Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, January 21

The 14th annual Keystone Sacred Harp Convention was held on the fourth Sunday and Saturday before in January at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of the Lehigh Valley in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The class was called to order by Tom Tucker leading 81t. John Kelso offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Dan Hunter 144; Rachel Hall 278t; Barb Hohenstein 495; Laura Densmore 142; Bethany Towne 411; Eric Hunter 419; Kimberly Haas 203; Lynne Hoyt 500; Doron Henkin 436; Roy Shockey 178; Ruth Wampler 282; Lamar Matthew 149.

The following officers were elected or appointed to serve: Chairman—Dan Hunter; Vice Chairperson—Rachel Hall; Treasurer—Hal Kunkel; Secretaries—Barbara Hohenstein and Tom Tucker.

RECESS

Sonia Chin called the class to order leading 106. Leaders: Linda Marker 117; Dan Coppock 76b; Elizabeth Stokes 48t; Sue Hanson 38t; Ames Bielenberg 56b; Jesse Krikorian 326; Ina Shea 27; Tom Stokes 134; Sara Wetzel 47t; Ted Stokes 68t; Julia Seidenstein 410t; John Alexander 354t; Liz Meitzler 269; Carl Baron 315; Gwen Gethner 66; Sam Kleinman 141; Claire Simon 107; Sara Whites-Koditschek 472; Terry Ryan 358; Nora Dunn 103.

RECESS

Ruth Wampler called the class to order leading 34b. Leaders: Hal Kunkel 87; Charles Biada 118; Becky Wright 349; Gerry Hoffman 306; Julie Botnick 89; Harry Scott 497; Nancy Mandel 275t; Guy Bankes 260; Mary Helen Dupree 30t; Patrick Paglen 209; Erin Gum 274t; Jim Strube 348t; Emily Hale-Sills 183; Oliver Kindig-Stokes 211; Susan Bingham 168; Brian How 143. John Kelso offered the blessing before the noon meal.

LUNCH

Ted Stokes opened the afternoon session leading 32t. Leaders: Jennifer Hedrich 276; Stephen Hoyt 68b; J.R. Hartman 63; Tamara Harris 131b; Kelly Macklin 187; Ben Copenhaver 484; Will Gilman 47b; Barbara Swetman 71; Jim Glaser 322; Diane Mennella 318; Anna Pfau 384; Ian Quinn 270; Stephanie Fida 229; Cheri Hardy 455; Aimee Wilson 39t; Rowan Lupton 146; Ian McGovern 215; Paula Picton 377; Nathan Berry 85; Leyland delRe 96; Chris Holley 499.

RECESS

Becky Wright called the class to order leading 399b. Leaders: Jeff Gauthier 362; Kelly Kennedy 67; John delRe 272; Amy Valladares 504; John Kelso 376; Anna Nowogrodzki 335; Peter Golden 28t; Linda Shea 361; Dean Jens 26; Christine Andrews 58; Hal Kunkel 568; Patricia Callahan 119; Sonia Chin 208; Michael Nord 485; Rachel Speer and Calvin 176b; John Stokes 294; Tom Tucker 320; Dan Hunter 562.

John Kelso offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, January 22

The Sunday session of the Keystone Convention was called to order by Dan Hunter leading 59. Leyland delRe offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Rachel Hall 213t; Barb Hohenstein 36t; Becky Wright 65; Stephen Hoyt 105; Guy Bankes 556; Susan Bingham 446; Ted Stokes 197; Elizabeth Stokes 528; Jim Strube 409; Sam Kleinman 77t; Emily Hale-Sills 120; Claire Simon 481; Sara Whites-Koditschek (no number given).

RECESS

Leyland delRe called the class to order leading 100. Leaders: Hal Kunkel 82t; Oliver Kindig-Stokes 395; Harry Scott 457; Sonia Chin 498; Lamar Matthew 35; Bethany Towne 196; Sue Hanson 323t; Doron Henkin 133; Mary Helen Dupree 31b; Dan Coppock 304; Lynne Hoyt 370; Ian Quinn 371; Rowan Lupton 288; Chris Holley 123b; Stephanie Fida 460; Barbara Swetman 114; Ian McGullam 300; Jim Glaser 569b; Paula Picton 422; Terry Ryan 193.

RECESS

Oliver Kindig-Stokes brought the class back together by leading 79. The memorial lesson was conducted by Kelly Macklin and Ina Shea. Kelly Macklin led 368 for the following sick and shut-ins: Bob Koenig, Skip Trout, Gil Dupre, Janet Shea, Carla Willenzik, George Mister, Sr., Joseph Ost, Stephen Murdock, Gina Balestracci, John Grant, Tim Gilmore, and Keith Simon.

Ina Shea led 566 for the following deceased: Tom Maher, Stephen Scott, Minister Harold Wenger, Minister Samuel Shirk, Ruth Thomas, Elliott Weiss, and Michael Homan—Pennsylvania; Marie Rosse and Mary Duffy Andrews—Massachusetts; Frank Evans—Virginia; John Merritt—Mississippi; Bob Meek—Kentucky; Scottie Parker—New Jersey; Johney Kelso—Georgia; Max Kopchinski—Wisconsin; Jan Lefkowitz—North Carolina. Prayer for the deceased and the sick and shut-ins was offered by Leyland delRe.

Leaders: Clare Maher 535; Liz Meitzler 55; Amy Valladares 128; Gerry Hoffman 61; Jeff Gauthier 236; Jennifer Hedrich 335; Ames Bielenberg 315; John Alexander 317b. Ben Hartland offered the blessing before the noon meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was brought to order by Bethany Towne leading 205. Leaders: Dan Hunter, Eric Hunter, Eugene Hunter, and Deborah Hunter 45t; Kimberly Haas 445; Laura Densmore 522; Michael Nord 383; Aldo Ceresa 411; John delRe 412; Anna Pfau 456; John Kelso 214; Anna Nowogrodzki 448t; Nathan Berry 163t; Linda Shea 328; Will Gilman 377; Kelly Kennedy 447; Ben Copenhaver 94; Patricia Callahan 560; Tamara Harris 513; Christine Andrews 271t; Peter Golden 324; J.R. Hardman 40.

RECESS

Kelly Macklin called the class to order leading 157. Leaders: Tom Stokes 360; Suzan Greenberg 71; Cheri Hardy 146; Brian How 313b; Rachel Speer, Dean Jens, and Calvin 48t; David Graff, Vicki Graff, and Abraham 410t; Julia Seidenstein 105; Kim Haas and Bethany Towne 299; Lorah Hopkins 183; Leyland delRe and John Kelso 298; Tamara Harris and Ben Copenhaver 110; Aldo Ceresa, Oliver Kindig-Stokes, and Ian Quinn 232; Elizabeth Stokes, Stephanie Fida, and Kelly Kennedy 218; Peter Golden, Patricia Callahan, Chris Holley, and Harry Scott 297; Christine Andrews, Linda Shea, Michael Nord, Cheri Hardy, and Amy Valladares 312b; John delRe, Jim Strube, Kelly Macklin, John Alexander, Liz Meitzler, Jim Glaser, and Erin Gum 404; Nathan Berry, Anna Pfau, Will Gilman, J.R. Hardman, and Alexa Copeland 290; Laura Densmore, Rachel Hall, and Becky Wright 542.

Dan Hunter, Bethany Towne, Barb Hohenstein, and Hal Kunkel led 56t as the closing song. Leyland delRe dismissed the class with prayer.

Chairman—Dan Hunter; Vice Chairperson—Rachel Hall; Secretaries—Barbara Hohenstein and Tom Tucker