Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, March 27

The forty-third session of the Georgia State Sacred Harp Convention was held at Emmaus Primitive Baptist Church in Carrollton, Georgia on the fourth Sunday and Saturday before in March.

The convention was called to order by Richard DeLong leading 27. John Hollingsworth offered the morning prayer.

Leaders: Charles Woods 269; Charlene Wallace 197; John Hollingsworth 182; Jesse Roberts 419; Jeannette DePoy 129; Helen Bryson 287; Lela Crowder 283; Andy Anderson 282; Louis Hughes 569t; Don Bowen 59; David Yeager 32b; Gail Doss 107; Tim Cook 55; Edna Phillips 236; B.M. Smith 318; Amber Davis 142.

RECESS

The class was called together by Jesse Roberts leading 37b. Leaders: Eugene Forbes 208; Arlene Woods 268; Tony Hammond 135; Ruth Wyers 490; Daryl Chesney 492; Eunice Webb 512; Andrew Snyder 77t; Cathy White 384.

A motion was made to go into the business session. Officers elected or appointed to serve were: Chairman—Charles Woods; Vice Chairman—Oscar McGuire; Secretary/Treasurer—Charlene Wallace; Chaplain—Lonnie Rogers; Arranging Committee—Jesse Roberts and John Hollingsworth; Memorial Committee—Scott DePoy and Richard DeLong; Resolutions Committee—David Yeager and Lee Rogers; Finance Committee—Lela Crowder and Don Bowen; Locating Committee—Gayle Denney, Andy Anderson, and Harry Eskew.

Leaders: Nate Green and Norma Green 540; Ashley Roberts 456; Bill Beverly 86.

RECESS

The class resumed singing with Charles Woods leading 47b. Leaders: Mary Brownlee 556; Curtis Spivey 45t; Jessica Altman 299; Matt Hinton 63; Judy Caudle 385 (t? b?); Shelbie Sheppard 272; Victoria Eastland and Frances Carnell 344; Jeff Sheppard 439; Deborah Jones 348t; Alex Makris 124; Lee Rogers 228; Gaston White 66; Anne Grosse and Debora Grosse 551.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was called together by Oscar McGuire leading 145t. Leaders: Henry Johnson 70b; Judy Mincey 475; Scott DePoy 201; Martha Beverly 569b (for Gary Smith); Lonnie Rogers 348b; Karen Rollins 34b; Felton Denney 387; Kathy Williams 306; Harry Eskew 146; Mary L. Smith 171; Reba Windom 542; Nancy Yeager 179; John Redman 57; Jennifer Kerns 479; Mildred Patterson 358; Bernard Denney 222; Frances Carnell 240; Jim Crawford 186; Darlene Dalton 454; Carol Crawford 381.

RECESS

Charles Woods brought the class to order leading 143. A special recognition was given to Mr. Preston McClendon who is 99 years of age, and was in attendance on this day. Leaders: Judith Green 117; Elder Bufrey Dean 32t; Liz Bryant and Ernie Eaton 163t; Ellie Soler 177; Richard DeLong 375; Louise Holland 273; Sheri Taylor 528 (for Naomi Sailors); Coy Ivey and Teresa Parker 137; Teenie Moody 217; B.J. Harris 503; Charles Woods 34t (for Bobby Jackson).

Announcements were made. Charles Woods led 108b as the closing song. Elder Bufrey Dean offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, March 28

The convention was called to order by Charles Woods, Carlene Griffin, and Earlis McGraw leading their grandfather’s song on page 283. Chaplain Lonnie Rogers offered the morning prayer.

Leaders: Oscar McGuire 171; Charlene Wallace 333; Scott DePoy 566; Lonnie Rogers 389; Lynn Allen 192; Don Bowen 145b; Evelyn Harris 155; Robert Walker 569b (for Gary Smith); Anita Landess 540; Martha Beverly 379; Felton Denney 489; Cathy Williams 506; Reba Windom 216; Gail Doss 288; Andy Anderson 40; Nancy Yeager 565 (Happy Birthday); Jimmie Denney 313t; Shelbie Sheppard 211; Matt Hinton 99; Lee Rogers 188; Gaston White 84; Carol Crawford 232.

RECESS

The class was called together with Bud Oliver leading 278b. Leaders: Lela Crowder 71; Rodney Ivey 282; Judith Green 384; John Redman 309; Rita Haley 268; John Plunkett 266; Cindy Tanner 220; Steve Shearon 64; Jackie Tanner 318; Henry Johnson 45b; Judy Mincey 367; Wesley Haley 34b; Sherry Lovvorn 454; Bill Beverly 547; Daphene Causey 306.

Richard DeLong conducted the memorial lesson and led 410t in memory of the deceased: Mozelle Sheppard, Doris Haley, Rev. Lloyd Toney, Barbara Johnson, Ben Brady, and Robert Kendrick—Georgia; Willie Carolyn Denson, Alpha Black, Ruth Brown, Harvey Austin, Lavaughn Ballinger, Virginia Easter, Gladys Simmons, Allie Aldridge, Irene Willoughby, Beulah Reese, Elder Donald Smith, Lamar Smith, and Thomas Futrual—Alabama; Margaret Pauline Hodges—Florida.

Scott DePoy led 179 for the following sick and shut-ins: Violet Thomason, Barbara DePoy, Nancy Allen, Myrtle Smith, Margie Ann Smith (caretaker), Naomi Wilson Sailors, Loy Garrison, Dorothy Garrison, Jan Lewandowski, Bobby Jackson, Estelle Flowers, Donnie McGraw, and Reby Stanford—Georgia; Betty Haas and Mary Ellen Wilkinson—Arkansas; Lera Beckett, Lebron Hinton, Dick Mauldin, Gary Smith, and Lois Stanson—Alabama; Jimmy Cates—Arizona; Jeanne Schaffer—Colorado. Chaplain Lonnie Rogers closed the memorial with prayer.

Leaders: Richard Mauldin 66; Laura Frey 178; Raymond Hamrick 225t; Lisa Webb 276.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was called together by Oscar McGuire leading 405. Leaders: Earlis McGraw 284; Floy Wilder 383; Jeff Sheppard 212; Cassie Franklin 440; Louis Hughes 566; Jessica Ivey and Cheyenne Ivey 282; Eschol Hughes 460; Amanda Brown, Faith Davis, Kerstin Topf (from Germany), Bernard Munderloh, and Lela Crowder 45t; Jim Crawford 522; David Yeager 240; Jeannette DePoy 87; Lori Goode and daughter 358; Linda Thomas and Jordan Ratliff 47b; Bernard Denney 141; B.J. Harris 303; LaRue Allen 436; Sharon Hamrick 236.

RECESS

Charles Woods called the class together with 196.

A motion was made to go into the business session to hear reports from various committees.

The Resolutions Committee (David Yeager and Lee Rogers) submitted the following report.

Each year as spring again brings her glory to Georgia, singers from our sister state of Alabama and from all over the country gather with us at the Georgia State Sacred Harp Convention to celebrate the musical heritage we share. Whether we have spent our lives here at the heart of Sacred Harp country or traveled here from distant cities and colder climes; whether we grew up singing fa sol la as our nursery rhymes or first heard this music as adults at some folk festival, we come together at the Georgia State Convention with a sense of coming home, of reuniting with family.

Each year we feel anew the sense of blessing and gratitude toward Almighty God, and to those here who helped make this gathering possible. Therefore, be it resolved by this 43rd session of the Georgia State Sacred Harp Convention that:

We give thanks first to God for the joy we share here. We remember with gratitude the singers who have gone before us and given us this music, as well as those who are unable to join us here today. We extend special thanks to Emmaus Primitive Baptist Church and to the Sacred Harp Museum for their hospitality, and for providing Sacred Harp pilgrims a musical home.

We gratefully recognize the contributions of all the special people who have made the convention possible: the officers, committees, church members, and local supporters who have each fulfilled his/her part to make these two days seem almost effortless to the rest of us. A special thanks to those who prepared the delicious food that sustained our voices.

We warmly thank all the singers from near and far because this convention is both for you and of you. We rededicate ourselves to the tradition, the music, and the community we share, and to the singers we’ve yet to meet who will carry on this tradition after us. And finally, we resolve, by the grace of God, to meet again in musical fellowship next year in the 44th session of this Convention.

Charlene Wallace gave the Finance Report.

The Locating Committee reported the 2005 session of the Georgia State Sacred Harp Convention would be held at Emmaus Primitive Baptist Church in Carrollton, Georgia.

All reports were approved as given, and the business session was closed.

Leaders: Richard DeLong 399b; Laura Akerman 224; Louise Holland 323b; Sandra Wilkinson 300; Russ Hanson 49b; John Hollingsworth 82t.

Announcements were made. Charles Woods, Oscar McGuire, and Charlene Wallace led 62 as the closing song. Chaplain Lonnie Rogers offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Charles Woods; Vice Chairman—Oscar McGuire; Secretary—Charlene Wallace.