Scottsville-Allen County Tabernacle members rehearse. Photo by Paul Conrad

SCOTTSVILLE Depp Britt and Melanie Kiene remember how gospel music touched their lives when they were youngsters growing up in Allen County. There was not a lot of art or theater, said Kiene, who still lives in Scottsville. It was our form of entertainment. It was worship, entertainment and theater wrapped into one. People would spend the entire day in church. Britt nodded his head in agreement. MTV didnt have anything on gospel music, he remembered. For 30 minutes to an hour every day they would show primitive videos (on television) so we would know who (the performers) were. Its who we are, Kiene said. Scottsville will reveal this identity to the nation through a concert Tuesday featuring the citys claim-to-fame: shape-note singing, which is a method of seeing the sound of a note without saying its in a particular key. This is the way this county has spent its weekends expressing faith through music for many, many years. (Shape-note singing) is a unique art form found basically in the south, Britt said. The state (singing convention) has made its home here and its home to many gospel singers. Scottsville is like the hub of a wheel. People have been touched by faith and music from this community. The concert is part of the nationwide Continental Harmony project, a program of the American Composers Forum and National Endowment for the Arts, in which communities and composers create new music for premier millennium performances. Because the program is the first 50-state music commissioning project in U.S. history, it will be documented by the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.Twenty of the 58 singing events will happen Tuesday, with more to follow through November. Performance styles include jazz, choral, musical theater, opera and orchestra. At least one city was chosen from each state. Scottsville was the only city in Kentucky picked for the project. Scottsville Arts Council member Hannah Ryan attributes this to the citys deep gospel roots. I think this is why we got the grant, she said. If we had done an orchestra, youth choir anything else we wouldnt have gotten it. Britt was chosen to make music with the Arts Council, which is helping put on the event. He was one of several composers who vied for the opportunity. Who I am today is because of what weve been talking about the music, said Britt, who now lives in Nashville, Tenn. Its my art form, my fiber, my morals. I am part of this community. Coming back and doing this is very special. Im not trying to bring anything back here; Im trying to preserve what is here, he said. Britts tie to Scottsville was only a tiny fragment of why he was chosen. Renowned as one of the leading singers and songwriters of gospel music, Britt is founder of the award-winning Cumberland Boys, the resident gospel quartet at Opryland in Nashville. He has been nominated for several awards, including bluegrass song of the year at the 1998 Dove Awards and male artist of the year at the Gospel Voice Diamond. Britt also has performed with various stars, including Loretta Lynn, the Gatlins, Crystal Gayle and Roy Acuff. Britt has written three songs for Tuesdays event. Those tunes and other familiar hymns will be performed by a mass choir made up of singers from southcentral Kentucky and beyond, Ryan said. Were hoping to have a choir of 100 people, she said. The response was overwhelming right after we promoted it at the Kentucky Singing Convention. Its truly going to be a community event. The concert in fact will be such a community event that anybody can sing along, Britt said. Its not just a choir; there will be at least three songs that everyone is gonna know, he said. There will be a little bit of pep and a whole lot of joy in it. This will be hand-clappin, foot-stompin music. The Continental Harmony project will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at The Tabernacle in Scottsville. A shuttle bus will be available to take attendants from Scottsville Baptist Church on Main Street to The Tabernacle. Those attending should be at the church at noon. Food and archives of pictures featuring scenes from various past gospel events will be available. Admission is free.