Old Folks' Singing, an annual New Year's Day singing from the Harmonia Sacra held at the Weaver Mennonite Church near Harrisonburg, VA since 1903. This music festival developed as an afterglow of the great singing-school movement begun by Joseph Funk and continued by his son Timothy over a period of 50 years in the mid-19th century. In the 1950s it attracted more than a thousand music lovers of various denominations and stood as a symbol of a common musical heritage. Other churches in Rockingham, Shenandoah, and Page counties similarly preserved the tradition. With a simple organization of moderator and secretary, the singing proceeded throughout the day with different leaders, each choosing two or more favorite songs. The noon intermission, during which a bountiful lunch was served by the local congregation, was an occasion for the renewal of old friendships and the enjoyment of Christian fellowship.

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 43. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

©1996-2010 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.