Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, January 14

The 24th annual All-California Sacred Harp Singing Convention was held at the Casa de Flores in San Carlos, California, on the third Sunday and Saturday before in January. The class was called to order by Rebecca Edwards leading 47t. Dan Harper offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Rick Russell 276; Bob Brylawski 122; Laura Boyd Russell 201; Jeremy Knight 86; Gail Aagaard 503; Charley Basham 217; Clarissa Fetrow 51; Philip Gerrie 457; Sally Langendorf 75; Lynn Basham 99.

A business meeting was held and the following officers were elected: Chairman—Rebecca Edwards; Co-Chairman in absentia—Carolyn Deacy; Vice Chairman—Jerry Schreiber; Secretary—Betty Marvin. The following appointments were made: Arranging Committee—Hal Eisen and Julian Damashek; Chaplains—Dan Harper and Jim Friedrich; Treasurer—Terry Barber; Resolutions Committee—Kendahl Goldwater-Feldman and Deidra Montgomery.

Leaders: Terry Moore 112; Linda Booth 198; Jeff Begley 42; Karen Stingle 549; Will Fitzgerald and Bess Fitzgerald 39t (in memory of his father, Harold Fitzgerald); Nell Whitman 33b; Paul Kostka 504; Eric Xu 31t.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Deidra Montgomery leading 45t. Leaders: Jim Friedrich 273; Shelby Sampson 312b; Chris Thorman 474; Kendahl Goldwater-Feldman 148; Sean Francis Conway 178; Linda Selph 456; Jennie Brown 439; Jonathan Levy-Wolins 344; Gretchen Muller 565; Liora O’Donnell Goldensher 30b; Shelley Phillips 58; Greg Freemon 224; Claire Singleton 455; Terry Barber 536; Leland Kusmer 377.

RECESS

The class was called together by Mary Gowins leading 81t. Leaders: Hal Eisen 434; Betty Herman 442; Betsy Jeronen 426b; Jeri Segal 538; Joanne Orengo 472; Sarah Holden 59; Chris Cotter 192; Paul Lindholm 500; Steve Lazicki 74b; Solomon Ossa 318; Steve Cackley 312t; John Seaton 283; Anna Stoerch 96; Katie White 547; Kramer Klein 428. Chaplain offered the prayer for the noon meal.

LUNCH

The class was called back to order by Julian Damashek leading 76b. Leaders: Steve Helwig 214; Carla Smith 30t; Jerry Schreiber 245; Heather Ikeler 43; John delRe 348b; Mary Rose O’Leary 189; Ted Mercer 275t; Jon Giles 507; David Wright 464; Cornelia Stanton 473; Hugh McGuire 33t; Thom Fahrbach 279; James Baumgartner 183; Anne Heider 532; Gerry Hoffman 36t; Steve Warner 475; Karen Willard 483; Gosia Perycz 550; Deidra Montgomery 302; Tom McTighe 142.

RECESS

Liora O’Donnell Goldensher led 155 to bring the class to order. Leaders: Janet Herman 528; Gordon Rees 499; Betty Marvin 174; Gary Plouff 328; Inder Khalsa 131t; Michael Kaye 501; Mary Gowins 68b; Midge Harder 46; Robert Norman 282; Rachel O’Leary 448b; Luke Miller 38b; Susan Willis-Powers 236; Erika Wilson 542; Maggie Dougher 82t; Sally Langendorf 40; Charley Basham and Lynn Basham 38t; Gosia Perycz 535; Jon Giles 326.

Rebecca Edwards led 323t as the closing song, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, January 15

The Sunday session of the All-California Sacred Harp Singing Convention was brought to order by Rebecca Edwards leading 129. Jim Friedrich offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Betty Marvin 171; Jerry Schreiber 327; Chris Thorman 229; Mary Gowins 460; Steve Warner 86; Kendahl Goldwater-Feldman 67; Gabriel Kyne 228; Inder Khalsa 272; Lucas Gonze 295; Linda Selph 215; Jennie Brown 564; Gretchen Muller 155; Hal Eisen 470; Jon Giles 546; Terry Barber 308; Hallie Wells 178; Erika Wilson 313b; Clarissa Fetrow 335; Linda Booth 28b.

RECESS

The class was called back together by Julian Damashek leading 32t. Leaders: Thom Fahrbach 411; Greg Freemon 274t; Anitra Kaye 480; Bob Brylawski 266; Mary Gowins 105; Liora O’Donnell Goldensher 95; Jackson Fleder 250; Karen Stingle 277; Sean Francis Conway 47b; Paul Lindholm 419; Tom McTighe 300; Anne Heider 454; Jeff Begley 83b; Steve Helwig 368.

RECESS

Melissa Stephenson led 49b to bring the class to order. Leaders: Dan Harper 84; Jeri Segal 448t; Marsha Genensky 457.

The memorial lesson was conducted by Mary Rose O’Leary leading 340 in honor of the following sick and shut-ins: David Fetcho, Jane Campbell, Lauren Stewart, Gregory Barber, Dixie Richardson, Sara Diamond, Carol Dellet, Rodney Willard, Barbara Willard, Lonnie Rogers, Gina Balestracci, Carol Hopper, Lou Rosenberg, George Mister, Sr., Jim Helke, and Steven Murdock.

Dan Harper led 32b in memory of the following deceased: John Ferard Leicester, Diane Luboff, Scott Wilson, Dolly McKissock—California; Pearl Kaye, Al Socolov, Judith Socolov, Jill Friedrich—New York; John Merritt—Mississippi; Marie Ivey—Alabama; Wally Jones—Oregon; Mary Lassila—Washington; Dr. Richard Sunshine—New Jersey; Katherine Keator—Massachusetts; Harold Fitzgerald—Michigan; Frank Evans—Virginia; Ruth Gonze—Maryland; Dorothy Ellis—Arizona; Waltraut Stoerch—Germany; Alexandra Perycz—Poland; and Alan Shapiro. Jim Friedrich closed the memorial lesson with a prayer.

Leaders: Cornelia Stanton 350; John Seton 47t; Maggie Dougher 117; Paul Ralston 236; Carla Smith 326.

LUNCH

The class was called back by Linda Selph leading 29t. Leaders: Eric Xu 168; Solomon Ossa 209; Bill Waddington 474; Laura Boyd Russell 384; Deidra Montgomery 181; Anna Stoerch 120; Lynn Basham 34b; Bess Fitzgerald and Will Fitzgerald 447; Jonathan Levy-Wolins 455; Sam Hyrkin 551; Claire Singleton 299; Gerry Hoffman 186; Kramer Klein 63; Rachel O’Leary 290; Gosia Perycz 208; Chris Cotter 498; Rick Russell 108b; Charley Basham 66; Jim Friedrich 481; Steve Cackley 156; Katie White 163b; Betsy Jeronen 573; Nell Whitman 385b.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Terry Moore leading 40. Leaders: John delRe 348t; Karen Willard 362; Ted Mercer 444; David Wright 391; Michael Kaye 146; Betty Herman 421; Midge Harder 35; Mary Rose O’Leary 217; Leland Kusmer 48b; Shelby Sampson 472; Peter Ross 99; Meg Duff 159; Erika Wilson 385t; Cornelia Stanton 87; Gerry Hoffman 83t; Carla Smith and Jerry Schreiber 94.

A business meeting was held. Resolutions were presented by Kendahl Goldwater-Feldman and Deidra Montgomery, thanking all who made the singing possible. The Treasurer reported that expenses had been met.

The Secretary reported that 211 people attended from 15 states (Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington) and one country (Poland), and that 179 songs were led by 94 leaders.

Announcements were made. Rebecca Edwards, Jerry Schreiber, and Betty Marvin led 62 as the closing song. Jim Friedrich offered a closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Rebecca Edwards; Vice Chairman—Jerry Schreiber; Secretary—Betty Marvin