Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, April 4

The 20th session of the Potomac River Convention opened at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday before the first Sunday in April. Bev Yaeger called the convention to order by leading 77b. George Seiler offered the opening prayer.

Bev Yaeger announced this year’s convention officers as follows: Chairperson—Bev Yaeger; Vice Chairman—Jim Strube; Treasurer—Frank Evans; Secretary—Mary Ann Daly.

Leaders: Jim Strube 217; Tim Slattery 52t; Mary Ann Daly 40; Gillie Campbell 66; Linda Pendleton 148; John Hewes 497; Evan Duncan 224; Fiona Nugent 209; Terry Ryan 27; Susan Green 299; Mary Langley 274t; Philippa Stoddard 168; Craig Baughan 178; Cheryl Foreman 344; Sheila Nugent 528; Robert Stoddard 102; Barbara Barry 142; Pat Temple 72b; Richard Green 99; Lee Schumacher 268; Jason Law 122; Ruth Wampler 322; Stephen Hoyt 68b; Lois Badey 479; Mary Wright 180; Guy Bankes 475; Zoe Clay 117.

RECESS

George Seiler called the class back together by leading 503. Leaders: Nova Seidenstein 146; Oliver Kindig-Stokes 416; Peter Golden 421; Jean Seiler 106; Carol Selleck 70b; Jim Denson, Mary Denson, Gabriel Denson, Kendall Denson, Grace Brady, and John Joseph Brady 77t; Laura Densmore 313t; Peter Pate 496; Tim Slattery 306; Adrian Mariano 183; Emily Hancock 145t; James Nugent 457; Elizabeth Stoddard 546; Peter Gardner 84; Tom Clay 547; Lamar Matthew 157; Norman Gholson 515; Clare Chapin 486; Henry Schuman 318; Joni Seidenstein 481.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Laura Densmore leading 171. Leaders: Mimi Stevens 415; Phil Rubin 329; Jim Strube 500; Mary Ann Daly 288; George Seiler 480; Phyllis Gonigam 455; Susan Green and Richard Green 350; Cheryl Foreman 492; Zoe Clay 87; Barbara Barry 506; Lois Badey 282; Ruth Wampler 504; Lamar Matthew 35; Emily Hancock 454; Tom Clay 56b; Craig Baughan 347; Mary Langley 516; Evan Duncan 86; Lee Schumacher 119; Robert Stoddard 436; Peter Golden 442; Mary Wright 108t; Terry Ryan 198; Oliver Kindig-Stokes 225t; Jean Seiler 191; Bev Yaeger 28b.

DINNER

Tim Slattery opened the New Traditions session by leading 47t. Leaders: Nicholas Schliapin “Elijah”; Mimi Stevens “Arbour Hill”; Mary Ann Daly “Praises”; Nicholas Schliapin “Life”; Guy Bankes 75 (EH1); Jim Strube 79 (EH1); Cheryl Foreman 48 (EH1); Robert Kelley “O Praise God in His Holiness”; Bev Yaeger 86 (EH1); Jim Strube 80 (EH1); Peter Golden 38 (EH1); Steve Hoyt 70 (EH1); Tim Slattery 68 (EH1) (by request); Tim Slattery 64 (EH1); Bev Yaeger 71 (EH1) (by request); David Huh 14 (EH1); Steve Hoyt 55 (EH1); Guy Bankes 92 (EH1); Robert Kelley 21b (EH1); Cheryl Foreman 66 (EH1).

Sunday, April 5

Bev Yaeger opened the second day of singing by leading 34b. George Seiler offered the morning prayer.

Leaders: Kevin Moreno 276; Kelly Macklin 32t; Laura Densmore 296; Gillie Campbell 40; Tim Slattery 99; Pat Temple 232; Jim Strube 148; Sheila Nugent 171; Steve Hoyt 323b; Clare Chapin 81t; Tom Tucker 441; Phyllis Gonigam 128; Joni Seidenstein 506; Jason Law 66; Lara Eilhardt 163t; Oliver Kindig-Stokes 489; Mimi Stevens 182; Leyland del Re 564; Dan Hunter 202; Guy Bankes 556; Mary Wright 328.

RECESS

Nora Dunn called the class together by leading 72b. Leaders: Fiona Nugent 389; Terry Ryan 120; Jon Giles 181; John del Re 466; Walter Hartley 178; Ina Shea 367; Philippa Stoddard 474; Steven Sabol 421; Cheryl Foreman 229; Robert Kelley 365; James Nugent 388; Jean Seiler 236; Henry Schuman 532; Barb Hohenstein 33t; Norm Gholson 569b; George Seiler 159; Robert Stoddard 173.

Kevin Moreno conducted the memorial lesson. He led 566 for the following sick and shut-ins: Virginia Harpham, Severine Langelan, Frank Duncan, Roland Hutchinson, Bill Farnon, and Karen Keller.

“The tradition lives within us in our lives, and when we sing for the dead they live too,” he said, and led 499 in memory of the following deceased: Naomi Wampler, Richard Altman, Louis Ryan, Bob Guida, Gerald Hand, Candy McLeod, Spencer Garner, Margaret Abernathy, Joe Hammonds, William Reynolds, Kat Kinkade, John Etheridge, Marilyn Darch, Robert Vernon, Virginia Endicott, Paul Cozzutto, Lee Rogers, and Pauline Childers. George Seiler closed the memorial lesson with prayer.

Leaders: Nora Dunn 187; Peter Golden 196; Elizabeth Stoddard 411; Joel Miller 110; Kathy Manning 176b; Corey Walters 155; Owen Kelley 114. After some announcements, George Seiler offered a prayer before the noon meal.

LUNCH

John del Re began the afternoon session by leading 370. Leaders: Tim Slattery 200; Pat Temple 312b; Steve Hoyt 334; Carol Selleck 482; Elizabeth Stokes 349; John Hewes 254; Aldo Ceresa 218; Sarah Whites-Koditschek 280; Philippa Stoddard 112; Guy Bankes 550; Mary Ann Daly 440; Tom Tucker 528; Leyland del Re 522; Oliver Kindig-Stokes 432; Laura Densmore 419; Terry Ryan 192; Kathy Manning 383; Daniel Hunter 401; John del Re 425; Nora Dunn 269; Robert Stoddard 362; Jean Seiler 299; Kelly Macklin 468; Peter Golden 448t; Henry Schuman 193; Elizabeth Stoddard 460; Norman Gholson 515; Barbara Hohenstein 507.

RECESS

Bev Yaeger called the class back to order by leading 203. Leaders: Steven Sabol 567; Jon Giles 546; Sheila Nugent 222; Jim Denson, Mary Denson, Gabriel Denson, Kendall Denson, John Joseph Brady, and Grace Brady 319; Kent Beck 504; Martha Burns 147t; Mary Wright 446; Fiona Nugent 87; Lara Eilhardt 142; Ina Shea 215; Walter Hartley 481; Joel Miller 134; Adrian Mariano 372; Jim Strube 57; Clare Chapin 448b; Joni Seidenstein 217; Jean Seiler and George Seiler 146; Aldo Ceresa 68t; Elizabeth Stoddard and Robert Stoddard 52b; Frank Evans and Kevin Moreno 315.

Bev Yaeger called for committee reports and announcements. Kelly Macklin offered resolutions. Please note that in 2010 the Potomac River Convention will be held on the second Sunday and Saturday before in April to avoid conflict with Easter.

The officers led 62 as the closing song. George Seiler offered the closing prayer.

Chairperson—Bev Yaeger; Vice Chairman—Jim Strube; Treasurer—Frank Evans; Secretary—Mary Ann Daly