Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

The sixth annual Pacific Northwest Convention—Washington was held on the fourth Sunday and Saturday before of February in Seattle, Washington at the Sunset Hill Community Club. This was our first two-full-days convention, and the first of the “Pacific Northwest Convention—Washington” conventions. The Pacific Northwest Sacred Harp Singers are now also sponsoring a “Pacific Northwest Convention—Oregon” which will be held annually on the third Sunday and Saturday before in October.

Saturday’s events began at 9:30 a.m. with a singing school taught by Mr. Buell Cobb, Jr. from Birmingham, Alabama. The content of the school was directed mainly at intermediate level singers and was illustrated throughout with recordings of Sacred Harp singers from as early as the 1930s and as recently as 1995.

LUNCH

Chairman David Hough called the class together leading song on page 59. Jim Friedrich offered the opening prayer. Leaders: Joanne Hoover 66; Jim Friedrich 344; GaryLee Johnson 455; John Kellerman 178; Cindy Willard Danner 85; Bruce MacDonald 377; Jeanne Schaffer 213b; Craig Harris 41; Anne Huckins 313b; Craig Brandis 58; Bruce Rowland 91; Reed Schilbach 324; Kate Moore 268; Marie Brandis 99; Ken Cofield 269; Sandy Hill 504.

RECESS

Karen Willard brought the class to order leading song on page 148. Leaders: Karen Stingle 198; Jacob Priestly 102; Linda Finney 254; Midge Harder 211; Kathy Vlach 361; John Schaffer 174; Katharine Hough 114; David Hough 475; Susan Helf 163b; Jack Lofton 454; Jinx McGuire 473; Hugh Bill McGuire 394; Arlene Cavanaugh 383; Karen Willard 53; Paul Booth 143.

RECESS

Katharine Hough brought the class to order leading song on page 569 (t? b?). Leaders: Carla Smith 153; Darlene Simpson-Brown 49b; Craig Brandis 141; Cindy Willard Danner 128; Joanne Hoover 72b; Jeanne Schaffer 369; Jim Friedrich 122; Karen Stingle 183; John Schaffer 350; Ann Huckins 65; Sandy Hill 30b; Jack Lofton 73 (t? b?); Bruce MacDonald 112; Marie Brandis 34b; Craig Harris 515; Paul Booth 180; Carla Smith 74b; Reed Schilbach 61; Jacob Priestly 133; GaryLee Johnson 146; Ken Cofield 327. Chairman David Hough led the closing song on page 414b. Jim Friedrich offered the closing prayer.

Sunday, February 23

The class was reassembled on Sunday morning by Chairman David Hough leading song on page 101t. Jim Friedrich offered the opening prayer. Leaders: Ken Cofield 71; Jerry Schreiber 66; Darlene Simpson-Brown 548; Susan Helf 299; Hardin King 155; Kathy Vlach 84; Bruce Rowland 551; Buell Cobb 131b; Jinx McGuire 117; Kate Moore 481; Reed Schilbach 312b; Craig Brandis195; Jim Friedrich 347; Arlene Cavanaugh 532; Sandy Hill 86; Jack Lofton 31t; Carla Smith 440; Katharine Hough 378b; Joanne Hoover 40.

RECESS

Karen Willard brought the class to order leading song on page 72b. Leaders: Rodney Willard 49b (using words from 171); Shannon McGuire 107; Midge Harder 52t; Marcia Cutler 410t; Jean Murphy 380; John Schaffer 352; Marie Brandis 344; Anne Huckins 503; Gerald Currents 63; Linda Finney 504; Marcia Stedman 209; Jacob Priestley 277.

Memorial Lesson: Buell Cobb spoke of the many good friends and fellow singers we have lost this year, and drew our attention, in particular, to the words as we sang 83t for: Bonnie Ashley, Hazel Cagle, Jimmy Causey, Delta Wootten, and Tom Harper—Alabama; Janice Mae Nelson—Washington; Don Johnson—Colorado; Jeffrey Foster Slattery—Virginia; Quay Smathers—North Carolina; Chris Whiting—United Kingdom; Ken Arkin, Patti Benner, Delbert Dick, Joyce Fisher, Herbert Buckingham Khanty, Mabel Charlotte Smith, and Mary Southern. Craig Brandis led song on page 163b for the deceased.

Darlene Simpson-Brown led 73b for the following sick and shut-ins: John Andrist, Catherine Cessna, Betty Chamberlain, Audrey Karabinus, Dario Landazuri, Elizabeth Mills, Marilyn Osterman, Clara Parsons, Barry Sullivan, and Melvin Thompson.

Leaders: Hugh Bill McGuire 119; David Hough 29 (t? b?); Gary Plouff 567; John Kellerman 106; Cindy Willard Danner 159; Jeanne Schaffer 295; Karen Stingle 273; Jane Campbell 479; James Brock 354b; Suzanne Denker 385b; Craig Harris 566; Anita Landess 358. Craig Brandis offered grace for the noon meal.

LUNCH

Leaders: David Hough 480; Jean Marcotte 196; Midge Harder 114; Joanne Hoover 313 (t? b?); Hugh Bill McGuire 286; Carla Smith 236; Sandy Hill 99; Gary Plouff 42; Craig Brandis 386; Jean Murphy 45t; Katharine Hough 442; Linda Finney 455; Helen Graham 82t; Jacob Priestley 324; Susan Helf 189; Anne Huckins 56b; Shannon McGuire 47b; Jack Lofton 362b; Arlene Cavanaugh 164; Karen Willard 160b; Ken Cofield 192.

RECESS

Leaders: Buell Cobb 74 (t? b?); Paul Robinson 151; John Kellerman 47t; Anita Landess 68b; James Brock 184; Gerald Currents 178; Jean Schaffer 294; Cindy Willard Danner 85; Karen Stingle 340; Marcia Stedman 146. Business session.

For the Resolutions Carla Smith said, “We would like to offer our thanks to:

1. our Creator, who has given us the gift of music and the gift of friendship;
2. the visitors who came from all over the country to lend their voices to the singing;
3. the local singers who hosted the out-of-towners, who cooked for us, drove us around, and saw to our needs so well;
4. the officers and committees who organized the singing so effectively;
5. the keyer and the front bench tenors for their hard work to make this a good singing;
6. and most importantly, to Buell Cobb, our singing master, who took time out of his busy schedule to travel farther away from home than he has ever been, to share the wealth of his experience with us and lend his fine voice to the singing”.

David Hough led song on page 62, and all who wished took the parting hand. The class was dismissed with prayer led by Jim Friedrich.

Chairman—David Hough; Secretary—Kathy Vlach.