Morgan-Ellis Esther M
Music Department, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA, United States.
Front Psychol. 2021 Mar 19;12:627038. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.627038. eCollection 2021.
Sacred Harp singers the world over gather weekly to sing out of , a collection of shape-note songs first published in 1844. Their tradition is highly ritualized, and it plays an important role in the lives of many participants. Following the implementation of lockdown protocols to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, groups of Sacred Harp singers quickly and independently devised a variety of means by which to sing together online using Zoom ("zinging"), Jamulus ("jamzinging"), and Facebook Live ("stringing"). The rapidity and creativity with which Sacred Harp singers developed ways to sustain their activities attests to the strength and significance of this community of practice, and in this article I describe each modality and provide an account of how it came to be developed and widely used. As a participant-observer, I completed extensive fieldwork across these digital sites and conducted semi-structured interviews with 22 other singers. I found that online singing practices have reshaped the Sacred Harp community. Many singers who did not previously have the opportunity to participate now have access, while others have lost access due to technological barriers or lack of interest in online activities. At the same time, geographical barriers have disintegrated, and singing organizers must make an effort to maintain local identity. A stable community of singers has emerged in the digital realm, but it is by no means identical to the community that predated the pandemic. I also identify the ways in which online singing has proven meaningful to participants by providing continuity in their personal and communal practice. Specifically, online singing allows participants to access and celebrate their collective memories of the Sacred Harp community, carry out significant rituals, and continue to grow as singers. While no single modality replicates the complete Sacred Harp singing experience, together they function "like pieces in a puzzle" (as one singer put it), allowing individual participants to access many of the elements of Sacred Harp singing that are most meaningful to them.
世界各地的神圣竖琴歌手每周都会相聚一堂，演唱1844年首次出版的《神圣竖琴》中的一系列采用音符谱记法的歌曲。他们的传统仪式感很强，在许多参与者的生活中扮演着重要角色。在实施抗击新冠疫情的封锁措施后，神圣竖琴歌手群体迅速且自主地想出了各种办法，通过Zoom（“线上唱圣歌”）、Jamulus（“线上唱圣歌直播”）和Facebook Live（“线上唱圣歌串流”）等方式进行线上合唱。神圣竖琴歌手们迅速且创造性地开发出维持活动的方式，这证明了这个实践社群的力量和重要性。在本文中，我将描述每种方式，并讲述其是如何发展并广泛应用的。作为一名参与观察的研究者，我在这些数字平台上完成了大量实地考察，并对另外22位歌手进行了半结构化访谈。我发现，线上演唱活动重塑了神圣竖琴社群。许多以前没有机会参与的歌手现在有了机会，而另一些人则由于技术障碍或对线上活动缺乏兴趣而失去了参与机会。与此同时，地域障碍已不复存在，合唱活动组织者必须努力保持地方特色。一个稳定的线上歌手社群已经出现，但它绝不等同于疫情前的社群。我还指出了线上演唱对参与者具有意义的方式，即它为个人和集体实践提供了连续性。具体而言，线上演唱让参与者能够接触并颂扬他们对神圣竖琴社群的集体记忆，进行重要的仪式，并作为歌手持续成长。虽然没有一种方式能完全复制神圣竖琴演唱的完整体验，但它们共同发挥作用（正如一位歌手所说）“就像拼图中的碎片”，让个体参与者能够接触到对他们来说最有意义的许多神圣竖琴演唱元素。
