At 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, 2026, a “Southern Harmony Compline Service” will be offered in the candlelit nave of Christ Church Anglican (CCA). This 30-minute observance will combine scripture readings and music from the shapenote tradition. Visiting singers are welcome to participate in the choir or just enjoy the music and the ambience.
The Compline Choir at CCA offers a weekly service at 8 p.m. every Sunday. Members of the Compline Choir will be learning the service. Experienced sacred harp singers are welcome to join the choir for the songs that are from the Denson and Cooper books. (See the designation “SHAPENOTE CHOIR GUESTS MAY JOIN”)
Please kindly note that, unlike standard shape note singing, in the compline services dynamics and diction are matters of emphasis and solidarity (i.e. if you would like to join the choir, please be willing to match the volume and pronunciations of the CCA Compline Choir. :))
If you would like to join the Compline Choir in singing this service, please report to the 37th Street entrance of the CCA Nave at 7 p.m. on that Saturday evening (March 28th) for practice/rehearsal. If you live nearby, we will be having one other rehearsal session prior to the night of the service. The date and time of that rehearsal is to be announced.
Here is the musical plan for the service:
Pre-Introit - I Will Arise and Go to Jesus (Alice Parker and Robert Shaw Arrangement)
Introit - I Hear the Harps Eternal (Alice Parker Arrangement)
Confession - Set to Idumea 47b - Two verses (SHAPENOTE CHOIR GUESTS MAY JOIN)
Part Recordings: https://sacredharpbremen.org/47b-idumea/
The Preces - Set to Sometimes I Feel (Alice Parker and Robert Shaw Arrangement
Psalm - Portions of Psalm 84 set to Not Made With Hands 571 in Cooper Book (SHAPENOTE CHOIR GUESTS MAY JOIN)
Office Hymn - Captain Kidd aka God is Seen (Alice Parker Arrangement)
Nunc Dimittis - Set to Gospel Trumpet 99 in Denson (SHAPENOTE CHOIR GUESTS MAY JOIN)
Part Recordings: https://sacredharpbremen.org/99-gospel-trumpet/
Lords Prayer - Set to Old One Hundred 49t in Denson (SHAPENOTE CHOIR GUESTS MAY JOIN)
Part Recordings: https://sacredharpbremen.org/49t-old-hundred/
Anthem - Evening Shade 209 in Denson (SHAPENOTE CHOIR GUESTS MAY JOIN)
Part Recordings: https://sacredharpbremen.org/209-evening-shade/
Final Preces - Set to Hallelujah 146 in Denson (SHAPENOTE CHOIR GUESTS MAY JOIN), concluding 146 with verse 4 from the hymn ALL SING FINAL VERSE!!!
Part Recordings: https://sacredharpbremen.org/146-hallelujah/
After the service, there will be pie and coffee in the church parlor along with a folk art installation.