Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

The fourth annual session of the Pacific Northwest Sacred Harp Singing Convention met at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Portland, Oregon. It began on Saturday afternoon, February 25, with a singing school conducted by David Ivey of Huntsville, Alabama, attended by 72 (t? b?) students. The singing on Sunday, February 26, attended by about 68 (t? b?), was called to order at 9:30 a.m. by 1994 Chair, Karen Willard, leading song on page 59. The morning prayer was given by Craig Brandis. 1994’s officers led: David Hough (Bellevue, WA) 31t; Darlene Simpson-Brown (Buckley, WA) 34b; Bruce Rowland 568. The class went into business session and elected Bruce Rowland as Chair; John Kellermann as Vice-Chair; and Kate Moore as Secretary. Leaders: Meg Larson 147t; Jean Murphy 184; Anne Huckins (Seattle, WA) 84; Kate Moore 217; Ken Cofield (Seattle, WA) 324; Craig Brandis 65; Betty Herman (Los Angeles, CA) 421; John Kellermann 117; Kathy Vlach (Seattle, WA) 122; David Ivey (Huntsville, AL) 200; Linda Nelson (Seattle, WA) 254; Katharine O’Hara (Bellevue, WA) 547; Ginny Landgraf (Berkeley, CA) 538; Gary Plouff (Missoula, MT) 123b; Jack Lofton (Seattle, WA) 82t; Reed Schilbach (Seattle, WA) 61; Hugh McGuire (San Francisco, CA) 420b; Marcia Stedman (Bothell, WA) 143; Chris Thorman (San Francisco, CA) 280; Susan Helf (Seattle, WA) 99; Jeff Pratt 47 (t? b?); Ali Corbin (Seattle, WA) 479; Jinx McGuire (Seattle, WA) 178; Karen Stingle 183; Martha Johnson 454; Karen Willard (Buckley, WA) 102; David Hough (Bellevue, WA) 480; C. Briggs 358; Anne Huckins (Seattle, WA) 28b; Betty Herman (Los Angeles, CA) 385t.

LUNCH

Bruce Rowland reassembled the class leading song on page 384. Leaders: Jack Lofton (Seattle, WA) 442; Ken Cofield (Seattle, WA), “Cascadia”; Glenn Salisbury (Puyallup, WA) 196, dedicated to all those Southern Sacred Harpers who have kept these songs alive through the years; Hugh McGuire (San Francisco, CA) 402; Ali Corbin (Seattle, WA) 189. Marie Brandis led the Memorial Lesson, listing the following who have died since we met last year: California—Rex Coultas, Tiny Blair of Daly City, Aileen Toquinto, and Connie Hastings Griffith; Georgia—Gail Price of Atlanta; Washington -Jenny Strickler of Camano Island, Melissa Fernandez of Seattle, Melvin McGuire of Des Moines, and Leroy Hoffman of Yakima; Alabama—Ted Godsey of Haleyville, Lessie Cates of Muscadine, and Lois Green of Oneonta; Three family members in Kobe, Japan; Oregon—Pat Ray of Cheshire, Laren Hall of Portland, and Shirley Lacey of Sandy; France—Jacques Ellul; Kansas City—Frank Curry. More and more of our members are traveling and making friends with singers across the country, and some of them are coming to sing with us here in the Northwest. It is a part of life that we will begin to lose some of these friends. And so this year, we find several names that many of us here have acquaintance with and whose lives we remember. In the memory of all of these people, and in particular for Lessie Cates, Karen Willard led song on page 236, and Katharine O’Hara led song on page 269. The sick and shut-ins were: Denise Landazuri, Ethan Blair, Sharon Martin, Renne Harris, Lita Pratt, Stan Davis, Marilyn Osterman, Mary Southern, Catharine Cessna, Samantha Redston, Barry Sullivan, and Johnny Jeans. Craig Brandis closed the Memorial Lesson with prayer. Leaders: Chris Thorman (San Francisco, CA) 91; Darlene Simpson-Brown (Buckley, WA) 58; Jean Murphy 47b; John Kellermann 268; Susan Helf (Seattle, WA) 299; Kathy Vlach (Seattle, WA) 198; Jeff Pratt 107; Hardin King 568; Craig Brandis 195; Erika Nelson 146; David Ivey with a new-comer 378b; Kate Moore 159; Katharine O’Hara (Bellevue, WA) 455; David Ivey (Huntsville, AL) 101t; Betty Herman (Los Angeles, CA) 86; Reed Schilbach (Seattle, WA) 410 (t? b?); Hugh McGuire (San Francisco, CA) 482; Chris Thorman (San Francisco, CA). The Locating Committee reports that next year the convention will be held in or near Seattle, Washington. The Resolutions Committee thanked Chairman Bruce Rowland for the beautiful sign, for finding the lovely singing hall, and making the general arrangements for the week-end; Vice-Chair, John Kellermann, was in charge of all the mailing and served as the computer guru; Marie Brandis provided valuable kitchen duty, general brilliance, and moral support; Dave Hough and Katharine O’Hara served as Treasurers and manned the registration tables along with John Paisley; Craig Brandis not only served as Chaplain, but general errand runner; Kate Moore served as Secretary, kitchen slave, and took care of all needed hand wringing; Karen Willard was the Arranging Committee and etiquette coach; Andrea Dickinson and Gina Jolly provided child care; Una Rowland rounded out the kitchen crew. Extraordinary gratitude and thanks were extended to David Ivey for his commitment to Sacred Harp and for sharing it with us. Bruce Rowland led 62 as the closing song, and all who wished took the “Parting Hand”. The convention was dismissed with prayer by Craig Brandis. Attending both the school and the singing were: 50 (t? b?) from Oregon, 26 from Washington, 4 from California, 2 from Montana, and 1 from Alabama.

Chairman—Bruce Rowland; Vice Chairman—John Kellermann; Secretary—Kate Moore.