Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, April 1

The seventeenth annual Potomac River Sacred Harp Singing Convention opened at Pohick Church in Lorton, Virginia, at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday before the first Sunday in April. The convention was called to order by Miriam Kilmer leading 191. Kevin Griffin Moreno offered the opening prayer.

The following officers were elected or appointed: Chair—Miriam Kilmer; Vice Chair—Rosemary Greenaway; Secretary—Nora Dunn.

Leaders: Tom Tucker 129; Nora Dunn 72b; Carly Goss 59; Mimi Stevens 344; Rosemary Greenaway 32t; Mary Ann Daly 430; Peter Pate 560; Crystal Burnham 171; Jim Glaser 56t; Kellie Isbell 47b; Mary DeNys 484; Tim Slattery 217; Robert Stoddard 29t; Terry Ryan 515; Cathy Tucker 350; Clare Chapin 86; Susan Bingham 530; Phyllis Gonigam 148; Kelly Macklin 280; Mike Hinton 340; Steven Sabol 388; Laura Densmore 216; Aldo Ceresa 214; Cindy Sadler 302.

RECESS

Tim Slattery brought the class together leading 47t. Leaders: Kevin Griffin Moreno 99; Leyland delRe 174; Ted Stokes 125; Beth Reed 271t; Judy Mincey 538; Joni Seidenstein 195; Lee Schumacher 40; Barbara Barry 66; Bev Yeager 192; Guy Bankes 327; Jim Wantland 34b; Adrian Mariano 372; Elizabeth Stokes 315; Dean Jens 28b; Pat Temple 567; Greg Freemon 274t; Gail Doss 196; Sharon McKinley 481; John delRe 77t; Amanda Denson 333; Mary Langley 288; Frank Evans 163b.

RECESS

Miriam Kilmer brought the class together leading 38t. Leaders: Hal Kunkel 179; Rachel Speer 189; Marty DeNys 454; Mary Wright 290; Lamar Matthew 35; Mairi Quodomine 339; James Ulrich 276; Liz Cusick 272; Erin Kelly 236; Roy Link 45t; Peter Gardner 306; Charlie Pilzer 179; Mike Hinton 375; Judy Mincey 475; Greg Freemon 376; Aldo Ceresa 442; Hal Kunkel 558; Laura Densmore 201.

RECESS

Marty DeNys brought the class together leading 31t. Leaders: Lois Badey 282; Susan Bingham 472; Robert Stoddard 65; Pat Temple 473; Guy Bankes 352; Leyland delRe 444; Kevin Griffin Moreno 365; Crystal Burnham 569b; Kelly Macklin 296; Gail Doss 501; Cindy Sadler 56b; Dean Jens 448t; John delRe 542; Mary Langley 159; Bev Yeager 180; Terry Ryan 497; Lamar Matthew 341; Sharon McKinley 128; Tom Tucker 445; Marty DeNys 347; Mairi Quodomine 55. Lamar Matthew offered the closing prayer and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, April 2

The Sunday session, held at The Grange in Great Falls, Virginia, was called to order at 10:00 a.m. by Miriam Kilmer leading 344. Kevin Griffin Moreno offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Rosemary Greenaway 503; Mary Ann Daly 203; Carly Goss 32t; Mimi Stevens 415; Nora Dunn 448b; Jim Strube 85; Barbara Barry 504; Donna Abraham 173; Charlie Pilzer 172; Tim Slattery 73b; Kim Moreno 171; John Hewes 538; Barbara Hohenstein 39t; Terry Ryan 186; Crystal Burnham 535; Tom Tucker 510; Nathan Rees 573; Mary Wright 180; Guy Bankes 556; Susan Bingham 361; Steven Sabol 133; Bev Yeager 351; Adrian Mariano 419.

RECESS

Hal Kunkel brought the class together leading 87. Leaders: Leyland delRe 151; Pat Temple 362; Ted Stokes 83b; Cindy Sadler 456; James Ulrich 273; Anna Mayes 551; Peter Pate 269; Mary Langley 539; Kelly Macklin 187.

The memorial lesson was conducted by Mary Ann Daly, Mike Hinton, Tom Tucker, and Cathy Tucker. Mary Ann Daly read the following list of those who have passed away: Mark Seiler—Maine; Patrick Giles, Marian Ryan, and Nancy Levy—New York; Laurette Wojcik and Helen Schneyer—Vermont; Ann Malachowski—Massachusetts; Leslie Collins, Gray Price, Ida Mae Leatherman, Brandon Rogers, Buck Wade, Tom Fox, and Betsy Roderick—Virginia; Elizabeth Louie—Washington D.C.; Laura Smeltzer—Florida; John Lannon, and Robert Finton—Maryland; Bertha Rohr, Ida Rosenburg, and Michael Merovitz—Quebec; Aaron Primas, James English, George Elmer Gonigan—Illinois; Danielle Petermann—Ohio; Leila”Lee” Inskeep—Iowa; Elizabeth Greenlee and Tom Gibney—New Jersey; Elsie Beasley and Teddy Creel—Alabama; Donnie McGraw and Nancy Allen—Georgia; Larry Olszewski—Tennessee; Wayne Tacy. Tom Tucker spoke about Fred Beardsley, a local singer from Virginia, who recently passed away. Mary Ann Daly led 452 to remember Fred and the others who had passed away in the last year.

Cathy Tucker read the following list of names of the sick and shut-ins, and then led 430 in their honor: Marilyn Darch, Carroll Lunsford, and Patricia Pate—California; Everett Silvia—New York; John Stoddard—North Carolina; Cindy McLeod—Connecticut; Francis Duncan and Susan Smith—Maryland; Mary Shreve—Virginia; William O. Abernathy and Richard Abrahams—Florida; Wilton Donaldson—Alabama; Myra Palmer, Olivia Matthews, and Edith Owen—Texas; Lloyd Caldwell—Arkansas; Peggy Holliday—Pennsylvania; Alex Antal and Deborah Kilmer—New Jersey. Mary Ann Daly closed the lesson with prayer.

Leaders: Mary DeNys 566; Frank Evans 268; Jim Glaser 81t; Phyllis Gonigam 84; Gail Doss 176t; Cathy Tucker 480; Joni Seidenstein 198. Hal Kunkel offered a prayer before lunch.

LUNCH

Miriam Kilmer brought the class together leading 207. Leaders: Mimi Stevens 40; John delRe 215; Nick Shiappin 409; Robert Stoddard 474; Judy Mincey 540; Mike Hinton 146; Laura Densmore 304; John Daniel delRe 77t; Rachel Speer 95; Aldo Ceresa 245; Greg Freemon 455; Doron Henkin 192; Amanda Denson 217; Dean Jens 272; Hal Kunkel 532; Owen Kelly 76b; Kevin Griffin Moreno 354t; James Ulrich 228; Elizabeth Stokes 155; Kelly Macklin 468; Mary Langley 434; Ted Stokes 426t; Cindy Sadler 300.

RECESS

Jim Strube brought the class together leading 34b. Leaders: Terry Ryan 159; Crystal Burnham 48t; Susan Bingham 30t; Judy Mincey 384; Robert Stoddard 142; Mike Hinton 527; Amanda Denson 376; Aldo Ceresa 29b; Hal Kunkel 70b; Laura Densmore 83t; Guy Bankes 481; Doran Henkin 392; Carly Goss 290; Nathan Rees 179; Nora Dunn 57; Greg Freemon 285t; Rachel Speer 113.

A business session was held to hear reports from officers and committees.

The Treasurer reported that the collection would cover convention expenses.

The Secretary reported that a total of 64 leaders led 171 songs. There were 151 registrants.

Nora Dunn presented the Resolutions Committee report, thanking everyone from the local area and beyond who made the convention a success.

Miriam Kilmer led 62 as the closing song. Guy Bankes offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chair—Miriam Kilmer; Vice Chair—Rosemary Greenaway; Secretary—Nora Dunn.