Why is it called Sacred Harp? Are the songs accompanied by harps?
The titles of tunebooks are often fanciful, and refer to musical and religious symbolism. Many titles refer to musical instruments; stringed instruments are especially prominent because they are mentioned in the Psalms and other scriptures, and because they are associated with David, the royal psalmist. Some present-day singers interpret the term “sacred harp” to refer to the human voice in general, or the vocal cords in particular. At least two books entitled The Sacred Harp were published before 1844. Sacred Harp singing is not accompanied by harps or any other instruments.
