I used to sing in the madrigal style in a choral group at my high school devoted to that style. I hear some of those tight harmonies in this style. It's amazing how the authors of The Sacred Harp were able to come up with a hack that allowed even untrained voices to begin singing music this complex, almost right away. Singing can be a transformative, transcendent experience but nonmusicians are often afraid to approach it for fear of embarrassment; fitting, then, that churches would devise ways to encourage everyone to sing together, as it can really cultivate the feeling of being closer to God.