Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, September 30

Co-Chairs Kit Pfau and Christine Stevens called the convention to order leading song on page 171. Jim Pfau offered the opening prayer.

Officers for the eleventh session of the Minnesota State Convention are: Co-Chairs—Kit Pfau and Christine Stevens; Treasurers—Matt Wells and Walter Graff; Secretary—Stephen Parker assisted by Jim Pfau and Myles Alexander; Arranging Committee—Kathy Wallace and Matt Wells assisted by Dave Richardson; Memorial Committee—Steven Levine and Kathy Lee; Resolutions Committee—Alice Love, Anne Heider, and Louis Hughes Sr.

Leaders: Keith Willard 82t; Martha Henderson 64; Stephen Parker 32t; Walter Graff 68b; Robin Fox 81t; Paul Landskroener 96; John Rebishke 268; Ian West 84; Dick Levine 66; Marcia Johnson 448t; Richard Popp 324; Mark Ellenberger 107; Everette Denney 146; Kathy Kaiser 384.

RECESS

Jim Pfau brought the class back from the first morning break leading song on page 106.

Keith Willard recognized Ruth Brown with a small corsage for her tireless efforts bringing traditional singers to singings outside the South.

Leaders: Gene Hauptman 34b; Allison Dodson 335; Thomas Jefferson Willard 36b; Felicia Stevens 63; Pierre Gingerich 312b; Charlie Obert and Cindy Kissee 178; Anne Heider 532; Jeff Bell 290; Don Clark and Karen Buche Clark (newlyweds) 503; Johanna Fabke 378b; Mirjana Lausevic 370; Myles Alexander 56b; Margo McCreary 344; Peggy Brayfield 188; Ted Mercer 302.

RECESS

Paul Wyatt brought the class back to order leading song on page 147b. Leaders: Ted Johnson “Boulder”; Meg Parsons, Jim Parsons, Evva Parsons, and Elise Parsons 313b; James Gingerich 455; Dave Richardson 473; David Lee 34t.

The class conducted a brief business session to introduce the Finance Committee and to elect next year’s Co-Chairs: Matt Wells and Darlene Dalton. Gordon Olsen offered grace, and the class was then dismissed for lunch.

LUNCH

Kathy Wallace brought the class back for the afternoon session leading song on page 145b. Leaders: Matt Wells and Robert Westawker 481; Steven Schmidgall 559 (CB); Richard DeLong 216; Barbara Swetman 390; Nate Green and Norma Green 266; Kelly Beard 359b; Felton Denney 73t; Jeff Sheppard 442; Kelly House 192; Mattie Townsel 313t; Judy Whiting 515; Pearl Guier 448b; Tollie Lee (with two students from the University of Minnesota class) 274t; Scott Schroeder 47b; Leon Ballinger 430; Mike Veech 277; Phillip Denney 300; Jenny Willard 318.

RECESS

Tim Erickson brought the class back to order leading song on page 499. Leaders: Connie Karduck 218; Louis Hughes 282; Carol Crawford 369; Kathy Lee 143; Steven Levine 474; Beverly Coates 299; Mary Smith 440; Eleanor Haase 217; Teenie Moody 542; Cheryl Foreman 328; David Cooper 159; Eliza Cavanaugh 30t; Lou Cotney 189; Denise Kania 350; LaRue Allen 426b; Shelbie Sheppard 327; John Bailey 454; Gordon Olsen and Midge Olsen 198.

Kit Pfau and Christine Stevens led song on page 566 as the closing song, and David Lee dismissed the class with prayer.

Sunday, October 1

Co-Chairs Kit Pfau and Christine Stevens called the convention to order leading song on page 48t. Tollie Lee offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Gordon Olsen 39t; Denise Kania 36b; Jenny Willard 99; Eleanor Haase 269; Scott Schroeder 497; Cathy Lutz 290; Dean Slaton 362; Wendy Popp 472; Bruce Coates 163b; Judy Hauff 434; Helen Brown 373; Steve Warner 171; Carol Buche 504; John Seaton 47t; Michael Moore and David Lee 429.

RECESS

Steven Schmidgall brought the class back to order leading song on page 59. Leaders: Julie Vea 411; Doug Stapleton 551; Ernestine Pipkin 110; Jeff Colby 347; Laura Densmore 74b; Joanne Hoover 280; James Page 505; Lisa Grayson 419; Daphene Causey 304; Ruth Cooper 86; Eric Morgan 58; Anna Pfau 198; Bruce Holmes 146; David Lee and Kathy Lee 128; Leon Ballinger 490.

RECESS

Midge Olsen brought the class back to order leading song on page 312b. Leaders: Louis Hughes and Steven Schmidgall 270; Connie Karduck 498; Tollie Lee and Ramona Lee 417.

Tollie Lee took a moment to sing through a song he has been writing for the Minnesota people.

Kathy Lee and Steven Levine conducted the memorial lesson. Kathy Lee began by calling to mind the relationships represented by the names on the memorial list. Some of these were singers not just sinners, and they sat in the chairs we now occupy. Kathy recounted what a joy it was to sit and sing next to people from countries she has never visited. She drew our minds to the presence today of singers from newborn to those in their nineties with the wish that when she reaches her nineties the room and our hearts might be just as full. Kathy also noted that we often say that we found Sacred Harp when, more often, Sacred Harp found us. She then read the memorial list which included: Horace Batchelor, Marie Aldridge, Arnell Henry, Betty Creel Rutledge, Ester Wall Brown, Mary Oden, Hattie Harmon, Lucille Forman, Rosa Hughes, Virgil Phillips, Ruby Phillips, and Shelton Williamson—Alabama; Susan Garber—Connecticut; Verla Ross—Florida; George Canright—Indiana; Jack Smith, Dollie Hudgins, Allene Stanford, Lillie Bell Ayers, and J.D. Muse—Georgia; Calvin Fischer, Marion Matters, Stefan Brown, James Walter Young, and John Storm—Minnesota; Cynthia Atkinson—New Jersey; Karen House—New York; Ed Craig and Jack Page—Texas; Jim Janse—Wisconsin; Lucrecia Marchese—Argentina; Ronald Nathan and Mary Brown—United Kingdom.

Kathy Lee led the class in singing 138b for the deceased, and verses two and three in anticipation of our own future membership on the list.

Steven Levine then spoke of how Sacred Harp has so greatly expanded the population of people who sing with him. He recounted his move from Boston to Minneapolis and how at first as he sang with new singers, the voices of the Norumbega Harmony were echoing in his ears and that gradually those echoes have multiplied by every place he has visited. And it all remains in good harmony. When we sing, these other people are with us who are not here and when we sing, we are with them.

The list of the sick and shut-ins included: Warren Mason and Ms. Mims—Alabama; Sara Curry—California; Dot Garber—Connecticut; Mozelle Sheppard—Georgia; Virginia Evans and Crystal Johnson—Illinois; Owen Gardener—Iowa; John Morris—Maryland; Reba Windom—Michigan; Nathan Stevens and Peg Chemberlin—Minnesota; Jean Carhart and Ward Carhart—Nevada; Philip Page Jr.—New Jersey; Lilia Springer and Bob Scorgie—Wisconsin. Steven Levine led song on page 200 for the sick and shut-ins, and for us all. The memorial was closed.

Paul Wyatt offered grace and dismissed the class for lunch.

LUNCH

Matt Wells brought the class back from the lunch break leading song on page 32t. Leaders: Kathy Wallace 77t; Tim Erickson and Mirjana Lausevic 245; Richard Delong 296; Ted Johnson and Marcia Johnson 142; Jeff Sheppard and Shelbie Sheppard 195; Val Eng 528; Kelly House 196; Glenda Watkins 282; Everette Denney 405; Judy Whiting 147t; Norma Green and Nate Green 400; Eliza Cavanaugh 535; David Cooper and Ruth Cooper 276; Ted Mercer 345b; Robin Fox 500; Barbara Swetman and Laura Densmore 452; Stephen Parker 547; Anne Heider 236; Bruce Coates and Beverly Coates 176b.

RECESS

Steven Levine brought the class back to order leading song on page 34b. Leaders: Allison Dodson 348b; Dave Richardson 467; Don Clark and Karen Clark 501; Kelly Beard 475; Carol Crawford 295; Cheryl Foreman 480; Lou Cotney 172; Ian West 182; Richard Popp and Wendy Popp 175; Paul Wyatt, Gene Hauptmann, Martha Henderson, Alicia Smith, Hans Guttman, Joan Fritz, and Stacey Berkheimer 441; Walter Graff, Paul Landskroener, Todd Mitchell, Monica Mitchell, Eloise Jerome, Janet Crosby, and Michael Shewmaker 137.

The class then attended to final business. Announcements were made.

A raffle was held again this year for a crocheted afghan made by Eloise Jerome, with Janet Zander being the lucky person to have her name drawn.

The Treasurers reported that sufficient funds were collected to meet all the convention expenses.

Secretary Stephen Parker reported that we had 174 leaders: 80 (t? b?) on Saturday and 94 on Sunday. The class took the roll of states and countries in attendance. There were singers from 19 states: Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. The United States singers were joined by a wonderful group of singers from England and one person from Germany.

The Resolutions Committee comprised of Alice Love, Anne Heider, and Louis Hughes presented the following report:

On behalf of everyone in attendance at this eleventh Minnesota State Sacred Harp Singing Convention, the committee expresses thanks to:

All officers, organizers, and committee members for their hard work with attention to details that helped make this convention a success.

Everyone who helped to provide and serve (and clean up after) the dinners on the grounds.

The staff of Murphy’s Landing for the privilege of singing in the Town Hall both Saturday and Sunday.

The Willards for hosting the Saturday evening social, and to everyone who contributed to its success.

Ruth Brown and all who journeyed on the bus.

The singers from near and far who came to help make this singing successful. We resolve to remember those who could not be with us for whatever reason.

Our forefathers (and foremothers) and others who have preserved this tradition through the generations, and we resolve to do all we can to support and continue the traditions of Sacred Harp singing.

To those who keyed the songs.

All who hosted and housed out-of town guests in their homes.

All the local singers for making everyone feel welcome and part of the

growing family of Sacred Harp singers, and we resolve that, God willing, we will meet again next year.

Finally, we thank Almighty God for the gifts of life, health, music, and fellowship.

All reports were accepted as read, and the business session was closed.

Kit Pfau and Christine Stevens led song on page 176t as the closing song, and Keith Willard dismissed the class with prayer.

Co-Chairs—Kit Pfau and Christine Stevens; Secretary—Stephen Parker assisted by Jim Pfau and Myles Alexander.