Brief History
The Kalamazoo Sacred Harp Singers group was created following visitor Warren Steel’s singing school at Kalamazoo College on February 8, 1997. Zaide Pixley organized this event for the freshman class under that year’s theme: “Goin’ South.” Experienced singers from Ann Arbor, Goshen, and Chicago attended to give the day a real Sacred Harp sound. The event was publicized in the Kalamazoo Gazette.
Martha Beverly requested the registration cards from that day and gathered together singers twice in the spring of 1997 to sing at K College. After taking the summer off, in September 1997 we began to sing monthly on third Sundays at the Beverly home, which continues.
The Kalamazoo Annual All-day Singing and Dinner on the Grounds began on the third Sunday of July 1999.
- 1999 – 1st annual singing
- 2019 – 21st annual singing
- For three years we canceled our all-day singing because of COVID-19
- 2026 – 25th annual singing (28th anniversary of our first annual all-day singing)
Will Fitzgerald added twice-monthly Sacred Harp Workshops in September 2024 on Monday evenings, which provide quick learning of the shape notes and have added new singers to our group.