Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Friday, October 1

The twenty-ninth session of the New England Sacred Harp Convention was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Chair Dan Hertzler leading 47t. Mary Huessy offered the opening prayer. Vice Chair Laura Timmerman led 371. Dan Hertzler welcomed everyone to the singing and made announcements, including notification of a vote in Saturday’s business meeting on the future scheduling of the Convention.

Officers and committees were: Chair—Dan Hertzler; Vice Chair—Laura Timmerman; Secretary—Rosie Wojcik; Treasurer—Peter Amidon; Arranging Committee—Linda Shea and Matthew Wojcik; Locating—Larry Gordon; food—Laura Nancy Kilgore; website—Charles Cofone; local contact—Eleanor Longfellow.

Leaders: Rosie Wojcik 129; Paul Gauthier 34b; Robert Dove 473; Fred Emigh 276; Edith Berger 39t; Ian Smiley 272; David Rust 34t; Victoria Bolles 228; Peter Amidon 528; Joanne Hoover 72b; John Holbrook 339; Paul Setford 31b; Scott Luscombe 532; Laura McCarty and Ian Smiley 163b; George Seiler 480; George Pomfret 235; Sarah Beasley Smith 318; Guy Bankes 352; Peter Amidon 31t; David Bliss 86.

RECESS

Matthew Wojcik brought the class to order leading 59. Leaders: Bob Parr 353; Ba Wheeler 268; Marlen Rust 133; Jesse Pearlman Karlsberg 99; Judy Whiting 441; Kitty Kagay 383; Larry Gordon 193; Sheila Kelley 440; Bob Mills 160b; Neely Bruce 298; Gary Smith 569b; Bobbie Goodell 496; Debbie Moody 139; Ishmael Stefanov-Wagner 486; Francis Bliss 300; Sue Ulrich 347; L.H. Spencer 240; Corrone Bryant 171; Susan Jaster 94; Job Driggers 131t; John Ulrich 551; Anne Kazlauskas 70b.

Chair Dan Hertzler led 503 as the closing song. Mary Huessy offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Saturday, October 2

The Saturday session was called to order by Dan Hertzler leading 33b. The opening prayer was given by Mary Huessy.

Leaders: Laura Timmerman 77b; Rosie Wojcik 441; Katie Mahoney 371; Aldo Ceresa 228; Jean Seiler 142; Rebecca Edwards 114; Ed White 504; Matthew Wojcik 105; George Pomfret 484; Sue Ulrich 191; Jackie Hall 217; John Holbrook 475; Elka Schumann 47t; Bill Holt 224; Susan Loucks 480; L.H. Spencer 42; Dave Evans 95; Effie Cummings 344; Bruce Randall 297; Anne Johnston 268; Seth Holloway 274t; Rachel Speer 417; Nancy Kilgore 143.

RECESS

The class was brought to order by Linda Shea leading 168. Leaders: Robert Stoddard 29t; Bobbie Goodell 481; Tom Malone 240; Rick Johnston 436; Jim Ulrich 299; Edith Berger 290; Chuck Neville 163b; Ishmael Stefanov-Wagner 368; Victoria Bolles 137; Peter Amidon 209.

A business meeting was opened. Chair Dan Hertzler proposed that in future the hosts of the New England Convention each year should be able to choose whether to hold a Friday Evening and Saturday All-Day Convention or a Saturday and Sunday All-Day Convention. A vote was taken, a clear majority were in favor; the motion passed.

Leaders: Bob Mills 90; Debbie Moody 84; Dana Borrelli 106; Job Driggers 146; Laura McCarty 107; Charles Cofone 66; Marlen Rust 71; Susan Jaster 485; Cathy Brochet 178; Fred Emigh 497.

Paul Gauthier conducted the memorial lesson. He talked of how with the memorial lesson we honor, and grieve for those who are not with us, and celebrate the richness they have added to our lives. Even if we do not know them we have a direct connection to every person named on the lists through the singers present, and in the continuing Sacred Harp community through time, and around the world. Paul Gauthier read the names of the deceased, and led 70t in their memory. Those remembered were: J.C. Hardin—Alabama; Ishwer Ojha—California; Laurette Wojcik—Connecticut; Thomas Moore—Illinois; Jennifer Pomfret—Indiana; Charlene Cain, Ken Meyer, and Nick Tucker—Maine; Harold Johnson, Lawrence Pearlman, Daniel Pentlarge, and Sharon Powers—Massachusetts; Gloria Neill—Mississippi; Jane Brownlow—New Hampshire; Cheryl Doehler—New Jersey; Allen Fannin, John Pomfret, and Lillian Wesolowski—New York; Herbert White—North Carolina; Olivia Sole—Ohio; Victor Barreda, David Dellinger, Ryan Hallegan, Frank Heinriech, Virgil McCarty, Howard Northrup, Alice Peabody, and Sue Wanner- Vermont; Annie Furlotte—Canada; Venice Manley and Gladys Reynolds—England; the children of Beslan, Russia.

Bob Mills read the names of the sick and shut-ins, and led 276 in their honor. Those remembered were: Elsie Beasley and John Hocutt—Alabama; Dan Brittain—Arkansas; Mary Seiler Kneeland, Steve Silvia, and Taria Singh—California; Phyllis Bruce—Connecticut; Hazel Schofield—Georgia; Gail Birch—Maine; Rebecca Garland, Julie Holbrook, Hellen Holland, Sheila Maclean, and Becky Webber—Massachusetts; Frank Conner and Jerri Longfellow—New Hampshire; Mary Ann Morrison and Lisa Shelby—New York; Ray Hollis—North Carolina; Rich Bartlett, Eliza Cavanaugh, Nita Simpson, and Voula Zervakis—Vermont; Phil, Kevin, John, Jamie, Huffen, Hazard, Ray, Don, and Eric from the Northeast Correctional Facility—Vermont; Erik Thorbjornsen—Wisconsin; Mary Kellaway and Hazel Walker—United Kingdom. Allison Schofield closed the memorial with prayer.

Tony Barrand offered prayer to grace the noon meal, and asked Peter Amidon to lead 180.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was brought to order by Jean Seiler leading 87. Leaders: Bob Parr 542; Judy Whiting 318; Laura Clawson 328; Anne Kazlauskas 61; Larry Gordon 183; Kelly House 70b; George Seiler 269; Allison Schofield 300; Paul Gauthier 499; Linda Shea 270; Eric Hildebrandt 551; Paul Setford 273; Kelsey Wessels 186; Ian Smiley 203; Kitty Kagay 545; Sarah Beasley Smith 145b; Guy Bankes 151; Naomi Morse 272; Jesse Pearlman Karlsberg 430; Neely Bruce 553.

RECESS

The class resumed singing with Katie Mahoney leading 426 (t? b?). Leaders: Joanne Hoover 477; Robert Dove 535; Charlotte Rutz and Matt Wojcik 86; David Rust 327; Peter Irvine 399 (t? b?); Eric Fellinger 198; Corrone Bryant 452; Janet Ross Snyder 50t; Sheila Kelley 347; Bill Dunn 155; David Bliss 474; Aldo Ceresa 148; Rebecca Edwards 383; Bill Holt 454; Dana Borrelli 159.

A business meeting was held to hear committee reports. Treasurer Peter Amidon reported expenses had been covered, and any excess money would be passed to the hosts of next year’s convention.

The Secretary reported that 216 singers had registered, and 79 leaders had led 132 songs.

George Seiler offered the Resolutions Report, thanking all who made the convention possible this year.

It was announced that in 2005, the New England Convention will be held in the Boston area of Massachusetts, on either Friday and Saturday, or Saturday and Sunday before Monday, October 3rd. There is now a website for this convention where further information should be available nearer the time: http://www.neconvention.net/

Dan Hertzler, Larry Gordon, Nancy Kilgore, Charles Cofone, and Eleanor Longfellow led 340. Dan Hertzler and Laura Timmerman led 323t.

The officers of the Convention led 62 as the closing song. Nancy Kilgore offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chair—Dan Hertzler; Vice Chair—Laura Timmerman; Secretary—Rosie Wojcik.