Alpharetta Historical Society to Screen Documentary Next Week

The Mansell House and Gardens will host the Alpharetta Historical Society’s May meeting next week.

Filmmakers Matt and Erica Hinton are scheduled to show parts of their feature documentary “Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp” at the meeting. The documentary explores the history, music, and traditions of Sacred Harp singing, the oldest surviving American music. Over the course of seven years, Matt and Erica painstakingly gathered hundreds of hours of traditional Sacred Harp singings in the southeast as well as interviews with the most prominent traditional Sacred Harp singers and composers.

Singers and history buffs alike will be sure to thoroughly enjoy this presentation!

Sacred Harp “June Singing” has been an annual event in Alpharetta for over 140 years. It is an informal network of people interested in participating in and promoting singing from the Sacred Harp and other shape note books. This year’s event is scheduled for June 9 at Big Creek Primitive Baptist Church in Alpharetta. 

The Historical Society’s May will be held on Thursday, May 16 at 7 p.m. at the Mansell House & Gardens,1835 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta.

For more information on becoming a member of the Alpharetta Historical Society, contact Nan Harman-Dempsey at 770-475-9995 or by email at Harman_dempsey@msn.com.