Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, March 7

The 11th annual Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Convention was called to order by Jennie Brown leading 101t. Blake Sisemore offered the opening prayer.

The following officers for the convention were elected to serve: Chairlady—Jennie Brown; Vice Chairlady—Kate Richardson; Secretary—Deidra Montgomery.

Leaders: Kate Richardson 32t; Deidra Montgomery 48t; Jesse Pearlman Karlsberg 56t; Cheri Hardy 72b; Ed Smith 528; Mary Gowins 29t; John Holbrook 38t; Julian Damashek 47t; Tim Eriksen 118; Kelsey Wessels 228; Jan-Erik Steel 270; Mary Andrews 457; Lauren Bock 87; Jeremy Galvagni 440; Laura Timmerman and Blazej Matusiak 475; Kelsey Sunderland 36b; Allison Schofield 345b; Ruth Hooke 198; Rick Johnston 436; Paul Butler 319; Liz Meitzler 142; Sarah Knox and Kelsey Wessels 335; Sheila Kelley 383.

RECESS

Kshama Ananthapura called the class back to order leading 89. Leaders: Becky Wright 430; Daniel Hunter 397; Sarah Galper and Emily Hale-Sills 107; Myles Dakan 149; Peter Golden 176b; Stefan Amidon 48b; Rosemarie Yntema 105; Claire Simon 178; Bob Parr 542; Joanne Fuller 290; Molly Merrett and Lisa DiPiano 82t; Effie Cummings and Betsy Maislen 344; Chris Noren 268; Laura Clawson 442; Scott Luscombe 353; George Seiler 68b; Ian Smiley 214; Sheila Nugent and Fiona Nugent 454; Dana Borrelli 186; Debby Moody 504; Jim Ulrich 479.

RECESS

Justin Levi called the class back together leading 201. Leaders: Laura Borrelli 274t; Benjamin Bath 428; Nick Kinsey and Lauren Bock 384; Aldo Ceresa 550; Bobbie Goodell 318; Neely Bruce 333; Katie Mahoney 27; David Boyle 163b; Kevin Griffin Moreno 500; Jean Seiler 448t; Jeff Colby 38b; Robert Doyle 474; Matthew Wojcik 40; Rachel Speer and Ellen Lueck 121; Kim Moreno 432; Robert Stoddard 556; Karen Freund and Gloria Freund 30b; Kiri Miller 564; Joanne DeVoe 327. Jenna Strizak and Kelsey Wessels led the Children’s Lesson singing 145b. Chuck Micciche offered the blessing for the noon meal.

LUNCH

Peter Irvine and Maciej Kazinski brought the class to order for the afternoon session leading 39t. Leaders: Dan Hertzler 300; Cathy Tucker 192; Karen Swenson 538; Dennis George 328; Michael Walker 434; Nora Dunn 439; Rodney Ivey 411; Caitlin Caulfield 455; Bridgett Hill 377; Drew Smith 385b; Diane Mennella 278t; Judy Caudle 250; James Nugent 168; Blake Sisemore 299; Elene Stovall 392; Mike Hinton 532; Jerry Enright 370; Matt Hinton 365; Anita Shaperd 95; Henry Johnson 435; Ross Brand 260.

RECESS

Linda Shea led 230 to call the class back together. Leaders: Guy Bankes 193; Elizabeth Stoddard 276; Chris Holley 47b; Natalie Jablonski 102; Jenna Strizak 418; Erica Hinton and Jean Gernett 389; Nina Fitzerman-Blue 515; Rich Lee 229; Katherine Collett 84; Peter Sutherland 37b; Sue Ulrich 569b; Betsy Maislen 49t; Rebecca Edwards 283; Susan Bingham 340; Alexander Jones and Allison Schofield 162; Bill Schults 99; Hal Booth 254; Jeff Breting and Rachel Ingraham 448b; Brian Collett 143; Tom Padwa 452; Carolyn Deacy 269; Ron Trial 480; Jessica Keyes 111b; Alice Noyes 179; Gillian Inksetter 66.

Jennie Brown led 46 to close. Kim Moreno offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, March 8

The Sunday session of the Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Convention was called to order by Jennie Brown leading 30t. The morning prayer was offered by Chris Holley.

Leaders: Kate Richardson and Deidra Montgomery 171; Philippa Stoddard 217; Brian How 503; Dan Adams 56b; Rosalie Elkinton 182; Joanna Lampert 573; Gerry Hoffman 203; D.J. Hatfield 521; Anne Kazlauskas 218; Ben Vincent 198; Katie White 155; Dean Jens and Naomi Kaye 131t; Barb Ames 34t; Dan Hunter 292; Barbara Swetman 114; Mariana Faircloth 282; Liz Cantrell 318; Zachary Marcus 27; James Baumgartner 472; Terry Ryan 408.

RECESS

Lynne deBenedette called the class back to order leading 81t. Leaders: Mary Gowins 111b; Ina Shea 394; Bill Dunn 300; Anita Shaperd 168; Cindy Bean 277; Lucy O’Leary 148; Gabriel Kastelle 506; Sarah Whites-Koditschek 77b; Carole Dempsey 157; Bill Holt 497; Aaron Girard 193; Caitlin Caulfield 442; Ames Bielenberg 284; Anna Maria Irvine and Alexandra Irvine 460; Justin Levi 216; Ines Lüttgen 522; Nora Dunn 379; Karen Swenson and Melissa Kelley 29t; Adam Simon 163t; Ross Brand 376; Peter Golden 354t; Asa Horvitz 410t.

RECESS

Julian Damashek brought the class back together leading 76b. Leaders: Amy Finlay, Sheldon Finlay, and Erin Finlay 189; Leon Pulsinelle 159; Jim Bean 178; Leonard Spencer 220; Sheila Nugent and Fiona Nugent 113; Kelly House 384; Bradford West 542; Paula Picton 196; Laura Borrelli and Dana Borrelli 77t; Jerry Enright 458; Rachel Speer and Cathy Tucker 454.

John Holbrook spoke about the following sick and shut-ins and led 163b in their honor: Cathy Ferree, Robert Rossheim, Susan Brande, Felice Yeskel, Harrison Creel, Haren Keller, Miles Schofield, Linda Marker, Seve Dinin, Laura Larsen, Robert Hall, Suman Kandlikar, Bill Farnon, Dan Brittain, Ron Bornick, Vera Dorozynsky, Phyllis Glick, Sammie Oliver, Sierra Dompierre, Paul McFarland, Dorothy Starlin, Dick Stiles, John Ceraso, Elizabeth Ashford, Lonnie Rogers, Raymond Hamrick, Virginia Luscombe, Skip Trout, Paul Setford, and Susan Setford.

Henry Johnson led 418 in memory of the following deceased: Frank Hataway, Milton Oliver, Mattie Townsel, and Amanda Denson Brady—Alabama; Marge Burch—Arkansas; Bud Ogren, Beverly Jessup, and Janelle Jessup—California; Tyler Bush, Fenno Heath, and Peter Callahan—Connecticut; Jane Bruner and John Etheridge—Florida; Katherine Benefield and Lee Rogers—Georgia; Crysogonus Waddell—Kentucky; Paul Genova, Rosie Shiras, and John McKeon—Maine; Rich Morse, Paul Tetrault, Mriscilla Parke, Margaret Conway, William Sansalone, Arthur Dobias, Bonnie Rogers, Aulikki Olsen—Massachusetts; Pauline Creel Childers—Michigan; Pat Blanford and George Swanwich—Ohio; Carol Lee and James Lee—Oklahoma; Jean Weyl Rossheim—Pennsylvania; Monnie Ross—Texas; Kat Kincaid—Virginia; Dolly Bignell and Baby Gaia—Ontario; Cora Murchie—Canada; Mary Ann Koester—Unknown. George Seiler closed the memorial lesson with a prayer.

Leaders: Chris Holley and Bobbie Goodell 285t; Barbara Swetman and Scott Luscombe 481; Aldo Ceresa and Dean Jens 377; Lynne deBenedette and Liz Cantrell 426b; Kiri Miller and James Baumgartner 112; Becky Wright, Ames Bielenberg, Myles Dakan, and Jessi Holler 267. Liz Cantrell offered the blessing for the noon meal.

LUNCH

Allison Schofield led 82t to call the class back to order for the afternoon session. Leaders: Robert Stoddard and Elizabeth Stoddard 546; Guy Bankes 475; Mike Hinton 534; Linda Thomas 391; Michael Walker and Judy Caudle 134; Carolyn Deacy 485; Elene Stovall and Allison Schofield 430; Blake Sisemore and Drew Smith 349; Blazej Matusiak 146; Bridget Hill, Somen Ways Mills, and Masti Mayrand 110; Rodney Ivey, Dennis George, and Benjamin Bath 492; Jenna Strizak, Rebecca Edwards, and Briana Bean Hirsch 222; Matt Hinton, Erica Hinton, and Henry Johnson 99; Maciej Kazinski and Tim Eriksen 200; Karen Freund 456; George Seiler and Jean Seiler 480; Rich Lee and Katie Mahoney 441; Jessica Keyes and Kevin Griffin Moreno 424; Zachary Marcus, Natalie Jablonski, and Triin Vallaste 38t; Philippa Stoddard and Lucy O’Leary 383; D.J. Hatfield and Joanna Lampert 530; Jeff Breting 108b; Gabriel Kastelle and Dan Adams 73t; Alice Noyes 90.

RECESS

Kevin Griffin Moreno and Kim Moreno brought the class back to order leading 70t. Leaders: Allison Schofield and Anna Elliot 448t; Nellie Farrington 117; Andy Lebrun 352; Anne Johnston 294; John Ostwald 126; Maggie Shar and Molly Merrett 67; Wing Mui 107; Libby Brownell 106; Laura Clawson 186; Susan Greenberg 547; James Nugent 355; Ines Lüttgen and Carole Dempsey 302; Barb Ames 435; Adam Simon 273; Terry Ryan 339; Cindy Bean and Jim Bean 142; Linda Shea and Eliza Cavanaugh 306; Matthew Wojcik, Rosie Wojcik, and Marian Wojcik 477.

Jennie Brown opened the business meeting. Matt Wojcik submitted the Finance Committee report, declaring that all expenses had been met. Deidra Montgomery submitted the Secretary Report, announcing that 213 songs had been led and that 427 singers had registered from twenty-five states and four foreign countries. Mike Hinton submitted the Resolutions Committee Report, resolving to be green people, to remember the sick and homebound and those who have passed, and to remember these two days. They also thanked everyone who was involved in planning the convention. The business meeting was concluded.

Jennie Brown, Kate Richardson, and Deidra Montgomery led 62 as the closing song. Jenna Strizak offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairlady—Jennie Brown; Vice-Chairlady—Kate Richardson; Secretary—Deidra Montgomery