Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, May 29

The nineteenth annual Midwest Sacred Harp Singing Convention was held at Ida Noyes Hall on the University of Chicago campus, Chicago, Illinois on the fifth Sunday and Saturday before in May.

Co-Chairs Karen Freund and Jerry Enright opened the Saturday morning session at 9:30 a.m. by welcoming singers and then led 354t. Jesse Roberts offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Ted Mercer and Lisa Grayson 171; Cathryn Baker 142; Herb Schroeder 128; Randy Neufeld 32t; Debbie Barford 302; Jim Helke 547; Bob Whaley 268; Connie Karduck 498; Violet Stark 474; Bruce Holmes 102; John Seaton 47t (for his mother); Wally Bloch 146; Rachel Adelstein 332; Bill Beverly 162; Ginny Landgraf 383.

RECESS

Co-Chairs Karen Freund and Jerry Enright brought the class to order leading 312b.

A business session was held with the following officers elected or appointed to serve: Co-Chairs—Ted Mercer and Lisa Grayson; Co-Vice Chairs—Marcia Johnson and Ted Johnson; Secretary—Carolyn Deacy; Assistant Secretaries—Kiri Miller and Chris Thorman; Arranging Committee—Connie Karduck, Brad Oglesby, D.J. Hatfield, Natalia Cecire, and Rachel Adelstein; Chaplain—Stephen Parker; Memorial Committee—Richard DeLong, Jesse Roberts, Cindy Tanner, and Becky Browne; Finance Committee—Randy Neufeld, Don Bowen, Chris Thorman, and John Seaton; Resolutions Committee—Henry Johnson, Steven Schmidgall, and Rosemary Greenaway; Locating Committee—Kenneth Notland, Judy Hauff, Steve Warner, and Jeremy York. The business session was closed.

Leaders: Kathy Kaiser 203; Jeff Gauthier 163 (t? b?); Daryl Chesney 454; Janet Fraembs 556; Sarah Davie 384; Richard Lee 183; Kelly Brest van Kempen 335; Jeanette Lowry 168; Ariel Weinberg 522; Stephen Parker 362; Claire Outten 202; Jim Swanson 353; Don Bowen 496.

RECESS

Lisa Grayson brought the class back to order leading 29t. Leaders: Steve Warner 86; Anita Buswell 324; D.J. Hatfield 430; Martha Beverly 546; Gaston White 236; Christine Stevens 542; Shaffiq Welji 276; Jessica Altman and Micah Roberts 217; Nick Pasqual 339; Natalia Cecire 182; Bob Borcherding 189; Emily Gruber 56b; Joe Driggers 106.

At the request of the convention Cassie Franklin sang “Lady Margaret” from the Cold Mountain film CD. Stephen Parker offered the blessing for the noon meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session began with Marcia Johnson leading 61. Leaders: Megan Jennings 504; Brad Oglesby 151; Elene Stovall 436; Reba Dell Windom 216; Dave Ressler 298; Cindy Tanner 198; Carolyn Deacy 456; Richard DeLong 224; Becky Browne 304; Linda Thomas 345b; Greg Freemon 376; Kathy Williams 385b; Steven Schmidgall 333; Judy Hauff 448t; Gary Gronau 192; Marcia Johnson 434; Jim Pfau 369; Anne Heider 532.

RECESS

Ted Johnson brought the class back to order with 101t. Leaders: Jeremy York “Muhaiyaddeen” (a composition by Chandler York); Marlene Marks 37b; Cassie Franklin 432; Chris Thorman 318; Denise Kania 350; Jan Ketelle 460; Jim Lawrie 91; Melanie Hauff 550; Jesse Roberts 285t; Kiri Miller 442; Henry Johnson 278t; Rosemary Greenaway 480; Lorena Moore 148; James Page 284; Ashley Roberts 327.

Lisa Grayson and Ted Mercer led 267 as the closing song. Stephen Parker offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, May 30

The convention opened at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday with Co-Chairs Lisa Grayson and Ted Mercer leading 31t. Stephen Parker offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Marcia Johnson 111b; David Barford 181; Eloise Clark 120; Joan Yeatman 49b; Marjorie Matthews 218; Karen Freund 421; Rebecca Edwards 114; Ann Milzilski 30t; Felicia Stephens 551; Teddy Thomas 76b; Cathryn Baker 222; Daryl Chesney 34b; John Bealle 522; Kathy Williams 208; Brad Oglesby 68b; Julie Via 377; Cindy Tanner 220.

RECESS

The class resumed singing with Ted Mercer leading 278b. Leaders: Christine Stevens 352; Ted Johnson “Joyful Noise” (a new composition); Jessica Altman and Micah Roberts 112; Scott Schroeder 299; Rosemary Greenaway 384; Sam Farwell 122; Lorena Moore 39t; Jerry Enright 300 (in memory of Barrett Ashley and Lawrence Underwood); Linda Thomas 464; Don Bowen 283; Jeanette Lowry 260; Steven Schmidgall 154.

RECESS

The class was brought back to order with Lisa Grayson leading 528. Leaders: D.J. Hatfield 126; Ginny Landgraf 506; Gaston White 40; Kathy Kaiser 86; Rachel Adelstein 538; Richard Lee 129; Anita Buswell 448 (t? b?); Shaffiq Welji 245; Megan Jennings 203.

Richard DeLong, Jesse Roberts, Cindy Tanner, and Becky Browne conducted the memorial lesson.

Becky Browne led 36b, and Richard Delong led 70t for the sick and shut-ins. Cindy Tanner led 146 for the deceased.

The sick and shut-ins remembered were: Jap Walton, Joyce Walton, Shelbie Sheppard, Gary Smith, Bud Oliver, and Edith Tate—Alabama; Marjorie Burke—Arizona; Jerry Schreiber—California; Nick Pender, Bobby Jackson, Violet Thomason, Loy Garrison, Dot Garrison, Ruth Wills, and Nora Roberts—Georgia; Ruth White, Suzanne Checchia, Bernie Grenblatt, and Dixie McGregor—Illinois; Dean Slayton—Indiana; George Myers—Kentucky; Pauline Childers—Michigan; Nancy Affolber—Missouri; Regina Kania and Helen Stevens—Minnesota; Anna Milazzo—New York; R.J. Landgraf—Ohio; Delores Littrell and Christine Anderson—Tennessee; Kelley Beard—Texas; Bob Anderson and Bob Scorgie—Wisconsin; and Roberta Seaton—England.

The deceased remembered were: J.C. Harden, Dick Hinton, Lamar Smith, Mavis Price, Christal Crocker, and Harvey Austin—Alabama; Mildred Segal—California; Patsy Cirkus—Florida; Bev Brady, Robert Kendrick, Estelle Flowers, Mozelle Sheppard, Darrell Beasley, and Everette Denny—Georgia; Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, Robert Sanders, Anthony Jefferson, Mike Fleischer, Ruth Kellam, Loretta Ernst, Harry Cullins, and Hazel Williams—Illinois; Wilma Furgason—Kentucky; W.T. Wortham—Mississippi; Betty Haas—Missouri; Doug Anthony—Montana; Ed Downey—New Jersey; Kenneth Russell and Elvira Rychlak—Pennsylvania; Cecilia Hauff—South Dakota; Bruce Ketelle—Tennessee; Marvin Hill and Virginia Leuke—Wisconsin; Bob Copper—England. Stephen Parker closed the memorial with a prayer. A blessing for the noon meal was offered by Stephen Parker.

LUNCH

The afternoon session began with Marcia Johnson leading 155. Leaders: Kiri Miller 455; Martha Beverly 254; Gary Gronau 411; Cassie Franklin 485; Dave Ressler 328; Elene Stovall 142; Samuel Sommers 316; Henry Johnson 70b; Reba Dell Windom 196; Richard DeLong 419; Becky Browne 362; Stephen Parker 99; Suzanne Flandreau 87; Jesse Roberts 291; Sue Kessell 365; Randy Neufeld 29t.

RECESS

During the recess, at the request of the convention, Cassie Franklin sang “The Old Grove” and “Song Bird that Was Falling.”

Ted Mercer and Lisa Grayson brought the class back to order leading 282. Leaders: Paul Streeter 515; Ashley Roberts and Micah Roberts 47b; Jan Ketelle 368 (for Dean Slayton); Chris Thorman 73t; Katherine Krug 171; Denise Kania 500; Steve Warner and Ann Heider 471; Jim Pfau 137; Stephanie Fida 178; Orwin Younquist 33t; David Stelch 447; Barbara Meyers and Sarah Letson 268; Natalia Cecire 270; James Page 505; Jeff Gauthier 250; Jim Helke 565 (for Gary Smith).

A business meeting was held for the purpose of hearing reports from various committees.

The Finance Committee reported that expenses had been met and thanked all for helping to achieve this goal.

Connie Karduck reported that over the two days, the convention was attended by people from 22 states.

Steven Schmidgall and Rosemary Greenaway gave the Resolutions Committee Report: “Humble thanks to the Divine Spirit which has blessed us all with the intention to come together to sing songs of praise, hope and joy.” The officers, pitchers, and housing committee were thanked, along with the people who helped with publicity, logistics, the kitchen, registration, and hospitality. Special thanks were extended to the extraordinary cooks. The business session was closed.

Announcements were made. Lisa Grayson, Ted Mercer, and all the officers led 62 as the closing song, while those who wished took the parting hand. Stephen Parker led the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Co-Chairs—Lisa Grayson and Ted Mercer; Co-Vice Chairs—Marcia Johnson and Ted Johnson; Secretary—Carolyn Deacy.