Shady Grove Prayer Trumpet

Camp Meeting Trumpet

South Carolina, 20th Century

Calling the Camp Meeting

Taking the religious zeal of the Second Great Awakening and incorporating it into the landscape, camp meetings were organized around a central tabernacle for worship surrounded by individual cabins or tents. These camps were experienced across the racial lines of American society and were constructed by both Black and white congregations. However, the meetings were particularly impactful in the lives of African American communities after the Civil War. 

South Carolina’s Shady Grove Campground was founded in the 1870s and was initially a place of religious and social respite for newly emancipated families. Located in Dorchester County, Shady Grove is still actively used today and maintains a long tradition of music making. In addition to communal singing, the camp trumpet is a key element in the camp meeting procedural. Made of repurposed materials, the specially crafted horn is played by a designated musician and signals events for worshippers throughout the camp meeting. Multiple trumpeters have served in the role at Shady Grove since the nineteenth century, linking the past and present.