Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, September 17

The 16th annual United Kingdom Sacred Harp Singing Convention was called to order by Sarah West leading 59. Hannah Land offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Judy Whiting 171; Hannah Land 72b; Ian West 84; Beverly Coates 472; Chris Brown 28b; Jacqui Selby-McLeod 82t; Dave Richardson 30t; Cheryl Foreman 492; Steve Helwig 228; Kamila Dembinska 272; Tollie Lee 285t; Helen Brown 103; Rick Foreman 448t; Justyna Orlikowska 542; Michael Walker 371; Sally Greaves-Lord 63; Bruce Coates 503; Magdalena Gryszko 107; Ted Brown 546; Gosia Perycz 440; Sonny Erwin 480; Maria Wallace 142; Jacek Borkowicz 36b; Rachel Jordan 474.

The following officers were elected or appointed to serve: Chairperson—Sarah West; Secretary—Judy Whiting; Memorial Committee—Ruth Steggles and Michael McGuigan.

RECESS

Ruth Steggles called the class to order leading 276. Leaders: Nick Hall 455; Rebecca Over 406; Eamonn O’Neill 430; Mandy Townsend 532; Sadhbh Ní Fhloinn 300; Harry Campbell 178; Steve Fletcher 106; Richard Percival 535; Sofi Mogensen 148; Phil Tyler 157; Sheila Macadam 500; Zachary Marcus 414; Jenny Reid 504; Robert Wedgbury 313b; Dave Townsend 383; Sharon Langridge 481; Benny Ross 466; Cath Tyler 441; Mick Verrier 217; Margaret Gillanders 475; Edwin Macadam 534; Steve Biggs 497; Sarah West 498; Judy Whiting 384; Carmel Wood 344; Hannah Land 283. Michael Walker offered the prayer before the noon meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was brought to order by Ian West leading 105. Leaders: Dave Richardson 335; Beverley Coates 168; Matthew Ord 89; Jacqui Selby-McLeod 131b; Steve Helwig and Gosia Perycz 189; Cheryl Foreman 201; Chris Brown 298; Kamila Dembinska 340; Sarah Hill 122; Tollie Lee 319; Sally Greaves-Lord 26; Rick Foreman 175; Adrian Bolge 350; Helen Brown 436; Justyna Orlikowska 203; Michael Walker 377; Bruce Coates 32t; Maria Wallace 38b; Magdalena Gryszko, Justyna Orlikowska, Gosia Perycz, Anna Perdeus, Jacek Borkowicz, Kuba Choinski, Kamila Dembinska, Anna Goldlewska, and Dominika Jedrzejczak 86; Ted Brown 391; Gosia Perycz 192; Rachel Jordan 183; Jacek Borkowicz 236; Mandy Townsend 490.

RECESS

Steve Fletcher brought the class to order leading 312b. Leaders: Eamonn O’Neill 29t; Rebecca Over 562; Edwin Macadam 528; Sadhbh Ní Fhloinn 181; Emily Verrier, Lottie Sumner, Connie Baldini, Byron Tyler, and Ethan Tralau 146; Sheila Macadam 299; Dave Townsend 85; Sofi Mogensen 65; Robert Wedgbury 112; Ruth Steggles 454; Sonny Erwin 569b; Cath Tyler 445; Zachary Marcus 547; Margaret Gillanders 182; Harry Campbell 49b; Sharon Langridge 501; Mick Verrier 538; Phil Tyler 477.

Sarah West led 347 as the closing song. The closing prayer was offered by Tollie Lee, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, September 18

The Sunday session of the United Kingdom Sacred Harp Singing Convention was called to order by Sarah West leading 29t. Michael Walker offered the morning prayer.

Leaders: Judy Whiting 77b; Hannah Land 77t; Benny Ross 31b; Carmel Wood 270; Nick Hall 287; Justyna Orlikowska 66; Stephen Biggs 288; Beverly Coates 328; Steve Helwig 428; Pauline Hyde 163b; Rick Foreman 330b; Sarah Hill 324; Chris Brown 31t; Connie Hartley 146; Helen Brown 426b; Adrian Bolge 491; Bruce Coates 566; Sadhbh Ní Fhloinn 269; Matthew Ord 88t; Nadine Wills 339; Michael Walker 434; Cheryl Foreman 186.

RECESS

Maria Wallace called the class to order leading 445. Leaders: Robert Wedgbury 37b; Mick Verrier 163t; Josephine Ellis 155; Ian West 135; Eamonn O’Neill 29b; Magdalena Gryszko 171; Cath Tyler 250; Margaret Gillanders 192; Kamila Dembinska 99; Jacqui Selby-McLeod 267; Ted Brown 303.

The memorial lesson was conducted by Ruth Steggles and Michael McGuigan. Ruth led 68b for the following deceased: Ernestine Pipkin, Marie Ivey, Maddy Hobson, Joyce Jew, Ola Perycz, Peter Ogden, Mike Atkinson, Joyce Over, Travis Keeton, Benny Ray Walls, Elizabeth O’Kelly, Carel Anee Milne, Helen Gillis, Stan Reeve, Barry Murphy, Alan Cooper, Glynne Williams, Demetrius Jones, John Champkin, Joan Stilltoe, Linda Champ, Lisbeth Poulsen, Pauline Anderson, Charles Breslin, David Powell, Phillip Hill, Garry Jenkins, Frank Bennett, and Mike Steel.

Michael McGuigan spoke on behalf of the sick and housebound. He and David Richardson led 448b for the following: Bud Oliver, Kit Vishnick, David Dakin, Joan Swift, Margaret Hyde, Mirian Granger, Peter Schoongans, Kathy Armstrong, Seamus McGuigan, Lucy Chadwick, Sylvia Swann, Brian Butcher, Bill Whaley, Derek Winstanley, Judy Chambless, Jon Lusk, Mandy Holland, Aubrey Barfield, Jeff and Shelbie Sheppard, Maureen Gamlin, Lonnie Rogers, Jean Dean, Katherine Selfe, Dwight Diller, Maggie and Paul Watson, Nora and Peter Jeffery, Barbara Crawford, and Marjorie Franks. Ruth Steggles closed the memorial lesson with a prayer.

Leaders: Steve Fletcher 196; Zachary Marcus 271t; Rachel Jordan 200; Harry Campbell 121; Sofi Mogensen 278t; Kuba Choinski 49t; Sonny Erwin 113; Gosia Perycz 399t; Tollie Lee 278b; Rebecca Over 216; Eamonn O’Neill, Robert Wedgbury, Sadhbh Ní Fhloinn, and Pauline Hyde 47b; Jacek Borkowicz 282. The blessing before the noon meal was offered by Carmel Wood.

LUNCH

David Richardson called the afternoon session to order leading 111t. Leaders Nick Hall 389; Anna Perdeus 277; Stephen Biggs 45t; Margaret Gillanders 534; Zachary Marcus 274t; Connie Hartley 39t; Beverley Coates 133; Phil Tyler 442; Adrian Bolge 156; Ted Brown 496; Nadine Wills 457; Sonny Erwin 568; Benny Ross 362; Justyna Orlikowska 481; Jacqui Selby-McLeod 179; Matthew Ord 34b; Steve Helwig 433; Gosia Perycz 193; Sofi Mogensen 332; Sarah Hill 385t; Carmel Wood 456.

RECESS

The final session was called to order by Chris Brown leading 176t. Leaders: Cath Tyler and Byron Tyler 47t; Tollie Lee 385b; Ruth Steggles 198; Ian West and Sarah West 421; Bruce Coates 34t; Harry Campbell, Ewan Paterson, Margaret Bradshaw, and Shona Brown 117; Josephine Ellis 268; Magdalena Gryszko 63; Rick Foreman 75; Hannah Land 273; Michael Walker 521; Carmel Wood, Angela Wood, and David Wood 504; Magdalena Gryszko, Justyna Orlikowska, Gosia Perycz, Anna Perdeus, Jacek Borkowicz, Kuba Choinski, Kamila Dembinska, Anna Goldlewska, Dominika Jedrzejczak, and Steve Helwig 448t; Tollie Lee, Rick Foreman, Cheryl Foreman, Beverley Coates, Bruce Coates, and Sonny Erwin 549.

Following announcements, Sarah West thanked all those involved in organizing the convention, particularly Gill West for the food. She led 46 as the closing song. Hannah Land offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairperson—Sarah West; Secretary—Judy Whiting