Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, January 17

The 21st annual All-California Sacred Harp Singing Convention was held at the Casa de Flores in San Carlos, California, on Saturday before and the third Sunday in January. The singing was opened by Pat Keating leading 448t. David Fetcho offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: David Fetcho 182; Mark Miller 131t; Anitra Kay 31b; Linda Selph 475; Will Fitzgerald 287.

A business meeting was held and the following officers were elected: Chairman—Mark Miller; Vice Chairperson—Anitra Kaye; Secretary—Linda Selph.

Leaders: Carroll Lunsford 176t; Chris Thorman 56t; Cornelia Stanton 171; Rebecca Edwards 460; Midge Harder 198; Inder Khalsa 29t; Hans Guttman 365; Cindy Overmyer 299; Shelby Sampson 327; James Baumgartner 163t; Jim Friedrich 117.

The Chairman announced the appointment of the following committees: Chaplains—David Fetcho and Jim Friedrich; Arranging Committee—Carolyn Deacy and Natalia Cecire; Finance Committee—Cindy Overmyer, Rick Russell, and Inder Khalsa; Resolutions Committee—Betty Marvin and Bridgett Hill.

RECESS

Jon Giles called the class back to order leading 32t. Leaders: Rick Russell 446; Steve Cackley 349; James Welsch 358; Eli Wise 168; Caroline Bonnet 87; Jeremy Knight 86; Laura Boyd Russell 228; Rick Russell 297; Kay Huener 350; Gretchen Muller 48t; Terry Moore 218; Natalie Jablonski 399b; Susan Fetcho 200; Tom Ayres 260; Betty Marvin 543.

RECESS

Bridgett Hill called the class back to order leading 77t. Leaders: Carolyn Deacy 485; Erik Schwab 367; Peter Newton 268; Katie Mahoney 285t; Sandy Klein 452; Betty Herman 442; Joanne Orengo 107; Erika Wilson 216; Tammy Heinsohn 178; Bruce Hayes 254; Greg Mulkern 500; Doris Loughner 479; Tom Payne 146; Susan Turpin 546; Scott Kennedy 454; Eddie Huckaby 56b. David Fetcho offered grace for the noon meal.

LUNCH

Ted Mercer called the afternoon session to order leading 106. Leaders: Rich Lee 82t; Jesse Pearlman Karlsberg 432; Jessica Beer 269; David Wright 189; Bridgett Hill 383; Tom McTighe 186; Mary Rose O’Leary 376; Hugh McGuire 108t; Claire Singleton 273; Kristie Harju 377; Xaris Martínez 304; Steve Helwig 296; Jon Giles 430; Kiri Miller 144; Ted Mercer 36t; Anne Heider 137; Myles Alexander 129; Tom Fahrbach 193; Greg Freemon 419; Janet Herman 192; Terry Barber 528.

RECESS

Michael Kaye called the class back to order leading 68b. Leaders: Steve Warner 84; Karl Oswald 48b; Beth Huener 547; Ian Quinn 38b; Rachel Eley 162; Hal Eisen 410t; Bob Brylawski 122; Gerry Hoffman 477; Stephen Saxon 494; Steve Elrick 220; Natalia Cecire 36b.

Mark Miller, Megan Webster, and Wes Bonifay led 347 as the closing song, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, January 18

Mark Miller opened the Sunday session of the All-California Convention by leading 276. Jim Friedrich offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Anitra Kaye 48t; Susan Fetcho 371; Graham Waldon 114; Jim Friedrich 344; Steve Warner 475; Mark Forry 277; Steve Cackley 456; Chris Thorman 351; Sandy Klein 452; Susan Turpin 328; Kiri Miller 564; Scott Kennedy 503; Karl Oswald 532; David McFarlane 148; Natalie Jablonski 196.

RECESS

Laura Boyd Russell called the class back to order leading 32t. Leaders: Anne Heider 236; Midge Harder 159; Jon Giles 408; Bruce Hayes 504; Donald Klein 412; Carolyn Deacy 288; Inder Khalsa 312b; Pat Keating 538; Eddie Huckaby 448b; Betty Herman 464; Rich Lee 280; Steve Elrick 361; Tom Payne 52b; Tom McTighe 209; Tammy Heinsohn 155.

RECESS

The class was called back together by Claire Singleton leading 34b. Leaders: Janet Herman 203; Will Fitzgerald 274b; David Fetcho 444; Michael Kaye 340; Mary Rose O’Leary 290.

The memorial lesson was conducted by Will Fitzgerald and Greg Freemon. Greg Freemon spoke for the sick and shut-ins as follows, and led 285t in their honor: Molly (NLN), Peggy Wah, Carol Thom, Marilyn Brown, Marilyn Murata, Karen Huss, Diane Luboff, Mary Ann O’Toole, Elizabeth Colleran, David Porter, Pegg Belland, Sam Crivello, Francisco Rodriguez, Jean Schaefer, Brooksie Stanton, Nan Prout, Tim Prout, Liz Walters, and Renata Lang.

Will Fitzgerald spoke for the following deceased and led 77t in their memory: Francis (NLN), LaRue Muhammad, Bud Ogren, William Thomas Boyd, Rich Johnson, Linda Riddle, Beatrice Sellers, Grace Baldridge, Garland Vaughn—California; Sandra Goulart, Elder Gerald Hand, Ginny Ebinger—New Mexico; Richard M. Sontag—New York; Martha Haig—Washington; Pauline Childers—Michigan; John S. Payne, Jean Marcotte—Oregon; John Etheridge—Florida; Katherine Benefield, Lee Rogers—Georgia; Amanda Denson—Alabama; Charles Piccolo, Mary Anne Piccolo, Alex Carbonaro—Maryland; Freda Hoare—Oxford, UK; Ramona Lang—Minnesota; Helen Lang—Montana; Sheldon Katz—Missouri; Richard Grayson—Illinois. Jim Friedrich closed the memorial lesson with prayer.

Leaders: Gerry Hoffman 446; David Wright 517; Joanne Orengo 455; Steve Helwig 311; Denise Brown 324; James Baumgartner 99. Jim Friedrich offered the blessing for the noon meal.

LUNCH

The class was called back to order by Jessica Beer leading 27. Leaders: Xaris Martínez 434; Ted Mercer 300; Kristie Harju 274t; Laura Boyd Russell 543; Claire Singleton 497; Erik Schwab 208; Jill Accetta 52t; Erika Wilson 215; Katie Mahoney 426t; Cornelia Stanton 318; Rick Russell 183; Jesse Pearlman Karlsberg 550; Bridgett Hill 391; Jessica Beer 436; Greg Mulkern 424; Myles Alexander 53; Thom Fahrbach 440; Hugh McGuire 406; Rebecca Edwards 283; Anitra Kaye 369; Mark Miller 217.

RECESS

Cindy Overmyer brought the class back together leading 31t. Leaders: Hal Eisen 384; Natalia Cecire 222; Peter Ross 163t; Terry Barber 411; Paul Kostka 198; James Welsch 250; Ruth Gorrin 122; Linda Selph 121; Terry Moore 451; Shelby Sampson 162; Ian Quinn 186; Betty Marvin 100; Inder Khalsa 168; Gretchen Muller 565; Greg Freemon 271t; Carroll Lunsford 457.

A business meeting was held for the purpose of hearing committee reports. The Finance Committee reported that expenses had been met. The Secretary reported that 79 songs were led on Saturday and 80 (t? b?) on Sunday; the following states were represented: Rhode Island, California, Oregon, Washington, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, Texas, Arkansas, Colorado, Maryland, Illinois, Minnesota, Alabama, and New Mexico. The Resolutions Committee thanked everyone who had participated in the singing and made it possible.

Announcements were made. Mark Miller, Anitra Kaye, and Linda Selph led 62 as the closing song. Jim Friedrich offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Mark Miller; Vice Chairperson—Anitra Kaye; Secretary—Linda Selph