Post-NYCADS Composium; Saturday, September 14, 3:15-4:15 PM.

[NYC Sacred Harp]

Singing friends, 

I'm pleased to invite all of you to the New York City All-Day Singing Composium on Saturday, September 14, 2019 at Brooklyn Friends Meeting in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. Beginning around 3:15 pm, we'll spend an extra hour or so after the New York City All-Day Singing to sing new music in the Sacred Harp style.

Keeping in the tradition of past Composium events, (and unlike some "Otherbook" or "New Traditions" singings), we will limit the material to songs led by the composers themselves. In this format, each composer will have a chance to lead one or two of his/her own songs and hear brief questions and comments afterwards, if they so choose. (Of course, any other singers that might like to sing new music are warmly encouraged to join us as well.)

Also, we'll continue with the protocol we initiated at last year's session. A copy of the NYCADS Composium guidelines is available at: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1B-K1X1sHeVDpbQmvAQHWyksXkcnViPdW . Thanks again to all those who offered such helpful suggestions and feedback in 2018.

Please contact me at nycsacredharp@gmail.com if you'd like to present new music. Also, please observe the following guidelines when submitting your tunes: 

• All music must be legible and set in standard four-shape notation. 
• Please bring at least 35 copies of each song you'd like to present. 
• Songs should be in (or at least strongly relate to) the tradition of The Sacred Harp, 1991 Edition. 
• Composers must be in attendance to present their tunes. 
• No more than three songs, please. (It is very likely that we will only have time to sing one or two songs by each composer.)

Many of us have already met in similar sessions over the past few years, and have found them to be of great benefit to our efforts as tunewriters. With several composers likely to be in attendance at this year's New York City All-Day Singing, I'm hoping that we can all benefit from this rare opportunity to assemble and sing each others' music; discuss issues of shape note composition generally; and forge a greater sense of community among singers that are interested in new music in the Sacred Harp tradition. 
 
Please let me know if you'd like to participate, or have any comments or suggestions regarding the session.
 
Singing glad new songs (and a few satisfyingly doleful ones, too),
Aldous.
 
P.S. Please feel free to forward this notice to any other singers who may be interested.