The old congregational singing tradition of “lining out” was once widespread across Britain and America. It involves a song leader intoning a hymn line by line, with the congregation singing it back. This would allow all in attendance — even those who were illiterate — to be intimately involved in singing praise, and it was a radically democratic approach to music. Today, lining hymns are increasingly rare, sung mostly in primitive Baptist churches in Appalachia, Gaelic Presbyterian churches of Scotland’s Western Isles, and Southern Black churches.

This clip features a 2004 performance at Scotland’s Celtic Connections Festival, where a group of Gaelic singers join a Black Presbyterian choir from Alabama to collaborate on “Amazing Grace.” The interlude is a beautiful musical representation of this Festival of Faiths session “Creating Loving Communities: Bridging Divides.” Watch the session in its entirety:    • Creating Loving Communities: Bridging...  

This musical interlude was presented at the festival by Nathan Salsburg, guitarist, composer and archival curator. He's made seven solo albums and is a frequent collaborator of songwriter- singer Joan Shelley and a contributor to recordings by Shirley Collins, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, the Weather Station and others. He works for the Association for Cultural Equity and its Lomax Digital Archive, preserving recordings made by renowned folklorists Alan Lomax and his father John. Nathan has been nominated for Grammy Awards in the Best Historical Reissue and Best Liner Notes categories.

About the Festival of Faiths: 

Based in Louisville, Kentucky, the Festival of Faiths is a nationally acclaimed, multi-day festival that hosts spiritual practitioners, thought leaders and movement makers.

The 2023 Festival of Faiths, Sacred Hearts, Sacred Minds: Embodying Love, celebrated the power of love to cultivate meaningful connections, strengthen communities and transform lives. Festival sessions explored contemporary concerns through the lens of faith and tapped into our unique capacity for love and compassion in order to envision a more loving future.

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