We had a great time learning, singing, and sharing food and our Central Ontario Singing School. Experienced singers from Toronto, Kingston, and the Guelph-Cambridge area came together with lots of new singers from all over Ontario to share what we love about Sacred Harp singing:
Are you curious about Shape Note singing?
Are you a new Sacred Harp singer looking to improve your singing and leading skills?
Are you experienced singer looking to promote Sacred Harp and help new singers?
Then join us for a full day Singing School! There will be lots of learning and lots of singing, and a potluck lunch.
Central Ontario Sacred Harp Singing School
June 7, 2025
10 am to 3 pm
Light lunch provided. Feel free to bring something to share.
Detweiler Meeting House
3445 Roseville Rd, Ayr, ON (near Cambridge)
Free (there will be a collection)
Join us for Eucharist in the hollow square, featuring at least seven hymns from the shape note singing tradition of The Sacred Harp hymnbook. Our congregational voices will be supported by experienced singers of this unique music tradition. Come worship and sing!
Details on Facebook and the church website.
The service will be streamed on YouTube and available for watching afterward.
Thanks to everyone who came to sing. Both days were special, and it was great to get back to Detweiler Meetinghouse.
Saturday: 70 singers from 3 provinces and 6 states; 37 leaders led 77.
Sunday: 53 singers from 3 provinces and 6 states; 41 leaders led 61 songs.
Friday: We didn’t count how many Shenandoah songs were lead on Friday evening. It was a bunch!
This year on August 24 and 25 we will host our third two-day convention. After holding a couple of all-day singings post-COVID, we are ready to hold a convention once again.
The first day of this year’s singing is Saturday, August 24 at the Friends House, 60 Lowther Avenue in a mid-town area of Toronto known as the Annex. Following that on Sunday, August 25 we return to the Detweiler Meetinghouse at 3445 Roseville Road, North Dumfries, Ontario. We’ll sing each day from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with midday dinner on the ground.
But there is more! On Friday evening, August 23, there will be a Shenandoah Singing at the Friends House, 60 Lowther Avenue, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30p.m.
And we’ll hold an Evening Social on Saturday, August 24. Details will be available at the singing.
We are offering limited house accommodations for out-of-town singers, and arranging carpools for travel to Detweiler on Sunday. Please Contact Em Ekelund (emilyekelund@gmail.com)for more information.
For questions, more info, and/or to volunteer to help, contact singing@torontoshapenote.org.
You can also download the flyer for more details or join our Facebook group for updates. We hope to see and hear you there!
It’s been 5 years, but the Central Ontario Convention returns this year on the fourth Sunday, and the Friday and Saturday before: August 23-25, 2024. Full details will be available soon.
Join us for Eucharist in the hollow square, featuring hymns from the shape note singing tradition of The Sacred Harp hymnbook. Our congregational voices will be supported by experienced singers of this unique music tradition. Come worship and sing!
Details on Facebook and the church website.
The 2023 Central Ontario All-Day Singing was our 16th annual, held on Saturday, August 26 at Friends House in Toronto. The Friday night before we held an informal Shenandoah Harmony singing.
You are invited to the 2023 Central Ontario All-Day Singing on the Saturday before the fourth Sunday in August. Plus, come sing from Shenandoah Harmony book on the Friday night before in an informal singing.
When:
Where: Friends House, 60 Lowther Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5R 1C7.
Directions: Located in central Toronto, the Friends House is about a block north from the Bedford Street exit of the St. George TTC subway station. There is paid parking available on-street or in nearby parking lots.
COVID precautions:
We ask that singers bring proof of a negative test each day of singing and be mindful of their state of health and that of fellow singers.
Further precautions: Doors will be open and air purifiers will be running.
Check out the Facebook Event for more information. This is Ontario shape-note singers’ biggest event of the year, and one you absolutely shouldn’t miss! For questions, more info and/or to volunteer to help, contact singing@torontoshapenote.org.
Friday Evening Shenandoah Singing
Also at Friends House, we are holding a warm-up Friday evening singing, August 25th, 7:30-9:30 p.m. — an informal singing, primarily from The Shenandoah Harmony (with limited loaners available). More details in the Facebook event.
There’s a new, editable list of singings at shapenotesingings.com , so now you can find a singing wherever you go (both regular and annual)!
