Big Singing in Benton, Kentucky, brings together more than 100 singers trained in the tradition of shape-note singing. Together they enjoy a communal picnic lunch and spend the day singing hymns written in an almost-extinct style of musical notation called shape notes. A book titled The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion increased the popularity of this kind of singing in 19th-century America. The Big Singing in Benton dates back to 1884; it is currently sponsored by the Society for the Preservation of Southern Harmony Singing. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary