Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, April 28

The sixteenth annual Midwest Sacred Harp Singing Convention was held at Ida Noyes Hall on the University of Chicago campus, Chicago, Illinois on the fifth Sunday and Saturday in April.

Outgoing Co-Chair Kris Richardson opened the Saturday morning session at 9:30 a.m. by welcoming singers from near and far, and then led song on page 171. Sarah Davie led the class in the opening prayer.

Co-Chairs, Melanie Hauff and Kris Richardson, led song on page 271 (t? b?). Leaders: Kate Lingley 107; Jim Helke 441; Connie Karkuck 391; Lorena Moore 148; John Uhlmann 189; Rachel Edelstein 151; Al Frank 362; Doug Stapleton 168; Sarah Davie 384; Cathryn Baker 468; Don Bowen 99; Tim Binkley 133.

RECESS

The morning session resumed with Melanie Hauff leading song on page 421. Leaders: Hannah Roberts and Micah Roberts 128; Chip Ward 442.

A business meeting was held with the following officers elected or appointed: Chairman—Jim Helke; Vice Chairs—Doug Stapleton and Cathryn Baker; Secretaries—Debbie Barford and Natalia Cecire; Assistant Secretary—Jim Swanson; Arranging Committee—Lisa Grayson, Marcia Johnson, Ted Mercer, and Carolyn Deacy; Chaplain—Jesse Roberts; Memorial Committee—Samuel Sommers, Richard DeLong, Buell Cobb, and David Barford; Finance Committee—Randy Neufeld, Jason Osik, Julie Vea, and Steven Schmidgall; Resolutions Committee—Kate Lingley, Brad Oglesby, and Helen Brown; Locating Committee—Anne Heider, Ariel Weinberg, and Jeff Gauthier.

Leaders: Steve Schmidgall 68b; Beverly Enright 49 (t? b?); Alisa Shore [448B//448b]; Gene Hauptmann 34b; Pat Forsberg-Smith 540; Jerilyn Schumacher 436; Buell Cobb 72t; Reba Dell Windom 224; John Redman 236; David Barford 276.

RECESS

Co-Chair Jim Helke brought the class back with song on page 186. Leaders: Dave Ressler 192; Julie Vea 106; Andy Morse 547; Brad Oglesby 365; Helen Brown 448t; Jesse Roberts 507; Pauline Childers 480; D.J. Hatfield 269; Rebecca Browne 304; Ruth Cooper 454; Cassie Franklin 216; Jim Crawford 522; Kiri Miller 42. Herb Schroeder led the class in prayer, and the class was dismissed for lunch.

LUNCH

The afternoon session began with Cathryn Baker and Doug Stapleton leading song on page 485. Leaders: Wendy Wahn 310; Sarah Beasley Smith 108t; James Page 505; Dean Slaton 500; Ted Johnson “Boulder”; Ashley Roberts 220; Louis Hughes 76b; Tony Singleton 504; Ted Mercer 137; Sue Kessel 361; Carolyn Deacey 501; David Cooper 66; Jessica Roberts and Micah Roberts 203; Richard DeLong 82t; Lisa Grayson 222; James Gingerich 455; Julie Vea and Steven Schmidgall 31t (for the Finance Committee).

RECESS

Natalia Cecire brought the class back to order by leading song on page 36b. Leaders: John Bailey 145 (t? b?); Susie Kauffman 452; Suzanne Flandreau 40; Henry Schuman and Pauline Childers 318; Virginia Warren 48b; Gary Smith 569b; Deborah Johnson 207; Steve Warner 85; Bob Borcherding 122; Wally Block 31b; Kelly Brest Van Kemp 84; Jo Dell Albi 195; John Graven 268; Robert Dworkin 56t; Lisa Echersberg 30t; Helen Brown and Melanie Hauff 294 (in memory of John Harbin); Jim Helke 496. Chaplain Jesse Roberts dismissed the class with a prayer.

Sunday, April 29

The convention resumed singing at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday with Chairman Jim Helke leading song on page 59. John Seaton led the class in the opening prayer.

Leaders: Doug Stapleton and Cathryn Baker 312b; Natalia Cecire 538; Nathan Barford and Emmie Barford 274t; Randy Neufeld 32t; John Seaton 47t; Nick Pasqual 116; Barbara Uhlemann 344; Lissa Blood 39b; Brad Oglesby 503b; Jacob Affolter 481; Paul Wyatt and Ann Meisner 350; Helen Brown 542; Ariel Weinberg 112; Debbie Barford 181; Samuel Sommers 518; Grace Scrimgeour 33b.

RECESS

Doug Stapleton and Cathryn Baker called the class back to order leading song on page 288. Leaders: Hugh Thomas 99; Carol Crawford 458; Megan Jennings 282; Jason Osik 66; Kate Lingley 229; Chris Thorman 179; Violet Stark 84; Bruce Holmes 146; Kathy Krug 107; Joan Yeatman 551; John Redman 358.

RECESS

The class resumed singing with Natalia Cecire leading song on page 191. Leaders: Martha Beverly 163t; Connie Karduck, Karl Karduck, Marjorie Karduck, and Max Karduck 299; Marjorie Benwits 300; Hannah Roberts 145b.

Buell Cobb began the memorial lesson, speaking of the singers and their friends and family that had passed on in the past year. David Barford read the names of the deceased: Susan Garber—Connecticut; Karen House and John Flandreau—New York; Josephine Mead; Jack Corley and Jack Smith—Georgia; Joanna Sorlien—Pennsylvania; Winston Jones, Marie Aldridge, Virgil Phillips, Ruby Phillips, Gene Wakefield, Sheila Moon, A.C. McGough, Rosa Hughes, and Woodie Walker—Alabama; Barbara Weigold and Ruby Easley—Michigan; Hollis Sigler, Al Teoli, Ario Teoli, Karl Younger, Pat Kuchinski, Kevin Thomas Hill, and Lola Blish—Illinois; Norma Lee, Judith Miller, and David Johnston—Texas; Gregg Johnson—Colorado; Mary Brown, Michael Thompson, and Betty Potter—Derby, England; Matthew Ettinger—Florida; Mary Kay Friday—Virginia; Adele Weichmann—Wisconsin; Sally Owen Murphy—California; Gordon Dickson—Minnesota; Patricia Woodbury—Missouri. Buell Cobb then led song on page 69 (t? b?) in remembrance of the deceased.

Richard DeLong spoke of the sick and shut-in friends and singers, who long to be amongst us in our song, and reminded us all that a card, call, or note to these friends is a treasure and blessing to them. David Barford read the names of the sick and shut-ins: Don Garber—Conneticut; Paulina Leonard and Charles Derleth—Missouri; Toby Manheim, Larry Horburg, Donna Shive, Timothy Hall, Marg Haddocks, Tayna LeMarbe, Virginia Evans, and Mariam Pasqual—Illinois; Joyce Walton, Jap Walton, Elsie Beasley, and Shelbie Sheppard—Alabama; Audrey Nathan and Gordon Matthews—England; John Morris and Dorothy Williard—Maryland; Philip Page, Jr.—New Jersey; Bob Scorgie—Wisconsin; Jargus Begley—Kentucky; Madeleine Steel and Bill Beverly—Michigan; Kathy Williams—Florida; Vivian Rogers—Georgia; Everett Yoder—New Mexico. Richard DeLong led song on page 381 for the sick and shut-ins. Samuel Sommers led the class in prayer to close the memorial lesson, and Becky Browne gave the blessing for the noon meal.

LUNCH

Jim Helke brought the class back together leading song on page 276. Leaders: Ted Johnson and Edward Thomas 76b; Chip Ward 383; James Nelson Gingerich 34t; Reba Dell Windom 196; Ashley and Micah Roberts 372; Judy Hauff 215; Louis Hughes and Steven Schmidgall 270; Kris Richardson 269; Tony Singleton 163b; Marcia Johnson 218; Don Bowen 283; Kiri Miller 216; Cassie Franklin 142; David Cooper 324; Doug Stapleton and Cathryn Baker 424; D.J. Hatfield and Cassie Franklin 430; Peggy Brayfield 338; Ruth Cooper 198; Karen Freund 77t; Sarah Beasley Smith and Janice Werlein 354b; Deborah Johnson 277; John Bailey 475; Sarah Davie 68b; Gary Smith 31t; Lorena Morre 335; Andy Morse 183; Jeff Gauthier 122; Richard DeLong 411.

Helen Brown and Kate Lingley spoke for the Resolution Committee: “We resolve to thank God in whose name and praise we are here gathered, for the fellowship that brings us together. We wish to thank all those who made this singing possible, including the officers for their hard work and dedication. We realize that an event such as this requires the work not only of the various officers, but also of many hands from the local singing community. We wish to thank the many Chicago singers who met, planned, xeroxed, stuffed envelopes, bought supplies, and who were ever ready to leap once more into the breach when something needed to be done. For outdoing themselves once again in hard work and cheerful hospitality, we would like to thank our tireless kitchen helpers, Kate Thomas and Norah Storment. For outdoing themselves once again in the quality and quantity of the dinner we enjoyed both yesterday and today, we thank all those local singers who brought such wonderful food. Both our bodies and our souls have been well nourished here. For making this space available for our use, we wish to thank the University of Chicago student Sacred Harp group, the office of the Reynolds Club and Student Activities and Ida Noyes Hall. For being a good sport and for all his cheerful help, we would particularly like to thank Stan, the custodian. Finally, we wish to thank the international community of Sacred Harp singers for gathering here from far and near to lift your voices in song. Without singers to join their voices together, to welcome one another into their homes, to build bridges of friendship across great distances and in some cases across the Atlantic Ocean, what we do here would be not only impossible, but in fact, pointless. It is the friendship and hospitality between singers that makes Sacred Harp singing what it is. We resolve to be grateful for the inheritance that is ours from traditional and Southern singers from whom we have learned so much. We resolve to meet again next year on the first fifth Sunday and Saturday before July 4 (June 29-30, 2002). We are fortunate to have access to both this space and the singing venues elsewhere in Chicago, so that we hope to see you next year in one of the many lovely places where we have been fortunate enough to sing in the past.”

Jim Helke, Doug Stapleton, Cathryn Baker, and Becky Browne led song on page 347 for the closing song. Becky Browne dismissed the class with a closing prayer.

Chairman—Jim Helke; Vice Chairs—Doug Stapleton and Cathryn Baker; Secretaries—Debbie Barford and Natalia Cecire.