Date: 3/4/2018

Place: Mt. Olivet Old Regular Baptist Church, Blackey KY

 

We were fortunate to have an opportunity to visit Lined-out hymnody singing, Sunday service, and the baptism in Blackey.
It was great to see this music, one of the oldest American religious music tradition, was still going on here in Letcher County, the coal-mining country.

The music has quite unique melodies and singing style - we can hear similar kinds of melodies and singing style in some Old Order Mennonite or Old Order Brethren singings - and it unites the community strongly. The singing was beautiful, the service was so emotional, and the baptism in the river with white pants and white shirts was very touching.
Everybody had a warm welcome, and told us a lot of story.

We would like to thank Elder Elwood Cornett, moderator of Mount Olivet Church and Indian Bottom Association, for giving us this wonderful opportunity.