What is "singing school"

Singing \Sing"ing\, a. & n. from Sing, v. Singing bird. (Zo["o]l.)

1. Popularly, any bird that sings; a song bird.

2. Specifically, any one of the Oscines.

   Singing book, a book containing music for singing; a book of tunes.

   Singing falcon or Singing hawk. (Zo["o]l.) See Chanting falcon, under Chanting.

   Singing fish (Zo["o]l.), a California toadfish ( Porichthys porosissimus), called also midshipman; -- so called because it produces a buzzing sound with its air bladder.

   Singing flame (Acoustics), a flame, as of hydrogen or coal gas, burning within a tube and so adjusted as to set the air within the tube in vibration, causing sound. The apparatus is called also chemical harmonicon.

   Singing master, a man who teaches vocal music.

   Singing school, a school in which persons are instructed in singing.

A singing school is a school in which students are taught to sightread vocal music. Singing schools are a long-standing cultural institution in the Southern United States. While some singing schools are offered for credit, most are informal programs.

Historically, singing schools have been strongly affiliated with Protestant Christianity. Some are held under the auspices of particular Protestant denominations that maintain a tradition of a cappella singing, such as the Church of Christ and the Primitive Baptists. Others are associated with Sacred Harp, Southern Gospel, and similar singing traditions, whose music is religious in character but sung outside the context of church services.

Often the music taught in singing schools uses shape note or "buckwheat" notation, in which the notes are assigned particular shapes to indicate their pitch. There are two main varieties; the four-note, or fasola, system used in Sacred Harp music and the seven-note system used in southern gospel music. Some churches, including some Baptist churches (though fewer and fewer), use hymnals printed in shape notes.