Fifth Annual Central Ontario Sacred Harp Convention

This year on August 22 and 23 we will host our fourth two-day convention.

The first day of this year’s singing is Saturday, August 22 at the Friends House, 60 Lowther Avenue in a mid-town area of Toronto known as the Annex.

Map to Friends House in Toronto

Following that on Sunday, August 23 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 grounds.

Detweiler Meeting House Map

But there is more! On Friday evening, August 21, 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 22. 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 Gillian Inksetter (ginksetter@gmail.com)  or Frank Griggs (bfgthefourth@gmail.com) for more information.

Accessibility: Friends House is an accessible venue. Details can be found here.

Detweiler Meeting House has a ramp available for the back door (4″ step); the washrooms are accessible, with grips.

For questions, more info, and/or to volunteer to help, contact singing@torontoshapenote.org.

Join our Facebook group for updates. We hope to see and hear you there!

Here’s a PDF file of the poster:

Here’s an info sheet with the maps:

Singing in the Tranzac Living Room

Saturday, January 20th was the first time we’ve tried holding a singing at the Tranzac. Many old singers and also many new singers were there and it sounded great! We wanted to test singing in the Living Room and the reviews from everyone were positive so we’re booking future weekend afternoon dates there in 2026, starting on February 28th at 1:45 p.m. Thanks to everyone who stopped by at the first one, and hope to sing with you again.

Third Wednesday singings will continue at Friends House in the evenings. Our next one will be Wednesday, January 21 at 7:30 p.m. We’re looking forward to having multiple Toronto singings per month in 2026.

Sacred Harp singing at the Tranzac on Dec. 20

We’re trying a new location at the Tranzac in The Living Room. We’ve booked this space for a singing, from 2 – 4 pm on Saturday, December 20. We also have tentative dates booked for the next year, so we need to find out if the space will work as an additional singing location and day to our current monthly singing. Please come and sing and help us decide if we should go forward with a regular singing there. Bring your friends! 

Tranzac – 292 Brunswick Avenue
2 – 4 pm in the Living Room
Located between the Bathurst and Spadina subway stations, with paid parking available near the building. The Tranzac is accessible, with a few accessible parking spots nearby.

Tranzac entrance

We will sing from The Sacred Harp (2025 edition). Loaner books will be available.

No experience is necessary. This is not a performance. There will be a quick introduction to shape note singing 10 minutes before we start. We’ll start singing at 2 pm and continue on until 4 pm, with a recess in the middle. There is no charge to participate, but donations are welcome to help cover rent.

Flyer for December 20 Sacred Harp Singing at the Tranzic.

Photos – Fourth Annual Convention

This August 23 and 24 we hosted our fourth two-day Sacred Harp convention, plus an evening Shenandoah Harmony singing on Friday the 22nd. Thanks to all the singers coming together from three countries, three provinces and five states.

It was our last time with the 1991 version of the book, so it was a special singing for the memories.

Fourth Annual Central Ontario Sacred Harp Convention

This year on August 23 and 24 we will host our fourth two-day convention.

The first day of this year’s singing is Saturday, August 23 at the Friends House, 60 Lowther Avenue in a mid-town area of Toronto known as the Annex.

Map to Friends House in Toronto

Following that on Sunday, August 24 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 grounds.

Detweiler Meeting House Map

But there is more! On Friday evening, August 22, 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 23. 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 Gillian Inksetter (ginksetter@gmail.com)  or Frank Griggs (bfgthefourth@gmail.com) for more information.

Accessibility: Friends House is an accessible venue. Details can be found here.

Detweiler Meeting House has a ramp available for the back door (4″ step); the washrooms are accessible, with grips.

For questions, more info, and/or to volunteer to help, contact singing@torontoshapenote.org.

Join our Facebook group for updates. We hope to see and hear you there!

Here’s a PDF file of the poster:

Here’s an info sheet with the maps:

Shape Note Eucharist

Sing and Joyful Be

Sunday, October 27, 2024 7:00pm – 8:00pm

162 Bloor Street West, at the corner of Bloor and Avenue Road

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.

Photos from the 3rd Annual Convention & Shenandoah Singing

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!

Third Annual Central Ontario Sacred Harp Convention

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!

Central Ontario 16th Annual All-Day Singing on August 26th

Friends House Toronto

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:

  • Registration on Saturday, August 26, begins at 9:00 am
  • Singing will be from 10:00 am to approximately 3:30 pm (EDT), with midday dinner on the grounds.

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.

2022 All-Day Singing