Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Friday Night, February 17

The third annual Ohio State Convention was held at the Redeemer Lutheran Church. The Convention opened Friday evening, February 17, with a special singing of twenty-three new compositions by the following composers: John Bayer, Jr., John Bealle, P. Dan Brittain, Glenn Burdette, Linda Coppock, Jeff Franklin, Seth Houston, Joe Keehner, James Page, Richard Popp, and Bruce Randall. Compositions were printed and bound in a booklet and made available to those attending the convention.

Saturday, February 18

Michael Darby called the class to order by leading the song on page 31 (t? b?), and Joe Keehner offered the morning prayer. The class went into a business session with the following officers and committees elected: Chairman—Michael Darby; Vice Chairmen—Kay Bieszczad and John Bayer; Secretary—Eric Conrad; Treasurer—Catherine Kohn; Chaplains—Joe Keehner and John Bayer; Arranging Committee—Michele Biery and Peter Rich; Memorial Committee—Bobbie Goodell, Connie Karduck, and John Bayer; Resolution Committee—Charles Knecht. Leaders were called as follows: Michele Biery 209; Virginia Benade 49b; Leslie Scott 327; Charles Wells 38 (t? b?); Samuel Sommers (IN) 319; Loraine Bayer l59; Lynne deBenedette (MI) 569b; Brad Oglesby 36b; Eric Conrad 29b; Dave Ressler (MO) 189b; Jodi Liss 333; Kathryn Krug (IL) 81 (t? b?); Seth Houston 107; Jeff Franklin 391; Norman Slaton (IL) 419; Tim Wheeler (PA) 168; Fred Todt 56b; Kay Bieszczad (MI) 178; Carla Smith (CA) 498; Paul Foster 373.

RECESS

Michael Darby called the class back to order leading the song on page 84. Leaders: Debbie Hall 146; John Seaton (IL) 68b; Kat Kinkade (VA) 542; M. H. Creel (AL) 111b; Robert Gross 155; Becky Browne (MO) 192; Jerry Enright (IL) 300; Kelly Macklin (VA) 368; Barbara Swetman (NY) 196; Ann Jett (AL) 269; Melanie Hauff (IL) 215; Stephanie Hysmith 148; Wendy Lee (IL) 472; Tim Reynolds (TN) 86; John delRe (VA) 214; Bobbie Goodell (NY) 99; Richard Popp (IL) 191; James Page (WI) 184; P. Dan Brittain (NY) 245; Kacy Pate (VA) 273; Pauline Childers (MI) 318; Flarce Creel (AL) and Pauline Childers (MI) 475; Jerry Schreiber (CA) 383; Gary Gronau (MO) 163 (t? b?); Judy Hauff (IL) 546; Kathryn Knecht 454; Connie Karduck (IL) 426b; Ted Mercer (IL) 123b. John Bayer dismissed the class with prayer.

LUNCH

Michael Darby called the class back from lunch leading the song on page 114. Leaders: Linda Coppock 313b; Lisa Grayson (IL) 392; Leyland delRe (VA) 165; Charlotte Wolfe (MI) 64; Jim Solheim (MO) 163b; Al Frank (IL) 59; David Rust (IN) 141; Jim Coppock 142; Robert French (KY) 180; Mary Brinkman (KY) 147 (t? b?); Josh Farthing, Heidi Miller and her friend Amy 340; John Bealle 448 (t? b?); Charles Knecht and Alexander Knecht 77 (t? b?); Eloise Clark 412; Lorraine Sawyer 120; Joe Keehner 39 (t? b?); Sylvia Thomas 444; Bob Meek (KY) 268; Mike Hieber 37b; Tineke Stevens (IN) 497; John Bayer 341.

RECESS

Michael Darby called the class to order with the song on page 299. Leaders: John Daniel delRe (VA) 276; Charles Wells 38b; Lynne deBenedette (MI) 280; Seth Houston 455; Tim Wheeler (PA) 378b; Charlotte Wolfe (MI) 35; Kay Bieszczad (MI) 234; Josh Farthing 85; Stephanie Hysmith 173; Robert Gross 203; Mike Hieber 448b; Jim Solheim (MO) 89; Robert French (KY) 481; Mary Brinkman (KY) 31 (t? b?); Robert Meek (KY) 45 (t? b?); Samuel Sommers (IN) 112; Dave Ressler (MO) 198; Carla Smith (CA) 500; Kathryn Krug (IL) 504; Norman Slaton (IL) 306; John Seaton (IL) 485 in recognition of Ted and Marcia Johnson; Kat Kinkade (VA) 480; M. H. Creel (AL) 348b; Becky Browne (MO) 224; Jerry Enright (IL) 36 (t? b?); Kelly Macklin (VA) 399b; Barbara Swetman (NY) 87. Joe Keehner led the class in a closing prayer, and Michael Darby dismissed the class.

Sunday, February 19

Michael Darby called the class to order leading the song on page 291. Leaders: Michele Biery “Marlowe”; Paul Foster 193; Fred Todt 46; Charles Knecht 42; Bobbie Goodell (NY) 421; Leslie Scott 272; Virginia Benade 48b; Jerry Schreiber (CA) 212; Kacy Pate (VA) 186; Debbie Hall 203; P. Dan Brittain (NY) “Ohio”; Ann Jett (AL) 496; Tim Reynolds (TN) 91; Linda Coppock 196; Leyland delRe (VA) 28b; James Page (WI) “Northern Court”; Ted Mercer (IL) 179; John Bayer 398; John delRe (VA) 360.

RECESS

Michael Darby called the class to order leading the song on page 40. Leaders: Connie Karduck (IL) 474; Tineke Stevens (IN) 122; Pauline Childers (MI) 217; Lisa Grayson (IL) 528; Flarce Creel (AL) 503; Melanie Hauff (IL) 216; Lois Hurt (PA) 551; Wendy Lee (IL) “Discipline”; David Rust (IN) 323b; Judy Hauff (IL) 332; Gary Gronau (MO) 171; Richard Popp (IL) 240; Al Frank (IL) 516; Kat Kinkade (VA) 270; Becky Browne (MO) 436. The memorial lesson was held. The Memorial Committee read the names of the departed: Alabama—Ted Godsey, Mary Brumbaugh, Aubrey Persall, Winford Lacey, J. W. Phillips, Lindsey Crider, Edward Swetman, Sr., and Lessie Cates; Ohio—Tim Zahniser, Rick Anderson, Rev. Jeffrey Thompson, Jean Lathrop, and Minnie Clayton Oglesby; Illinois—Peggy Dillard, Anne Tarsa, Marilyn Trier, and Helmuth Schumacher; Kentucky—John Stephenson; Michigan—Curtis M. Smith; Florida—George Klein; Tennessee—Paul Coppock; California—Ralph Brown and Jake Lunsford; New York—Howard Liss. Two songs were led in memory of the departed: Linda Coppock 288 and M. H. Creel 512. Brad Oglesby led the song on page 34 (t? b?) for the sick and shut-ins. Joe Keehner dismissed the class for lunch with a prayer.

LUNCH

Michael Darby called the class back from lunch leading the song on page 334. Leaders: Eloise Clark 47 (t? b?), Kathryn Krug (IL) 501; Barbara Swetman (NY) 106; Jerry Enright (IL) 433. The class sang “Happy Birthday” to Carla Smith (CA), who then led the song on page 222. Leaders: John Seaton (IL) 269; Kelly Macklin (VA) 377; David Ressler (MO) 70b; M. H. Creel (AL) 378b; Norman Slaton (IL) 211; Samuel Sommers (IN) 524; Kathryn Knecht 373, Brad Oglesby 192; John Bealle 80 (t? b?); Lorraine Sawyer 348 (t? b?); Eric Conrad and Bobbie Goodell 71; Joe Keehner 284; Jeff Franklin 556; Barbara Bowers and Paul Foster 220; Jodi Liss 442.

RECESS

Michael Darby called the class to order leading the song on page 34b. Leaders: Laura Weber and Fred Todt l43; Lisa Grayson (IL) 29 (t? b?); Gary Gronau and Becky Browne (MO) 384; Judy Hauff (IL) 82 (t? b?); Loraine Bayer 390; Jerry Schreiber (CA) 67; Tim Reynolds (TN) 566; Olga Velichkina (Russia) 107; Kacy Pate (VA) 137; Connie Karduck (IL) 27; Lois Hurt (PA) 49 (t? b?); Ted Mercer (IL) 349; Pauline Childers (MI) 480; James Page (WI) 26.

RECESS

John Bayer called the class back to order leading the song on page 278b. Leaders: John delRe (VA) 347; Wendy Lee (IL) 175; David Rust (IN) 294; Richard Popp (IL) 324; Al Frank (IL) 145 (t? b?); Bobbie Goodell (NY) 174; Charles Knecht 242; Paul Foster 547; Michele Biery 504; Jodi Liss 354 (t? b?); Fred Todt 69 (t? b?); Eloise Clark and Josie Bealle 84; Kathryn Knecht, Maria Knecht 438; John Bealle 74b; Linda Coppock 168; Debbie Hall 198. Reports from Committees: The Resolution Committee (Charles Knecht) moves to acknowledge and thank the entire class of Ohio’s third annual State Convention. In particular, we thank the organizing committee and officers: Michael Darby (Chairman); Eric Conrad (Secretary); Catherine Kohn (Treasurer); Michele Biery and Peter Rich (Arranging Committee); Fred Todt (Housing); and Inge Noyes, Jodi Liss and Sylvia Thomas (Kitchen). A special Thanks to Michael Darby, Eric Conrad and Sylvia Thomas for organizing the Friday night new compositions singing, and to the composers who contributed new songs. We also thank Michele Biery and Pat Bennett for last night’s social. Finally, we thank the Redeemer Lutheran Church for a convenient and commodious locale, provided on generous terms. The secretary reported that the 1995 Ohio State Sacred Harp Convention drew singers from 13 states. Besides singers from Ohio, singers traveled from Alabama, California, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Two of the singers present are students from Russia, studying in Columbus. In all, there were 110 registered singers. On Saturday, 101 songs were led. On Sunday, 92 songs were led. The Chairman reported that plans are underway to hold the 1996 Ohio State Convention in Northern Ohio, subject to availability of a suitable singing site. Joe Keehner led the class in a closing prayer. The Chairman called the other officers to the center of the square to lead the class in singing “The Parting Hand” on page 62.

Chairman—Michael Darby; Vice Chairman—Kay Bieszczad, John Bayer; Secretary—Eric Conrad.