Singing Sacred Harp in Chicago

(This area is for the next annual singing and/or special workshops and such. For our regular weekly and monthly singings, please click the Calendar of local singings link below. For a list of all our annual singings, please click the Calendar of annual singings link below.)

Midwest Convention

Greetings, singers!

We hope you will join us at the Midwest Convention, May 28 & 29 from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM both days.

Saturday, May 28: Kilbourn Park, 3501 N. Kilbourn, Chicago

Sunday, May 29: Logan Avondale VFW, 3009 N. Kedzie, Chicago

We have decided to sing from both the Shenandoah Harmony and the 1991 Denson revision of The Sacred Harp on both days of the Midwest Convention, just as we have in recent years before the convention was cancelled due to Covid-19. You can call a tune from either book at any time.

With Covid lingering, we are monitoring the official guidance daily, although it is difficult to determine the protocols that will allow us to host a singing responsibly. We are adopting stringent measures to minimize risk, and hope you will understand our caution.

Everyone should conduct a rapid test before coming to the singing each day. Please text Randy at (773) 818-0260 if you need us to provide you a test outside the singing before you come in. Please do not attend if you get a positive result.

We are requiring proof of vaccination. You can send an image of your vaccination at any time to chicagosingings@gmail.com, or show it at registration.

We will work on maximizing ventilation in the singing rooms, including fans and open windows. Please be prepared with a sweater or jacket if the room is cool or drafty.

We'd like as many people as possible to wear a mask, since masks effectively stop aerosols from reaching people nearby. We will provide special masks that are better for singers than conventionally designed ones. Right now we are simply encouraging you to wear a mask, but if the Chicago Department of Health starts to require masks for indoor events prior to the Convention, we will too.

We realize that because of the Covid risk and/or vaccination requirement some of you may not be able to attend. But we do not want you to feel excluded. We are trying to set up a simple laptop live broadcast both days so you can sing along from home. Once we complete the arrangements, we will send out the broadcast link.

Please don't attend if you are not feeling well.

We will cancel the convention if the Chicago Department of Health rescinds its sanction of large-scale events. Sorry, but we won't really have a choice.

We wish it wasn't this hard, but we really want to sing together.

Local singers, please bring food to share, preferably homemade. If you are bringing vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, or other dishes suitable for non-omnivores, please label your food accordingly.

Please contact me by e-mail or text if you have any questions. We haven't held the Midwest Convention since 2019 — and we really hope to sing with you Memorial Day weekend!

UPDATED INFORMATION

(Your friendly webmistress isn't going to wipe out the above information since none of it is negated and some of it is not repeated.)

The weather forecast shows sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s in Chicago for both days, so please come join us IN PERSON, INDOORS at the Midwest Convention!

Yes, we ask that you submit proof of Covid-19 vaccination. We suggest that you can send an image of your vaccination card to chicagosingings@gmail.com in order to shorten everyone's time at the registration desk, but documents can also be presented in person. Masks are optional. I'm happy to say that we will have special "singer-friendly" masks available both days!

Alas, we don't have enough hosts to offer housing with singers this year, and hope you will forgive us for that. But we will give you a warm welcome this weekend, and promise that you will be well fed! (Local singers, consider this a reminder to bring your most delicious homemade dishes, plus utensils for serving.)

Let us (finally) make a joyful noise! We hope to see you this weekend.

Lisa Grayson, convention chair

lisa.grayson@att.net

(773) 562-5472