ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Southwest Texas Sacred Harp Singing Convention

Okay kiddo, so imagine a big group of people who love to sing together. They gather every year in a place called Southwest Texas to have what they call a sacred harp singing convention.

But what is a sacred harp you might ask? Well, it’s actually a type of singing that comes from a long time ago. The singers use a different kind of music notes and it’s called shape notes. That makes it easier for everyone to sing together even if they don’t read music very well.

During the convention, they all sit in a big room in a shape like a square. Then, someone leads the singing and everyone else joins in. They take turns picking what songs to sing, and each song has a different feeling or meaning. Some songs are happy and some are sad, but they all bring people together and make them feel connected.

The Southwest Texas sacred harp singing convention is special because it brings people from all over the area together to celebrate their love of singing and sharing in this tradition. It’s a wonderful way to keep the music and culture going for many years to come!