Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, March 10

The 9th annual Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Convention was called to order by Chairlady Laura Timmerman leading 111t. Allison Schofield offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Laura Timmerman 192; Joanne Fuller 111b; Kelsey Sunderland 81t; Jenna Strizak 138t; Dan Hertzler 306; John Holbrook 34b; Eliza Cavanaugh 114; Bill Schults 178; George Seiler 480; Cheri Hardy 430; Bob Parr 495; Laura Borrelli 106; Joanne DeVoe 31t; Ed Smith 536; Joyce Whittington 68b; Rachel Speer 230; Paul Butler 64; Oona Coy and Inga Knets 171; Aldo Ceresa 411; Steven Jens 38b; Sheila Kelley 224.

RECESS

Justin Squizzero called the class back to order leading 51. Leaders: Dana Borrelli 159; Caitlin Caulfield 442; Neely Bruce 263; Kshama Ananthapura 186; Charles Cofone 35; Kara Morin 228; Lori Graber 299; Bob Mills 160b; Bobbie Goodell 426b; Jennie Brown 335; Tom Padwa 77b; Greg Mulkern 132; Gerry Hoffman 415; Kitty Kagay 217; Sally House 540; Elizabeth Meitzler 215; Lynne deBenedette 440; Russ Hanson 222; Richard Schmeidler 155; Alice Noyes 475; Brendan Taaffe 163b; Ian Smiley 102; Nathan Rees 422; Effie Cummings 344.

RECESS

Lisa Palumbo brought the class back leading 457. Leaders: Laura Clawson 142; Joanna Lampert 148; Steve Helwig 500; Meaghan Sheehan 383; James Ulrich 40; Charles Taylor 456; Bill Dunn 300; Katherine Thompson 503; Joanne Hoover 477; Linda Shea 168; Peter Amidon 77t; Robert Stoddard 39t; Ariel Weinberg 58; Leonard Spencer 260; Rick Johnston 448t; Ken Mattson 86; Diane Mennella 564; Katherine Collett 547; Allison Schofield 29t; Anne Johnston 55; D.J. Hatfield 419. Kshama Ananthapura offered the blessing for the noon meal.

LUNCH

Jesse Pearlman Karlsberg called the class to order for the afternoon session leading 319. Leaders: Inga Knets 546; Paula Picton 436; Sheldon Finlay 112; Matt Hinton 29b; Katie Mahoney 377; Bradford West 269; Kelly House 384; John Plunkett 522; Jerry Enright 131t; Jessica Beer 349; Kim Bahmer 277; Henry Johnson 179; Lucinda Larsen-Saue 532; Tamara Harris 220; Verlon Stiefel 490; Claire Singleton 448b; Lela Crowder 328; Nora Dunn 447; Nicola Collett 245; Tim Eriksen 48t; Karen Freund 542; Magdalena Zapedowska and Linda Shea 105; Jim Desmond 454; Paul Setford 273.

RECESS

Amy Finlay led 203 to call the class back together. Leaders: Rebecca Edwards 324; Mary Stiefel 280; Barbara Swetman 145t; Paul Wilson 566; David Bliss 474; Jean Seiler 472; Lydia Vernon-Jones 452; Peter Irvine and Susan Dierks 45t; Guy Bankes 486; Crystal Burnham 160t; Bill Holt 352; Morgan Bunch and Sue Bunch 489; Jeff Colby 47b; Joanne Bowman 332; Greg Saue 99; Terry Ryan 107; Anna Mays 455; Dean Jens 354t; Benjamin Bath 76b; Naomi Morse 272.

Kate Richardson offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, March 11

The Sunday session was called to order by Laura Timmerman leading 70t. The morning prayer was offered by Henry Johnson.

Leaders: Joanne Fuller 61; Kelsey Sunderland 47t; Jenna Strizak 57; Inga Knets 290; Rick Johnston 441; Jan Drechsler 129; Bradford West 324; Julie Norville 268; Laura Borrelli 153; Sheldon Finlay 76b; Jillian Inksetter 84; Matt Hinton 378b; Terry Ryan 334; Meaghan Sheehan 383; Charlotte Ehrman 350; Anna Maria Irvine 460; John Holbrook 339; Greg Mulkern 306; Guy Bankes 556; Kelly Taylor 217.

RECESS

Anne Johnston called the class back to order leading 294. Leaders: Cheri Hardy 277; Lauren Bock 56b; Chris Holly 300; Paul Gauthier 455; Shelley Otis 448t; Kim Bahmer 39t; Duncan Vinson 207; Tamara Harris 163t; Charles Taylor 550; Barbara Swetman 313b; Gerry Hoffman 196; Kshama Ananthapura 546; Caitlin Caulfield 106; Jerry Enright 77t; Henry Johnson 70b; Anna Mays 26; Joanne Bowman 380; Brian How 117; Paul Butler 432.

RECESS

Dan Hertzler called the class together leading 37b. Leaders: Joanna Lampert 192; Nora Dunn 216; John Plunkett 516; Dean Jens 564; Morgan Bunch and Sue Bunch 485; Elizabeth Meitzler 512; Magdalena Zapedowska and Linda Shea 270; Jennie Brown 504; Benjamin Bath 302; Paul Setford 31b.

The memorial lesson was conducted by Sheila Kelley leading 72b for the following sick and shut-ins: Milton Oliver, Art Cook, Frank Barningham, Laurie Carr, Wendy Karlsberg, Ilmars Knets, Edmund Wojcik, Mary Brownlee, John Hollingsworth, Mario Reda, Frances Bliss, Patricia Griffen, Jean Mattson, Evan Mayberry, David Stryker, Allison Randall, Nelson Adams, David Bornick, Dan Dorozynsky, Fran Lipman, Elizabeth Ashford, Bill Wisdom, Ashley Zauflik, Denise Cannon, Jonathan Morse, Charlotte Rutz, Benjamin Stolper and Steven Bondeson.

Matthew Wojcik led 65 in memory of the following deceased: Nathan Spanel—Arkansas; Jannelle Jessup and Peg Keranen—California; Ted Dierks—Canada; Eleanor Loft, Walter Lynn, and Eli McLean—Connecticut; Rose Bromley—Florida; Runelle Crawford, Mary Hackney, and Bobby Jackson—Georgia; George Myers—Kentucky; Gary Griffith, Ruth Ives, and Bob Jewitt—Maine; Christine Liswell and Donald L. Williard, Jr.—Maryland; Dolores Baumeister, Rusty Drugan, Dolores Hamel, Sharon Hindus, Patri Pugliesa, Albert Schroder, and Stan Young—Massachusetts; Frank Connor and Alan Karlsberg—New Hampshire; Carol Schaecter—New Jersey; Jerry Bahr, Robert Cornell, Edith Goldsworthy, O.V. Hirsch, Everett Silvia, Lucy Simpson, and Marcia Tucker—New York; Sharon Nygren and John Stoddard—North Carolina; Frank Capaldi—Rhode Island; Mary Ballinger—Texas; Ethel Amour, Dorothy Collett, Jim Singleton, and Kathleen Myfanwy Watts—United Kingdom; Kate Brinton and Margaret MacArthur—Vermont; Carol Larsen—Wisconsin; Lee Ricker—State Unknown. John Holbrook closed the memorial lesson with prayer.

Leaders: Tim Eriksen 229; George Seiler 347; Dana Borrelli 503; Greta Holbrook and John Holbrook 452; Claire Singleton 82t; Crystal Burnham 171. Charles Taylor offered the blessing for the noon meal.

LUNCH

Allison Schofield led 384 to call the class back for the afternoon session. Leaders: Aldo Ceresa 218; Mirjana Lausevic 542; Jesse Pearlman Karlsberg 224; Sandra Wilkinson 172; Thom Fahrbach 372; Russ Hanson 112; Lynne deBenedette and Jenna Strizak 283; Nathan Rees 424; Lori Graber 473; Steve Helwig 312b; Rachel Speer 312t; Justin Squizzero and Kelsey Sunderland 506; Rebecca Edwards 203; Peter Irvine and Allison Schofield 340; Bob Parr 304; Jean Seiler 492; Chris Noren 236; Greg Saue 49b; Kate Richardson 429; Dan Hertzler 528; Karen Freund 430; Kelsey Wessels 157; Paul Wilson 501; Sarah Whites-Koditschek 235.

Laura Timmerman opened the business meeting. The Finance Committee reported that all expenses had been met. The Secretary reported that 200 songs had been led so far by 136 leaders, and that 365 singers had registered from twenty five states and five foreign countries. The Resolutions Committee expressed thanks to all those who contributed their love and efforts to the success of this convention and the continuation of the Sacred Harp tradition. Information on the WMSHC, Inc. Board can be found at www.wmshc.org. The business meeting was concluded.

The chairlady announced that the next Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Convention will be held on March 8-9, 2008.

RECESS

Ed Smith brought the class back to order leading 478. Leaders: Amy Finlay 168; Lela Crowder 42; Laura Clawson 362; Michael Kaye 553; Alice Noyes 86; Jessica Beer 176b; Leonard Spencer 250; Matthew Wojcik 189; Bobbie Goodell 71; Elisabeth Pixley-Fink and Caitlin Caulfield 442; Lucinda Larsen-Saue 143; Robert Stoddard 183; Jillian Inksetter and Bradford West 200; Eliza Cavanaugh 198.

Laura Timmerman, Joanne Fuller, and Kelsey Sunderland led 62 as the closing song. Anna Maria Irvine offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairlady—Laura Timmerman; Vice-Chairlady—Joanne Fuller; Secretary—Kelsey Sunderland