Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, September 28

The thirteenth Minnesota State Sacred Harp Convention was held in the Town Hall at Murphy’s Landing in Shakopee, Minnesota on the fifth Sunday and Saturday before in September. The class was called to order by Co-Chairs Cathy Lutz and Steven Schmidgall leading song on page 66. Charles Wells offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Darlene Dalton 147t; Matt Wells 107; Stephen Parker 171; Meg Parsons 148; Cindy Kissee 112; Dick Levine 501; James Page 188; Christine Stevens 352; Floy Wilder 298; Denise Kania 209; Lou Kujawinski 477; Martha Henderson 406; Kristin Irving 515; Jenny Willard 392.

RECESS

Kit Pfau brought the class back to order leading song on page 29t. Leaders: Collette Miller 436; Walter Graff 39b; Gary Gronau 362; Carol Buche 178; Louis Hughes 493; Mryka Hall-Beyer 569b; Charlie Obert 492; Johanna Fabke 83t; Wendy Popp 82t; Mirjana Lausevic 335; Gordon Olsen 547; Charles Wells 47t; Jeff Bell 270; Penny Kujawinski 224; Hans Guttmann 38b; LaRue Allen 142; Michael Moore 80t; Paul Wyatt 510.

RECESS

Steven Levine brought the class back leading song on page 36b. We then had a children lesson. Leaders: Felicia Stevens 163t; Leah Crosby and Janet Crosby 503; Thomas Jefferson Willard 422.

Other leaders: Cathy Lutz 349; Darlene Dalton 454; Shelley Robbins 474; Keith Willard 99.

A brief business meeting was then convened for the purpose of electing the Co-Chairs of next year’s convention, Eleanor Haase and Joan Fritz.

We then elected Charlie Obert to serve as Chairman for the next Cooper Book Convention, which will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2003.

The other officers and committees were then introduced, and the class was dismissed for lunch. Kit Pfau offered the blessing on the noon meal.

LUNCH

Charlie Obert called the class back for the afternoon session, and led song on page 34b. Leaders: Francis Gurtz 481; Jane Wells 146; Jim Parsons 444; Shelbie Sheppard 211; Tim Eriksen 192; Kit Pfau 203; Julie Vea 26; Val Eng 47b; Matt Wells 77t; Carol Crawford 74b; Jeff Sheppard 196; Stephen Parker 504; Joan Yeatman 143; Steven Levine 475; Doug Donley and Rebecca Donley 198; Bill Waddington 218; Steven Schmidgall 156.

RECESS

Jim Pfau brought the class back to order leading song on page 312b. Leaders: Jeanette Nelson 455; Mary Bachmann 391; Jim Goetz 52t; Margo McCreary 344; Claudia Egelhoff 556; Jim Crawford 522; Darlene Dalton 488b (CB) (a special request); Eleanor Haase 384; Midge Olsen 277; Michael Shewmaker 40.

The Co-Chairs, Cathy Lutz and Steven Schmidgall, announced the regular singings in the area and then turned the class over to Rev. Doug Donley of University Baptist Church in Minneapolis.

To the puzzlement and delight of all, Rev. Doug Donley re-arranged the front benches to seat the party for the surprise wedding of Matt Wells and Lara Andersen. After the applause and the laughter subsided, he conducted a brief and beautiful ceremony, exchanging vows and rings. The class celebrated the couple’s union by singing with them of “Present Joys,” 318, led by Jeff Sheppard. Rev. Donley led a closing prayer, and the chairs dismissed the class for the day.

Sunday, September 29

The Co-Chairs, Cathy Lutz and Steven Schmidgall, convened Sunday’s class, and led song on page 441. Gordon Olsen offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Kit Pfau 48t; Eleanor Haase 84; Claudia Egelhoff 77b; Hans Guttmann 268; Kim Bahmer 203; Paul Wyatt 192; Michael Moore “Mesopotamia” (his own composition); Jeanette Nelson 288; Bob Dixon 82t; Julie Vea 189; Penny Kujawinski 328; Denise Kania and Michael Shewmaker 373; Francis Gurtz 500; LaRue Allen 222; Charlie Obert 216; Midge Olsen 362.

RECESS

Jim Pfau brought the class back to order and led song on page 32t. Leaders: Mary Bachmann “Carry Me To That Far Shore” (her own composition); Matt Wells 300; Marjorie Benwitz 299; Paul Landskroener 212; Gary Gronau 181; Carol Crawford 448b; Joan Yeatman 496; Jim Goetz 312b; Louis Hughes 448t; Carol Buche 503; Wendy Popp 472; Kristin Irving 499; Mryka Hall-Beyer 236; Gordon Olsen 159; Meg Parsons 217.

RECESS

The class resumed singing with Steven Levine leading song on page 29t. Leaders: Colette Miller 368; Jeff Sheppard 273 (for Rene Greene, his daughter); Martha Henderson 326.

Louis Hughes and Charles Obert then presented the memorial lesson. Louis Hughes, who was grateful to have been asked to do this honor at a singing so far from home, read the words from the song on page 473, and then led songs on pages 348b and 229 in memory of the departed. The list of the deceased remembered were: Polly Moore, Warren G. Meadows, Winnefred Gilbert, Scott Henderson, and Freeman Wootten—Alabama; Matthew Ettinger and Viola Geiger—Florida; Kenneth DeLong—Georgia; John Bailey—Illinois; George Hill—Iowa; Sara Thomas, Walter Perlt, John Storms, Palmer Rogers, and Glenn Bartoo—Minnesota; Barbara Bolles—Missouri; Vaughan Ward and Jose Aguinaldo—New York; Lillian Robinson and Phillip Page, Jr.—New Jersey; Barbara Carns—Vermont; Peter Vea, Lee Egelhoff, and John Lohmann—Wisconsin. Charlie Obert then led 32b in honor of the sick and shut-ins. The list of those sick or shut-in included: Sara Curry—California; Helen Stevens and Regina Kania—Minnesota; Stu Beyer—New York; Mickey Woodbridge—Pennsylvania; Kelly Beard, Harold Lackey, and B.E. Matthews—Texas; Bob Scorgie, Kathleen Karsten, and Mark Crawford—Wisconsin; Bonnie Brasseur—Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Todd Mitchell offered prayer to close the memorial lesson.

Walter Graff offered grace for the noon meal, asking the class to remember that everything in life, even our suffering, can be seen as a gift of grace. The class was then dismissed for lunch and suffered under the burdens of the table.

LUNCH

Midge Olsen called the class to order for the afternoon session leading song on page 47t. Leaders: Johanna Fabke 85; Becky Browne 377; Floy Wilder 402; Keith Willard 460; Shelbie Sheppard 327; Mirjana Lausevic 379; Christine Stevens 542; Katie Kocha and Kim Bahmer 39t; Cindy Kissee 361; Shelley Robbins 186; Lou Kujawinski 63; Jim Pfau 142; Jenny Willard 530; Val Eng 383; Darlene Dalton 543; Robin Fox 436; Dick Levine 102; Stephen Parker 99 (Stephen Parker asked the class to sing loud enough for Syble Adams to hear, wherever she is singing today).

In what has become an annual tradition, an afghan crocheted by Ms. Eloise Jerome was raffled and won by Keith Willard. “Finally! After ten years!!”

RECESS

Francis Gurtz reconvened the class leading song on page 56b. Leaders: Jim Crawford 49t; Bill Waddington 49b; Jim Parsons 385b; James Page 411; Janet Crosby 107; Tim Eriksen 139; Steven Schmidgall 24b; Cathy Lutz 475; Steven Levine 350; LaRue Allen 200; Jeff Sheppard 442; Matt Wells and Lara Andersen 158; Floy Wilder 187; Mryka Hall-Beyer 479; Penny Kujawinski 42.

The class then attended to its final business for hearing reports from various committees.

The Resolutions Committee, Hans Guttmann, offered a resolution of thanks to all those who had a hand in organizing this year’s convention.

The Treasurer reported that we had met our expenses.

The Arranging Committee reported that all leaders were called, and that we led 71 songs on Saturday and 73 (t? b?) on Sunday. The roll of states was taken, showing singers from 14 states, one Canadian province, and Japan: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, Alberta, Canada, and Japan.

Co-Chairs Cathy Lutz and Steven Schmidgall then led song on page 45t for the closing song as singers took the parting hand. Keith Willard offered the closing prayer, asking that all present be blessed in their homeward travels, and the class was dismissed.

Co-Chairs—Cathy Lutz and Steven Schmidgall; Corresponding Secretary—Jim Pfau; Recording Secretary—Stephen Parker; Treasurer—Matt Wells.