Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, June 29

The seventeenth annual Midwest Sacred Harp Singing Convention was called to order at 9:30 a.m. at the Irish American Heritage Center, Chicago, Illinois, with outgoing Chair Jim Helke leading 178. The morning prayer was offered by Jesse Roberts. Leaders: Last year’s Vice Chairs Cathryn Baker and Doug Stapleton 276; Jim Swanson 564; Bruce Holmes 146; Rachel Adelstein 327; Al Frank 361; Wally Bloch 68b; Becky Allen-Powell 66; Nick Pasqual 139; Martha Henderson 428; Jeff Gauthier 436; Berkley Moore 42; Susan Geil 474; Jarrod George 300; Cathy Lutz 384; Don Keeton 32t; Bill Beverly 272.

Outgoing Chair Jim Helke called a business meeting to elect officers and committees for the convention. The officers and committees elected and appointed were: Chairs—Cathryn Baker and Doug Stapleton; Vice Chairs—Jerry Enright and Karen Freund; Secretaries—Rachel Adelstein, Judy Holst, and Karen Freund; Chaplain—Herb Schroeder; Arranging Committee—Megan Jennings, Bruce Holmes, Judy Hauff, Ted Mercer, James Page, and Richard DeLong; Memorial Committee—Kathy Williams and David Lee; Finance Committee—Randy Neufeld and Janet Miller; Resolutions Committee—Lisa Grayson.

RECESS

Cathryn Baker and Doug Stapleton called the class together leading song on page 99. Leaders: Kiri Miller 224; Steven Schmidgall 473; Leanne Wiberg 47b; Jeremy York 442; Scott DePoy 282; Gary Smith 569b; Sue Kessell 304; Judy Caudle 193; David Rust 74t; Terre Schill 234; Brad Oglesby 192; Mark Bruns 112; Samuel Sommers 426b; Randy Neufeld 32t; Louis Hughes 448t; David Wright 411; Johanna Fabke 122; Beth Todd 319; B.J. Harris 303; Herb Schroeder 56b; Beverley Rose Enright 196; Dick Dunagan 340. The lunch blessing was asked by Herb Schroeder.

LUNCH

Jerry Enright and Karen Freund called the afternoon session to order leading song on page 312b. Leaders: Cathryn Baker and Doug Stapleton 318; Wanda Capps 430; Henry Johnson 435; Jessica Roberts and Jesse Roberts 203; Gary Gronau 362; Reba Windom 216; Coy Ivey 137; Denise Kania 217; David Lee 299; Jerry Enright 168; Shelbie Sheppard 543; Dennis George 198; Kathy Williams 142; Paul Wyatt 182; LaRue Allen 528; Michele Cull 183; Pauline Childers 498; Grace Scrimgeor 33b; Ted Johnson “A Joyful Noise”; Lela Crowder 328; Sarah Beasley Smith 129; Jimmie Denney 63; Robert Cull 388; Julie Vea 522.

RECESS

Judy Holst brought the class back to order leading song on page 131b. Leaders: Carolyn Deacy 448b; David Stech 337; Judy Mincey 475; John Plunkett 250; Carol Ruth Kimmel 117; Dean Slaton 211; Matt Wells 497; Wendy Wahn 39t; Robert Dwarkin 277; Joe Todd 102; Nancy Van Den Akker 515; Martha Beverly 383; Chandler York 270; Paul Streeter 85; Mary Bachmann 391; Violet Stark 496; Joanne Bowman 59.

Following announcements, Cathryn Baker and Doug Stapleton led song on page 347, and the class was dismissed with prayer by Herb Schroeder.

Sunday, June 30

The Sunday session was called to order at 9:30 a.m. at Ida Noyes Hall on the campus of the University of Chicago with Chairs Cathryn Baker and Doug Stapleton leading song on page 40. The morning prayer was given by Herb Schroeder.

Leaders: Suzanne Flandreau 49t; Natalia Cecire 474; Evelyn Harris 155; Everette Denney 405; Nate Green and Norma Green 297; Pawel Plaszczak 52 (t? b?); Harvey Austin 335; Felton Denney 489; Don Bowen 492; Eugene Forbes 208; Joan Yeatman 143; Judy Holst 89; Dorothy Hack 175b; Jim Pfau 215.

RECESS

The class was brought back to order by Rachel Adelstein leading song on page 479. Leaders: Megan Jennings 542; Karen Freund 101b; James Page 284; Lou Cotney 218; Lynne deBenedette 36b; Aaron Girard 245; Alexandra Gilmore 278t; Jeff Gauthier 402; Jeff Sheppard 220 (for Rene Greene, his daughter); Judy Hauff 536; Lisa Grayson 278b; Philip Denney 84; Jeanette Lowry 475; Melanie Hauff 485; Marcia Johnson 434; Mike Hinton 373.

RECESS

Cathryn Baker and Doug Stapleton brought the class back together leading song on page 47t. Leaders: Floy Wilder 293; Kim Bahmer 171; Ted Mercer 332; Julie Vea 324.

The memorial lesson was conducted by David Lee and Kathy Williams. David Lee spoke of the memorial lesson as a time set aside to honor the memory of those who have gone on before us. Jesse Roberts led 229 for the following sick and shut-in: Stephanie Rubin—Illinois; Bob Scorgie and Don Wise—Wisconsin; Elaine Hoff Norton—New York; Curtis Owen, Kelly Beard, B.E. Matthews, and Harold Lackey—Texas; Tom Mitchell, Regina Kania, and Val Eng—Minnesota; Vivian Rogers and Wilford Denney—Georgia; Bron Gibson—Pennsylvania; Annie Grieshop—Iowa; John Etheridge—Florida; Elsie Beasley and George Wyatt—Alabama; Linda MacDonald and Jaqui Nickerson—Michigan; Barbara Boles—Missouri; Nellie Miller and Roy Driskell—Kentucky.

Kathy Williams spoke of the first time she met Jerilyn Schumacher, her introduction to “the biggest heart that I’ve known in a long time,” saying that she was an active member of the Chicago Sacred Harp Singers and that she traveled to the South to sing, and became a dear friend. Kathy Williams led song on page 369 for Jerilyn Schumacher.

David Lee spoke of singing for his ailing grandfather as a child and of being told by his father to “sing for each other while you can—you don’t know when it will be your last time.” David Lee led song on page 503 for the following deceased: Jerilyn Schumacher, John Bailey, Norman Cutler, Tim Sporrong, Joseph Mirabella, and Jackie Long—Illinois; John Lacy, Bobby Lacy, Oakie Austin, Freeman Wootten, Lucille Creel Tolbert, Lawrence Underwood, Lula Underwood, Tommye Denson Mauldin, Polly Moore, Helen Connor Smith, Helen Smith Hall, and Ethel McGough—Alabama; Cortona Phelan—Iowa; Peter Vea—Wisconsin; Johnny Coulter and Ruby Driskell—Kentucky; E.V. Yoder—New Mexico; Randy Wells and Frances Beasley Lee—Florida; Palmer Rogers—Minnesota; Bill Stark—Ohio; Philip Page, Jr.—New Jersey; Roger Norton—New York; Richard Dudley Shewmaker—Missouri; Richard Hooke—Massachusetts; Nobie Smith—Texas; Nell Temple—Georgia; Fleta Jonassen—Indiana. Jesse Roberts closed the memorial lesson with prayer. Herb Schroeder offered the blessing before lunch.

LUNCH

Karen Freund and Jerry Enright reconvened the class after lunch leading song on page 82t. Leaders: Jesse Roberts and Jessica Roberts 455; Becky Browne 304 (in memory of Marie Aldridge, and in honor of Pauline Childers and Edith Tate); Laura Clawson 430; Richard DeLong 411; Cassie Franklin 216; Edith Tate 73t; Jeannette DePoy 540; Catherine Pfaff and Jeff Gauthier 388; John Seaton 147t; Pearl Guier 45t; Daphene Causey 222; Coy Ivey and Jarrod George 384; David Lee 49b (walked time); Shelbie Sheppard 269; Dennis George 383; Kathy Williams and Louise Holland 107; David Wright 343; Carolyn Deacy 456; Grace Scrimgeour 287.

RECESS

Karen Freund, Jerry Enright, and Reba Windom brought the class back leading song on page 172. Leaders: Henry Johnson 418; Reba Windom 186; Lori Graber 299; Lela Crowder 382 (for Rodney Ivey); Kit Pfau 159; Louis Hughes 76b; Kiri Miller 419; Felton Denney and Philip Denney 120; Wanda Capps 546; LaRue Allen and Floy Wilder 454; Judy Mincey and two newcomers 538; John Plunkett 539; Jeremy York 285t; Cassie Franklin and Jessica Roberts 192.

Reports were given by the Finance Committee, the Secretaries (noting that there were leaders at the convention from 18 states and the United Kingdom), and the Resolutions Committee, with special thanks to Mrs. Ruth Brown for organizing the bus trip of singers from Alabama and Georgia to attend the convention.

It was announced that next year’s Midwest Convention will take place Memorial Day weekend, May 24-25, 2003.

Following announcements, Cathryn Baker, Doug Stapleton, Ruth Brown, Jerry Enright, Karen Freund, and Rachel Adelstein led song on page 62, and those who wished took the parting hand. The convention was dismissed with prayer by Herb Schroeder.

Chairs—Cathryn Baker and Douglas Stapleton; Vice Chairs—Karen Freund and Jerry Enright; Secretaries—Rachel Adelstein, Judy Holst, and Karen Freund.