Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, March 12

The seventh annual Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Convention was held at the Northampton Center for the Arts on the second Sunday and Saturday before in March. Kelsey Wessels called the class to order leading 171. Tim Eriksen offered the opening prayer.

The following officers for the convention were elected or appointed to serve: Chairlady—Kelsey Wessels; Vice Chairlady—Kshama Ananthapura; Secretary—Katie Mahoney.

Leaders: Kshama Ananthapura 81t; Katie Mahoney 85; Linda Shea 168; Paul Gauthier 34b; Daniel Davis 312b; Marcia Tucker 203; Kate Richardson 138b; Ian Smiley 56b; John Holbrook 339; Laura Densmore 430; Sumner Roberts 287; Aldo Ceresa 384; Margaret Bornick 272; Rebecca Edwards 383; Bill Holt 377; Nora Dunn 157; Robert Dove 84.

RECESS

Inga Knets called the class back with 72b. Leaders: Rick Johnston 205; Holly Laws 29t; Ginnie Ely 546; Bobbie Goodell 86; Henry Johnson 111t; Debby Moody 114; Sheila Kelley 129; Claire Singleton 33b; Jim Ulrich 288; Jean Seiler 299; Nick Edwards 442; Liz Meitzler 148; Sandra Wilkinson 300; Guy Bankes 63; Victoria Bolles 528; Charles Cofone 35; Brittany Lea 59; Lydia Vernon-Jones 452; Jesse Pearlman Karlsberg 91; Bill Dunn 155; Alice Kast 448t; Ron Bornick 178.

RECESS

Peter Irvine called the class back to order by leading 270. Leaders: Paula Picton 193; Ruth Hooke 198; John Plunkett 564; Anne Kazlauskas 125; Berk Meitzler 496; Gerry Hoffman 200; Carly Goss 197; Dana Borrelli 146; Paul Setford 37b; Cathy Tucker 385b; Bob Mills 276; Sue Ulrich 481; Bob Parr 224; Diane Mennella 260; Charles Taylor 456; Susan Loucks 347; George Pomfret 358; Anne Johnston 70b; D.J. Hatfield 532; Chris Noren 32t. Kshama Ananthapura offered the blessing for the noon meal.

LUNCH

Katie Mahoney called the afternoon session to order with 87. Leaders: Matthew Wojcik 142; Jenna Strizak 328; Tim Eriksen 245; Lynne deBenedette 192; Daphene Causey 434; Richard DeLong 542; Reba Windom 216; Richard Ivey 222; LaRue Allen 436; Judy Caudle 234; Jeff Colby 512; Minja Lausevic 274t; Laura Clawson 182; Jennifer Allred 336; Rodney Ivey 440; Louis Hughes 76b; Kiri Miller 112; Lela Crowder 215; Phillip Langley 411; Tom Tucker 480; Karen Freund 77t; Allison Schofield 345b.

RECESS

Kshama Ananthapura and Rodney Ivey called the class back to order leading 39t. Leaders: George Seiler 475; Lisa Palumbo 82t; Caitlin Caulfield 159; Aaron Girard 47b; Charlie Pilzer 344; Sharon DuPriest 189; Kelly House 186; Michael Heyerman 290; Dan Huger 569b; Katharine Manning 318; Harold Booth 254; Paul Butler 179; Oona Coy 99; Cindy Sadler 313b; Sally O’Brien 277.

Kelsey Wessels led 323t as the closing song. Louis Hughes offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, March 13

The Sunday session was called to order by Chair Kelsey Wessels leading 475. The opening prayer was offered by Allison Schofield.

Leaders: Kshama Ananthapura 37b; Katie Mahoney 131b; Amy Finlay and Sheldon Finlay 228; Bill Dunn 107; Frank Griggs 344; Victoria Bolles 273; Rebecca Edwards 105; Tom Padwa 569b; Bob Parr 304; Dana Borrelli 106; Tom Tucker 192; Martha Lang 203; Berk Meitzler 39t; Gerry Hoffman 196; Anne Kazlauskas 181; Nora Dunn 36b; Charles Taylor 408; Joanne Bowman 361; L.H. Spencer 254.

RECESS

Allison Schofield called the class back with 111b. Leaders: Inga Knets 495; Henry Johnson 138t; Jan Drechsler 501; Debby Moody 497; Paul Gauthier 455; Marcia Tucker 547; Kitty Kagay 387; Daniel Davis 209; Joanne DeVoe 31t; Lela Crowder 166; Jean Seiler 87; Laura Densmore 542; Ian Smiley 298; Aldo Ceresa 430; Margaret Bornick 472; Ernest Blake 38t; Bob Mills 160b; Laura McCarty 163b; Bobbie Goodell 401; Lucy Roberts 198; Claire Singleton 299; Lydia Vernon-Jones 294.

RECESS

Katie Mahoney called the class back by leading 89. Leaders: Holly Laws 319; Jennifer Allred 500; Phillip Langley 110; Duncan Vinson 312b; Kate Richardson 348b; Jesse Pearlman Karlsberg 268; Rick Johnston 548.

The memorial lesson was conducted with Henry Johnson leading 515 for the following sick and shut-ins: Dwight Speer—Arkansas; Robin Creamer—Louisiana; Florencia Fitzsimons—Quebec; Jeff Sheppard, Shelbie Sheppard, Joyce Walton, Jap Walton, and Amanda Denson—Alabama; Sharon Nygren—North Carolina; Dan Lichtenwalner—Pennsylvania; Nina Hoffman—Maryland; Patrick Giles and David Boyle—New York; Marilyn Darch—California; Julie Holbrook, Laura Timmerman, and Richard Goddard—Massachusetts; Beverly Tucker—Florida; Jim Singleton and Mike Wheeler—United Kingdom; Violet Thomason—Georgia; Kelly Beard—Texas.

Jenna Strizak discussed how, as our relationship to singing grows richer and more complex, so does the way we think about our grief. She then led 229 to remember the following deceased: Roxanna Mennella, Joy Wheeler, Allen Fannin, Elno Johnson, Charlotte Suchs, John Kagay, Lynn Snyder, and Sheila—New York; Lt. Travis Fuller, Yi Tan, Terry Bogstad, Judy Quiriy, Jim Hayes, Norm LaRoche, Doris Aronson, Lavinia-Marie Bonano, Virginia Finch Magee, Ben Fischer, and Lawrence Pearlman—Massachusetts; Cheryl Doehler—New Jersey; Donald Strube and Margaret Rennie—Virginia; Nancy Mullinex—Washington, D.C. ; Sylvia Berube—Rhode Island; Slim James—Michigan; Naomi Sailors, Gary McGraw, and Hazel Schofield—Georgia; Kay Fairman and Rae Beadsley—Oxford, United Kingdom; Lou Silver—Florida; Frank Connor—New Hampshire and Maine; Bette McLellen—New Hampshire; Art Broadus—North Carolina; Pete Zawadski and Dawn Culbertson—Maryland; Nathaniel Keith—Vermont; John Carr and Annie Furlotte—Canada; Andrew Glick—California; John Hocutt, Hershell King, Sherrie Guthrie, and J.C. Harden—Alabama; Jeff Robinson—California; Christie Gadue—Afghanistan. Richard DeLong closed the memorial lesson with prayer.

Leaders: John Plunkett 562; Ron Bornick 454; Nick Edwards 474; Briana Bean Hirsch 171. Dan Hertzler offered the blessing for the noon meal.

LUNCH

Linda Shea called the afternoon session to order by leading 300. Leaders: Lynne deBenedette 220; John Holbrook 65; Bradford West 193; Daphene Causey 426b; Judy Caudle 195; Richard Ivey 436; Sandra Wilkinson 120; LaRue Allen 280; Richard DeLong 411; Reba Windom 269; Karen Freund 428; Tim Eriksen 385t; Rodney Ivey 432; Dan Hertzler 274t; Sharon DuPriest 212; Matthew Wojcik 302; Brittany Lea 81t; Kelly House 270; Louis Hughes 498; Jenna Strizak 102; Peter Irvine 282.

Kelsey Wessels opened the business meeting to hear committee reports.

The Finance Committee reported that convention expenses had been met with donations made by singers over both days of the convention.

The Secretary reported that 181 songs had been led so far by 115 leaders, and that 256 people had registered over the two days from 17 states, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

The Resolutions Committee thanked everyone who helped with this year’s convention. The business session was closed.

Kelsey Wessels announced that the next Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Convention will take place March 11-12, 2006.

RECESS

Sheila Kelley called the class back to order leading 318. Leaders: Laura Clawson 142; Paul Setford 40; Ginnie Ely 373; Guy Bankes 54; Cathy Tucker 556; Dan Huger 137; Katharine Manning 477; George Seiler 480; Minja Lausevic 379; Alice Kast 29t; Oona Coy 47t; D.J. Hatfield 296; Chris Noren 297; Carly Goss 29b; Anne Johnston 385b; Paul Butler 34t; Cindy Sadler 349; George Pomfret 34b; Charlie Pilzer 84; Michael Heyerman 134; Sumner Roberts 451.

Kelsey Wessels, Kshama Ananthapura, and Katie Mahoney led 62 as the closing song. Kelly House offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairlady—Kelsey Wessels; Vice Chairlady—Kshama Ananthapura; Secretary—Katie Mahoney.