aug. 6, 2017, reminds her of that. Riley, who likes how 'everybody comes together and they can just sing Godly songs for God,' has attended Sacred Harp singing events since she was a baby. For a few years now, she's served as a song leader, taking her turn guiding the group and keeping time. Riley's mother, Lisa Webb, said her daughter has always loved to sing, and it was important to have her share in the family tradition. Songs remind singer of special people in his life Specific hymns in 'The Sacred Harp' remind Oscar McGuire of singers in his life, including those no longer living. He'll often lead those songs at singing events. 'I'll get hung up on two or three songs and lead the same songs every Sunday,' he said. 'I'll sing them kind of in their memory.' There's No. 485 'New Agatite' and No. 573 'Harpeth Valley' that remind him of the late Hugh McGraw, an influential Sacred Harp singer, and several that make him think of the late Charlene Wallace, another stalwart singer. No. 515 'Joyful' is his wife's favorite. 'I get a message out of the songs. Most all of them come from verses in the Bible,' he said. 'I would rather go and sing all day, rather than going to church and listening to a preacher for 30 minutes.' Reluctant singer now immersed in the tradition Today, Nathan Rees is immersed in the Sacred Harp community. Not only is he a singer, he also is the curator of the Sacred Harp museum in Carrollton, Georgia, and a member of the revision committee working on the upcoming 2025 edition. But Rees didn't start out so enthusiastic; he was skeptical when his parents introduced him to it while he was in Utah during college. 'They had to talk me into going to this weird thing they were doing and loving with strange adult friends of theirs that I had never met and had zero interest in whatsoever,' said Rees, who remembers well that first singing he attended. 'I just got into it and loved it.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Washington Post
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
San Diego plane crash is a devastating loss to the alternative rock music community
NEW YORK — The alternative music community is in mourning after a private jet hit a power line in foggy weather early Thursday and crashed into a San Diego neighborhood, killing multiple people on board. Among them was the groundbreaking music executive Dave Shapiro , a pillar of his music scene, and Daniel Williams, a former drummer for the popular Ohio metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada. Also killed were two employees of Shapiro's Sound Talent Group agency: Kendall Fortner, 24, and Emma Huke, 25.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
San Diego plane crash is a devastating loss to the alternative rock music community
NEW YORK (AP) — The alternative music community is in mourning after a private jet hit a power line in foggy weather early Thursday and crashed into a San Diego neighborhood, killing multiple people on board. Among them was the groundbreaking music executive Dave Shapiro, a pillar of his music scene, and Daniel Williams, a former drummer for the popular Ohio metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada. Also killed were two employees of Shapiro's Sound Talent Group agency: Kendall Fortner, 24, and Emma Huke, 25. Both Williams and Shapiro served as success stories for their respective rock music scenes — proof that these subcultural sounds had real mainstream appeal. Williams' band, which had two releases reach the Top 10 of the Billboard 200, was a client of Sound Talent Group. He co-founded the company in 2018 with fellow agents Tim Borror and Matt Andersen, who previously worked at the Agency Group and United Talent Agency. Sound Talent Group's roster focused on bands in and across pop-punk, metalcore, post-hardcore and other popular hard rock sub-genres — such as Sum 41, Pierce the Veil, Parkway Drive, Silverstein, I Prevail — plus pop acts like the '90s brother-boy band, Hanson, best known for their song 'MMMBop,' and 'A Thousand Miles (Interlude)' singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton. The post-hardcore band Thursday called Shapiro, 42, an inspiration 'who despite achieving success never forgot the scenes and the communities they came from.' 'It's hard to put into words how much this man meant to so many of us,' Pierce the Veil, which has been performing for nearly two decades including a sold-out concert this week at New York's Madison Square Garden, said in a tribute on the social platform X. The World Alive, a band signed on Shapiro's label, said he was among 'the most influential and positive forces in our music scene and beyond. And Dan was one of the most influential and positive forces behind the kit.' Shortly after punk rock entered the cultural zeitgeist in the late '70s, it inspired musical sub-movements fueled by its 'do-it-yourself,' community-minded ethics: hardcore punk begat post-hardcore, metalcore, emo and so on. Across decades, these music genres evolved in sound and scope, moving from underground popularity at concerts held in garages and basements to real mainstream fame, while refusing to abandon its independent ethos. Thomas Gutches, who manages Beartooth and Archetypes Collide, recalled a time when now-popular bands like The Devil Wears Prada were getting their start playing in 'DIY shows' in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, in which you could see 10 bands perform for $5. Shapiro was 'single-handedly developing this next wave of bands that are coming in,' Gutches said. 'He was able to take those bands, package them together and put them on a larger scale. ... He took a risk in being like, 'Okay, I'm going to go and take them to that next level.'' These artists reached a kind of apex in the 2000s and 2010s. Once-obscure bands that had found audiences on early online social media platforms like MySpace, at the mall goth haven Hot Topic, or in the pages left-of-center publications like 'Alternative Press' became MTV staples, celebrities in their own right. Although many of these acts played similar-yet-different music — think of the blast beats of metalcore and the palm-muted power chords of pop-punk associated with the Vans Warped Tour — they were brought together by a shared punk rock spirit. And for the last few decades, these tight-knit groups have proven to be the dominant force in alternative rock, according to Mike Shea, founder of 'Alternative Press,' who used the word 'community' to describe the scene. Shea said Shapiro was 'vital' in bringing these punk rock subcultures to the masses. 'In this music industry, there are just too many people ripping people off and using people,' he said. 'Dave was not like that. He was a beautiful soul, and beautiful person, a guiding force, just someone who would end up being an inspiration for so many people. And he will continue to be an inspiration.' And it was not only musicians but also many booking agents, band, and tour managers and promoters that got their big breaks because of Shapiro, Gutches said. The bands Shapiro represented are many of the most popular of their genre and scene, like the Grammy-nominated Sum 41 or the platinum-selling Pierce the Veil. That also includes The Devil Wears Prada, one of the best-known metalcore bands of the last few decades, celebrated for their ability to marry melodic punk rock with metallic detouring. When Williams 'was in the band, that's when they broke out,' Shea said. Gutches said Williams captivated audiences at shows with his drumming as much as a band's front man does: 'Daniel was putting on a show from his style of playing.' The tributes will continue for both, Shea said, as more and more artists reveal the impact Williams and Shapiro had on their lives. Case in point: 'There is no single person more responsible for my identity as a professional adult than Dave Shapiro,' metalcore band Issues bassist Skyler Acord said via Instagram. His band coined a phrase they would use when things got heated "to remind us to chill out and try to understand each other,' he wrote. 'We'd say, 'Do it for Dave.'' ___ Associated Press writer Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles contributed.
The Independent
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
San Diego plane crash is a devastating loss to the alternative rock music community
The alternative music community is in mourning after a private jet hit a power line in foggy weather early Thursday and crashed into a San Diego neighborhood, killing multiple people on board. Among them was the groundbreaking music executive Dave Shapiro, a pillar of his music scene, and Daniel Williams, a former drummer for the popular Ohio metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada. Also killed were two employees of Shapiro's Sound Talent Group agency: Kendall Fortner, 24, and Emma Huke, 25. Both Williams and Shapiro served as success stories for their respective rock music scenes — proof that these subcultural sounds had real mainstream appeal. Williams' band, which had two releases reach the Top 10 of the Billboard 200, was a client of Sound Talent Group. He co-founded the company in 2018 with fellow agents Tim Borror and Matt Andersen, who previously worked at the Agency Group and United Talent Agency. Sound Talent Group's roster focused on bands in and across pop-punk, metalcore, post-hardcore and other popular hard rock sub-genres — such as Sum 41, Pierce the Veil, Parkway Drive, Silverstein, I Prevail — plus pop acts like the '90s brother-boy band, Hanson, best known for their song 'MMMBop,' and 'A Thousand Miles (Interlude)' singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton. The post-hardcore band Thursday called Shapiro, 42, an inspiration 'who despite achieving success never forgot the scenes and the communities they came from.' 'It's hard to put into words how much this man meant to so many of us,' Pierce the Veil, which has been performing for nearly two decades including a sold-out concert this week at New York 's Madison Square Garden, said in a tribute on the social platform X. The World Alive, a band signed on Shapiro's label, said he was among 'the most influential and positive forces in our music scene and beyond. And Dan was one of the most influential and positive forces behind the kit.' Shortly after punk rock entered the cultural zeitgeist in the late '70s, it inspired musical sub-movements fueled by its 'do-it-yourself,' community-minded ethics: hardcore punk begat post-hardcore, metalcore, emo and so on. Across decades, these music genres evolved in sound and scope, moving from underground popularity at concerts held in garages and basements to real mainstream fame, while refusing to abandon its independent ethos. Thomas Gutches, who manages Beartooth and Archetypes Collide, recalled a time when now-popular bands like The Devil Wears Prada were getting their start playing in 'DIY shows' in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, in which you could see 10 bands perform for $5. Shapiro was 'single-handedly developing this next wave of bands that are coming in,' Gutches said. 'He was able to take those bands, package them together and put them on a larger scale. ... He took a risk in being like, 'Okay, I'm going to go and take them to that next level.'' These artists reached a kind of apex in the 2000s and 2010s. Once-obscure bands that had found audiences on early online social media platforms like MySpace, at the mall goth haven Hot Topic, or in the pages left-of-center publications like 'Alternative Press' became MTV staples, celebrities in their own right. Although many of these acts played similar-yet-different music — think of the blast beats of metalcore and the palm-muted power chords of pop-punk associated with the Vans Warped Tour — they were brought together by a shared punk rock spirit. And for the last few decades, these tight-knit groups have proven to be the dominant force in alternative rock, according to Mike Shea, founder of 'Alternative Press,' who used the word 'community' to describe the scene. Shea said Shapiro was 'vital' in bringing these punk rock subcultures to the masses. 'In this music industry, there are just too many people ripping people off and using people,' he said. 'Dave was not like that. He was a beautiful soul, and beautiful person, a guiding force, just someone who would end up being an inspiration for so many people. And he will continue to be an inspiration.' And it was not only musicians but also many booking agents, band, and tour managers and promoters that got their big breaks because of Shapiro, Gutches said. The bands Shapiro represented are many of the most popular of their genre and scene, like the Grammy-nominated Sum 41 or the platinum-selling Pierce the Veil. That also includes The Devil Wears Prada, one of the best-known metalcore bands of the last few decades, celebrated for their ability to marry melodic punk rock with metallic detouring. When Williams 'was in the band, that's when they broke out,' Shea said. Gutches said Williams captivated audiences at shows with his drumming as much as a band's front man does: 'Daniel was putting on a show from his style of playing.' The tributes will continue for both, Shea said, as more and more artists reveal the impact Williams and Shapiro had on their lives. Case in point: 'There is no single person more responsible for my identity as a professional adult than Dave Shapiro,' metalcore band Issues bassist Skyler Acord said via Instagram. His band coined a phrase they would use when things got heated "to remind us to chill out and try to understand each other,' he wrote. 'We'd say, 'Do it for Dave.'' ___
Associated Press
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
San Diego plane crash is a devastating loss to the alternative rock music community
NEW YORK (AP) — The alternative music community is in mourning after a private jet hit a power line in foggy weather early Thursday and crashed into a San Diego neighborhood, killing multiple people on board. Among them was the groundbreaking music executive Dave Shapiro, a pillar of his music scene, and Daniel Williams, a former drummer for the popular Ohio metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada. Also killed were two employees of Shapiro's Sound Talent Group agency: Kendall Fortner, 24, and Emma Huke, 25. Both Williams and Shapiro served as success stories for their respective rock music scenes — proof that these subcultural sounds had real mainstream appeal. Williams' band, which had two releases reach the Top 10 of the Billboard 200, was a client of Sound Talent Group. He co-founded the company in 2018 with fellow agents Tim Borror and Matt Andersen, who previously worked at the Agency Group and United Talent Agency. Sound Talent Group's roster focused on bands in and across pop-punk, metalcore, post-hardcore and other popular hard rock sub-genres — such as Sum 41, Pierce the Veil, Parkway Drive, Silverstein, I Prevail — plus pop acts like the '90s brother-boy band, Hanson, best known for their song 'MMMBop,' and 'A Thousand Miles (Interlude)' singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton. The post-hardcore band Thursday called Shapiro, 42, an inspiration 'who despite achieving success never forgot the scenes and the communities they came from.' 'It's hard to put into words how much this man meant to so many of us,' Pierce the Veil, which has been performing for nearly two decades including a sold-out concert this week at New York's Madison Square Garden, said in a tribute on the social platform X. The World Alive, a band signed on Shapiro's label, said he was among 'the most influential and positive forces in our music scene and beyond. And Dan was one of the most influential and positive forces behind the kit.' Shortly after punk rock entered the cultural zeitgeist in the late '70s, it inspired musical sub-movements fueled by its 'do-it-yourself,' community-minded ethics: hardcore punk begat post-hardcore, metalcore, emo and so on. Across decades, these music genres evolved in sound and scope, moving from underground popularity at concerts held in garages and basements to real mainstream fame, while refusing to abandon its independent ethos. Thomas Gutches, who manages Beartooth and Archetypes Collide, recalled a time when now-popular bands like The Devil Wears Prada were getting their start playing in 'DIY shows' in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, in which you could see 10 bands perform for $5. Shapiro was 'single-handedly developing this next wave of bands that are coming in,' Gutches said. 'He was able to take those bands, package them together and put them on a larger scale. ... He took a risk in being like, 'Okay, I'm going to go and take them to that next level.'' These artists reached a kind of apex in the 2000s and 2010s. Once-obscure bands that had found audiences on early online social media platforms like MySpace, at the mall goth haven Hot Topic, or in the pages left-of-center publications like 'Alternative Press' became MTV staples, celebrities in their own right. Although many of these acts played similar-yet-different music — think of the blast beats of metalcore and the palm-muted power chords of pop-punk associated with the Vans Warped Tour — they were brought together by a shared punk rock spirit. And for the last few decades, these tight-knit groups have proven to be the dominant force in alternative rock, according to Mike Shea, founder of 'Alternative Press,' who used the word 'community' to describe the scene. Shea said Shapiro was 'vital' in bringing these punk rock subcultures to the masses. 'In this music industry, there are just too many people ripping people off and using people,' he said. 'Dave was not like that. He was a beautiful soul, and beautiful person, a guiding force, just someone who would end up being an inspiration for so many people. And he will continue to be an inspiration.' And it was not only musicians but also many booking agents, band, and tour managers and promoters that got their big breaks because of Shapiro, Gutches said. The bands Shapiro represented are many of the most popular of their genre and scene, like the Grammy-nominated Sum 41 or the platinum-selling Pierce the Veil. That also includes The Devil Wears Prada, one of the best-known metalcore bands of the last few decades, celebrated for their ability to marry melodic punk rock with metallic detouring. When Williams 'was in the band, that's when they broke out,' Shea said. Gutches said Williams captivated audiences at shows with his drumming as much as a band's front man does: 'Daniel was putting on a show from his style of playing.' The tributes will continue for both, Shea said, as more and more artists reveal the impact Williams and Shapiro had on their lives. Case in point: 'There is no single person more responsible for my identity as a professional adult than Dave Shapiro,' metalcore band Issues bassist Skyler Acord said via Instagram. His band coined a phrase they would use when things got heated 'to remind us to chill out and try to understand each other,' he wrote. 'We'd say, 'Do it for Dave.'' ___ Associated Press writer Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles contributed.
