Pedalpalooza Ride Recap: Sacred Harp At Lone Fir Cemetery

Recap below, photo by Jene Paul

Reporter Name: Jene-Paul
Ride or Event Date: Sunday, June 12, 2011
How many people showed up? – 26+

Brief Recap:
Riders met in beautiful Lone Fir Pioneer Cemetery at 26th & Stark. Most were regular Sacred Harp* singers who rode here not to perform, but because they just like to sing. It’s not a highly organized kinda thing.

The group was inclusive and comfortable with each other, not religiously-oriented. Their 18th century-style community singing rang out strongly over the stone garden and giant trees plus the fixies, a Brompton, cruisers, Dutch city & even a John Deere frame littering the path wherever the group dismounted to sing.

After about an hour, everyone set out to continue singing up in the community room above People’s Coop on SE 21st, with chorusing from the saddle along quiet streets on the way. There was a break at the coop where folks sat around and schmoozed, nibbling snacks while waiting to get upstairs. Then panniers, helmets, caps & messenger bags were piled along the back wall as participants sat in the traditional square with sides corresponding to the divisions of four-part harmony and they picked up singing where they had left off at Lone Fir.

Perfect weather (not too hot), quiet streets, happy, engaged people.

*The term Sacred Harp refers to the human voice – this singing is unaccompanied by instruments – and Sacred Harp is also the name of the single songbook used since 1844. It uses “shapenote” notation. Google for more info on the tradition – it ain’t yer regular choir, pal, but this group was into it enough to sing while in motion.

— This is part of our ongoing coverage of the the 2011 Pedalpalooza, which runs through June 26th. View the full calendar at ShiftoBikes.org.