More than once, I’ve experienced some of the best singing at a weekly or monthly singing right after an all-day singing or convention. That was the case today. I managed to get off work early, and Carol and I drove two hours to arrive half way through the monthly singing at the old Felta Schoolhouse in Healdsburg. In addition to the Healdsburg singers, and several Bay area singers, there were four out-of-town singers, for a total of about twenty singers. And I experienced one of the best fifty minutes of singing I’ve had in a long time.
Part of the beauty of the singing today came from the old Felta Schoolhouse, which is the best-sounding room of all the rooms in which I’ve sung Sacred Harp in northern California. Part of the beauty of the singing today came from our hosts in Healdsburg, who are always friendly and warm and get us into a good mood for singing. Part of the beauty of the singing today came from having out-of-town friends sing with us. And part of the singing today came from having the music still vibrating in our bones from yesterday’s all-day singing.
This was Sacred Harp singing at its best: good people, good singing, music to heal body and soul.