No, no problem with Sacred Harp, for many reasons, none of which apply in the RUS case.

1)   There is a long tradition of using the Sacred Harp book exclusively--I mean over decades long, if not over a century. (Some groups may have their own traditions, also long-standing (e.g.--sing from Christian Harmony after the potluck supper, also sometimes a tradition, depending on the group.)

2)   Sacred Harp has a specific sound, which cannot be attained unless only the notes in the book are sung. .For my money, it's a good, gutsy unpolished sound,--( perhaps because of its pentatonic aspects, and due to the fact that it is truly "folk music",sung by untrained voices, and usually full-throttle all the way)-- which is hypnotic for the singer (I actually also like to listen to it, particularly live.)

The words too, are very evocative of 19th century America--you can easily sense the Hobbesian view a lot of poor people probably had--and most of the really ecstatically upbeat songs are about death.

There are very few musical experiences as unearthly as being in the middle of a big Sacred Harp group belting out Babylon Is Fallen, Exit, or another aggressive song. The slower ones are great too.


3) RUS has absolutely no claim to ultimate truth in either words or music. In fact it irks a lot of serious singers when anybody seems to claim that mantle for RUS.

4) Sacred Harp is full of songs which otherwise would never be heard.   Some are actual classical-style compositions, with all the parts written out, (particularly the Billings entries.) Only a few of the songs in Sacred Harp, like Wondrous Love, and Rose of Sharon are famous. RUS has a fair number of songs which can be heard on oldies stations, in church, around campfires etc.   As I said earlier, RUS is a fine book, full of (mostly) good songs, and is a good source, among many others. But it is not a hymnbook, nor remotely in the league of Sacred Harp in musical value.

I'm sure others can come up with other reasons why there is absolutely no comparison.

Actually, to be blunt, any attempt to even mention RUS and Sacred Harp in the same breath is "fightin' words" (especially down south, I bet--but I agree.)