Musical Church Traditions

In many ways, old-time music, bluegrass and traditional church music share a common ancestry. Nowhere is that more evident than in Highlands. The tradition of old-time hymn singing fills each service at Little Church in the Wildwood on Horse Cove Road as the congregation chooses the hymns to sing each Sunday during the summer months. The little one room church, built in the late 1800’s, is “animated with a reverence and exuberance, and a go-for-broke commitment to singing loudly and without reservation.”

The 9:09 Bluegrass Service held by Highlands United Methodist Church is a perfect expression of just how deep bluegrass runs on the Plateau. Each Sunday, the service includes several bluegrass songs and hymns and always concludes with the standard, I’ll Fly Away, sending the congregation home, uplifted.