Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, January 26

The 15th annual Keystone Sacred Harp Convention was held on the fourth Sunday in January and Saturday before at Saint Philomena Roman Catholic Church, Lansdowne, Pennsylvania. Dan Hunter called the class to order by leading 131b. Riley Lee offered the opening prayer.

The following officers were elected or appointed to serve: Chairpersons—Rachel Hall and Becky Wright; Vice Chairman—Ben Cocchiaro; Treasurer—Julia Seidenstein; Secretary—Leon Pulsinelle.

Leaders: Becky Wright and Rachel Hall 101t; Ben Cocchiaro 117; Leon Pulsinelle 37b; Laura Densmore 430; Harry Scott 497; Molly Sayvetz 501; Guy Bankes 503; Nancy Tkacs 147t; Owen Lyman-Schmidt 268; Ina Shea 80t; Tom Stokes 272; Jesse Krikorian 326; Lamar Matthew 35; Lori Cabirac 313b; Oliver Kindig-Stokes 126; Suzan Greenberg 71; Dan Coppock 32t.

RECESS

Kathy Manning called the class to order leading 142. Leaders: Susan Hanson 474; Carl Baron 154; Kirsten Jensen 31t; Julia Seidenstein 58; Ruth Wampler 384; Doron Henkin 187; Anna Melton 448b; Elizabeth Pilar 168; Bethany Towne 296; Nathan Berry 200; Kimberly Haas 72b; Ted Stokes 60; Barb Hohenstein 196; Jim Strube 348b; Mary Helen Dupree 32b.

RECESS

Ruth Wampler called the class to order leading 322. Leaders: Nathalie Levine 445; Jim Glaser 438; Gwen Gethner 472; Ames Bielenberg 197; Carol Huang 377; Terry Ryan 218; Christina Wallin 532; Sam Kleinman 300; Liz Meitzler 213t; Doug Fower 439; Julie Botnick 230; Jason Steidl 84; Charlotte Ehrman 365; Jennifer Hedrich 163b; Jessica Keyes 208; Jerusha Wheeler 504; Naomi Kaye 83t; Erin Kelly 399b; Nora Miller 157. Dan Coppock offered the noon blessing.

LUNCH

Bethany Towne called the class to order leading 74b. Leaders: Matt Roberts 542; Liz Cantrell 568; Dean Jens 433; Deidra Montgomery 411; Riley Lee 517; Ian Quinn 434; Paula Picton 422; Peter Golden 448t; Leyland delRe 505; Angharad Davis 277; Aldo Ceresa 522; Nancy Mandel 410b; Tim Eriksen 192; Kelly Macklin 485; Hal Kunkel 179; Diane Mennella 27; John Plunkett 466; Elizabeth Stoddard 286; Barbara Swetman 475; Robert Stoddard 309; Sonia Chin 170.

RECESS

Kimberly Haas called the class to order leading 155. Leaders: Gerry Hoffman 371; David Wright 181; Kathy Manning and Jonathan Bassett 380; Ben Copenhaver 406; Rachel Speer 204; Maura Burns 195; Bill Holt 352; Cassie Lang 566; Chris Holley and Kathe Pilibosian 318; Mary Skidmore 89; Kevin Griffin Moreno 36t; Philippa Stoddard 328; Michael Nord 121; Natalie Jablonski 69t; Ray Rechenberg 565; Thom Fahrbach 382; Cheri Hardy 347; David Brodeur 436; Eric Schwab 73t; Katy Kanfer 460; Willis McCumber 396; Emily Hale-Sills 278t; Becky Wright and Rachel Hall 323t. Hal Kunkel offered the closing prayer.

Sunday, January 27

The Sunday session of the Keystone Sacred Harp Singing Convention was brought to order by Rachel Hall and Becky Wright leading 52t. Leaders: Gerry Hoffman 42; Jeremy Galvagni 191; Pat Callahan 569t; Terry Ryan 193; Bill Holt 128; Al McCready 66; Emily Lueck 284; Emma Rose Brown 176b; Erin Johnson Hill 284; John Alexander 56t; Linda Shea 330t; Peter Golden 441; Paula Picton 440; Robert Stoddard 138b; Ray Rechenberg 480; Joel Bassett 33b.

RECESS

Erin Gum called the class to order leading 59. Leaders: Sam Kleinman 81t; Lindy Groening 65; Amy Valladares 77t; Abigail Beshkin 344; Liz Cantrell 538; John delRe 354t; Cheri Hardy 87; Phil Dupont 186; Hal Kunkel 283; Yael Tarshish 162; Emily Hale-Sills 378b; Willis McCumber 40; Jerusha Wheeler 551; Kelly Macklin 139; Barbara Swetman 540.

RECESS

Maura Burns called the class to order leading 335. Leaders: Angharad Davis 270; Aldo Ceresa 456; Christine Andrews 82t; Elizabeth Stoddard 545; Chris Holley and Kathe Pilibosian 201.

Jessica Keyes led 70t in honor of the following sick and shut-ins: Gina Balestracci, R.K., J.S., R.R., Jen, Chris, Katie White, David Wampler, Peter Ledwith, Rebecca Peapples, Bud Oliver, Anne Clewell, and Sherryl Johnston.

John Plunkett conducted the memorial lesson, and led 285t in memory of the following deceased: Harrison Creel—Alabama; Robert Wert—Indiana; Bonnie Appleton—Virginia; Eleanor Enger and Mary Enger—Missouri; Danya Klie and Franny Bliss—Maine; Carol Holley, Jennifer Mapes, and Gil Dupre—Massachusetts; Saphira Gonzalez, Abigail Hershberger, Robert Perkins, Ginny Hazel, Gloria Simons, Eleanor Farmer, James Wyllie, and Nancy Wyllie—Pennsylvania; James Quodomine—New Jersey; Richard Lyman—California; John Newton Merritt—Mississippi; Joseph Ost—Kansas; Audrey Wisceva, Irene Skidmore, and William Tannenbaum—New York; Tom Schultz—Ontario; Gladys Wiedorn—Florida; George Peapples—Washington, D.C.; Gertie DeLong, Violet Thomason, and Lonnie Rogers—Georgia; Mark Nichols—Australia; Jim Lamkin—North Carolina; Alice Fahrbach—Michigan; Johanna, Elaine, Dan, and Holly of the Wilmington Cancer Support Group—Delaware; Wilma Casenhiser—Ohio; Eddie Klein—Texas.

Leaders: Riley Lee 206; Deidra Montgomery 500; Emma Rose Brown 498; Mel Novner 419; Amy Valladares 196; Natalie Jablonski 163t; Kevin Griffin Moreno 227; Leyland delRe 528; Cassie Lang, Ben Copenhaver, Nathan Berry, Mel Novner, and Barbara Swetman 99. Dan Coppock offered the noon blessing.

LUNCH

Sonia Chin and Ben Cocchiaro called the class to order leading 106. Leaders: Michael Nord 183; David Brodeur 269; Katy Kanfer 392; Ian Quinn 432; Carol Huang 280; Erik Schwab 217; Mary Skidmore 383; Philippa Stoddard 564; Thom Fahrbach 151; Linda Shea 361; David Wright 428; Jeremy Galvagni 148; John Holbrook 523; Ellen Lueck 418; Erin Johnson-Hill 182; Pat Callahan 454; Rachel Speer and Calvin Jens 187; Tom Tucker 475; Gwen Gethner 171; Jason Steidl 569b; Liz Meitzler 215; Yael Tarshish 384; Phil Dupont 319; Harry Scott 315; Ina Shea 336; Elizabeth Pilar and Dan Coppock 53; Mary Helen Dupree and Ava Walterick 145b.

RECESS

Kimberly Haas called the class to order leading 299. Leaders: Doug Fower 112; Dean Jens 424; Julia Seidenstein 472; Charlotte Ehrman 549; Jim Glaser 512; Naomi Kaye 539; Lamar Matthew 294; Christine Andrews 229; John delRe 360; Al McCready 452; Kent Beck 48t; Leon Pulsinelle, Julia Seidenstein, and Jeff Gauthier 133; Guy Bankes 556; Ben Cocchiaro 327; Ames Bielenberg 481; Suzan Greenberg 442; Jessica Keyes 102; Dan Hunter and Bethany Towne 403; John Plunkett 76t.

Treasurer Julia Seidenstein reported that all expenses had been met. Bethany Towne thanked God, and everyone who made the singing possible, and resolved to reconvene in Christiana, Pennsylvania, for the 16th annual session in January, 2014. Announcements were made.

Rachel Hall and Becky Wright led 62 as the closing song. Hal Kunkel offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairpersons—Rachel Hall and Becky Wright; Vice Chairman—Ben Cocchiaro; Secretary—Leon Pulsinelle