Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Thursday, June 13

The 34th session of the National Sacred Harp Convention was called to order by Mark Davis leading 37b. The opening prayer was offered by Jesse Roberts.

Leaders: Gaston White 155; Hubert Nall 82t; Buell Cobb 81b; Cheryl Foreman 492; Jesse Roberts 173; Helen Brown 145t; Mike Hinton 145b; Mary Whitehurst 33b; Gary Smith 66; Judy Chambless 213t; Henry Guthery 456; Marlin Beasley 336; Bea Aaron 112; Richard Mauldin 84; Jim Aaron 503; Henry Johnson 289; Joe Nall 430; Bridgett Kennedy 391; Daniel Gray 460; Kathy Folsom 218; Jeff Adcock 108t; Danny Creel 269; Ernest Cockcroft 159.

RECESS

Sonny Erwin brought the class back to order leading 34b. Leaders: Jack Nelson 480; Sarah Beasley 340; Ryan Bowman 448t; Charlotte Ehrman 383; Delone Cobbs and Jennifer Clay family 569b; Natalie Davis and Corissa Sweatt 61.

The Convention went into a business session with the following officers and committees elected and/or appointed as follows: Chairman—Mark Davis; Co-Vice Chairmen—Buell Cobb, Gaston White, and Hubert Nall; Chaplain—Jesse Roberts; Secretaries—Kathy Williams and Cheryl Foreman; Arranging Committee—Helen Brown and Mary Whitehurst; Resolutions Committee—Gary Smith and Janet Fraembs; Memorial Committee—Mike Hinton and Jeff Adcock.

Leaders: Robert Chambless 163b; Sharon Lehr 270; Bill Hereford 63; Nell Whitman 148; Morgan Bunch 500; Clinton Davis 34t; Beth Anne Clay 542; Micah Roberts 178; Douglas Fower 217; Daniel Bearden 450; Nicole Bowman 211; Lisa Bennett 504; Joe Vickers 474; Clarissa Fetrow 131b; David Brodeur 283; Karen Willard 543; Margaret Gillanders 564; Carroll Lunsford 303; Eugene Forbes 208. Jesse Roberts offered the blessing for the noon meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was brought to order by Henry Guthery leading 76b. Leaders: Donald Bardsley 441; Dick Patterson 228; Sean Francis Conway and Carroll Lunsford 426t; Deborah Marsh and Buell Cobb 276; Helen Bryson 522; Ted Brown 187; Lauren Bock 325; Melanie Hauff 215; David Smead 440; Sue Bunch 497; Judy Hauff 377; Jesse P. Karlsberg 396; Cecelia Kramer 168; Sonny Erwin 472; Dorothea Maynard 196; Rachel Hall 181; Jonathon Smith 214.

RECESS

Richard Mauldin brought the class back together leading 43. Leaders: Jeff Begley 70b; Elene Stovall 172; Nate Green and Norma Green 348b; Barb Patterson 153; Cora Sweatt 111b; Karen Ivey and David Ivey 103; Karen Willard 447; Susan Cherones 300; Jerry Schreiber 306; Linda Thomas 123t; Ron Bernucho 452; Becky Briggs 234.

Mark Davis led 240 to close Thursday’s session. The closing prayer was offered by Jesse Roberts.

Friday, June 14

Friday’s session of the National Convention was opened by Mark Davis leading 42. Jesse Roberts offered the opening prayer. Leaders: Gaston White 68b; Hubert Nall 313t; Buell Cobb 493; Cheryl Foreman 481; Helen Brown 182; Mike Hinton 475; Jeff Adcock 97; Mary Whitehurst 77t; Sonny Erwin 113; Beverly Dayton 56b; Richard Mauldin 446; Hazel Heinze and Jeff Adcock 63; Arlon Gardner 277; Lynda Hambourger 327; Marlin Beasley 282; Len VanderJagt and Carol VanderJagt 569b; Carolyn Thompson 500; Nancy Lee Newell 276; Robert Walker 480; Philip Denny 142; Linda Sides 225t.

RECESS

The class reconvened with Angela Myers leading 145t. Leaders: Nell Whitman and Melissa Musick 102; Dick Patterson and Barb Patterson 399t; Bill Stewart 452; Ainslie Allen 124; Corissa Sweatt and Natalie Davis 146; Sharon Lehr 178; David Carlton 492; Micah Roberts 155; Kate Coxon 108b; Lindy Groening and Peggy Groening 326; Cassie Allen and Sarah Hardy 304; Stanley Smith 217; Sharon DuPriest 216; Benjamin Smith 496; Nate Green and Norma Green 270; Geraldine Sharpton 318; Warren Steel 360; Lomax Ballinger 300; Anne Heider 192; Susan Posey 198; Tommie Spurlock 430; Matt Hinton 436; Daphene Causey 242; Mark Godfrey, Leigh Godfrey, and Cecil Godfrey 556; Jonathon Smith 225t; Wendy Futral 340. The blessing for the noon meal was offered by Henry Johnson.

LUNCH

Sonny Erwin brought the class together by leading 568. Leaders: Jeff Begley 545; Jennifer Clay and William Clay 159; Larry Ballinger 224; Elene Stovall 283; Karen Rollins 365; Rodney Ivey 83b; Lauren Bock 343; Leon Ballinger 280; Angela Myers 101t; Jesse P. Karlsberg 208; Ila Ingle 411; Helen Bryson 328; Tim Cook 287; Carla Smith, Velma Lunsford, and Carroll Lunsford 92; Beth Anne Clay and Anna Grace Sipe 358; Susan Cherones 107; Jerry Schreiber and Carroll Lunsford 550; Helen Brown, Cheryl Foreman, and Sonny Erwin 472 (for Kathy and C.T. Williams); Dorothea Maynard 196; Richard Mauldin 35; Clinton Davis 345b; Bea Aaron 341; Gary Smith 344; Melanie Hauff 203; Mark Davis 236; Sean Francis Conway 38b; Nicole Bowman 163t; Daniel Gray 163b; Margaret Gillanders 391; Ryan Bowman 164; Lindy Groaning 497; Joe Vickers 464; Karen Willard 498.

Mark Davis led 46 as the closing song. The closing prayer was offered by Matt Hinton.

Saturday, June 15

The Saturday session of the National Convention was called to order by Mark Davis leading 126. Jesse Roberts offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Gaston White 99; Hubert Nall 566; Buell Cobb 52t; Cheryl Foreman 498; Jesse Roberts 180; Mary Whitehurst 515; Mike Hinton 400; Sonny Erwin 111b; Helen Brown 426b; Jeff Adcock 535; Sarah Beasley 354b; Robert Chambless 72b; Sarah Vaillancourt 63; Cora Sweatt 30t; Charlotte Ehrman 549; Morgan Bunch 428; Diane Lollar and Cheryl Foreman 354t; Jim Aaron 47b; Sue Bunch 547; Kathy Folsom 340; James Marshall 85; Judy Chambless 540; Ron Bernucho 268.

RECESS

Mary Whitehurst and Helen Brown brought the class back to order by leading 319. Leaders: Nancy Lee Newel 209; Micah Roberts 168; Jack Nelson 560; Ann Webb 142; Linda Hambourger 317; Ted Brown 339; Linda Thomas 106; Judy Hauff 528; Phil Summerlin 97; Carolyn Thompson 542; Henry Johnson 425; Arlon Gardner 67; Darlene Reynolds 490; Beverly Dayton 347.

The memorial lesson was conducted by Mike Hinton and Jeff Adcock. Mike Hinton spoke on behalf of the sick and homebound. He read the list of names and led 456. Jeff Adcock made remarks and read the following list of deceased: Willard Wright, Harvey Clark, Bud Oliver, Carmon Brothers, Mildred Brewer, Elder Bufrey Dean, Charles Creel, Leona Haynes, Myrtle Ann Beasley, Martha Howell, Pernie Pelfrey—Alabama; Floyd Smith, Nellie Davis, Virginia Carter, Aubrey Enocks—Mississippi; Violet Thomason, Gertrude DeLong, Nancy Yeager—Georgia; Don Buswell—Arkansas; Betty Curry Musick—Colorado; Eva Padgett—Florida; Lee Steinmetz, Rich Brayfield—Illinois; Barbara Hall—New Hampshire; Terry Smith Redd, Clayton Ezell—Tennessee; Poppy Gregory—Massachusetts. Joe Vickers read a scripture, and Jeff Adcock, Joe Vickers, and Judy Hauff led 452 in their memory. Jesse Roberts closed the memorial lesson with a prayer.

Leaders: John Plunkett 130; Bea Aaron 475; Daphene Causey 291. Jesse Roberts offered the blessing for the noon meal.

LUNCH

The singing reconvened with Henry Johnson leading 138b. Leaders: Sonny Erwin and Cheryl Foreman 546; Sarah Beasley, Cora Sweatt, Becky Briggs, and Seth Holloway 146; Jim Carnes 440; Nathan Rees 439; Karen Clark 234; Shane Wootten 329; Eric Tweedy 504; Sharon DuPriest 45t; Warren Steel 320; Matt Hinton 297; Ila Ingle 436; Rodney Ivey 227; Gaston White, Mary Whitehurst, and Julie Vaillancourt 66; Carroll Lunsford, Velma Lunsford, Brenda Russell, Mike Russell, and Brian Mitchell 89; Margaret Gillanders 315; Daniel Gray 384; Lynda Hambourger and Nancy Lee Newell 448t; Susan Cherones 278t.

A business session was called to order to hear committee reports. The Finance Committee thanked the Convention for contributions that were graciously sufficient to cover expenses.

The Secretary reported that 473 people from twenty-three states, the United Kingdom, and Canada registered during the Convention. There were 135 leaders, who led 238 songs. The numbers by state and country were as follows: Alabama—340; Georgia—31; Tennessee—15; Mississippi—14; California—11; Texas—10; Florida—9; Illinois—8; North Carolina—6; Washington—5; Michigan—4; Minnesota—2; New York—2; Pennsylvania—2; Colorado—1; Connecticut—1; Indiana—1; Louisiana—1; Massachusetts—1; Missouri—1; New Hampshire—1; Oregon—1; Vermont—1.

The Resolutions Committee gave the following report of the resolutions of the thirty-fourth National Sacred Harp Convention meeting in Birmingham, Alabama.

We, individually and collectively, as the thirty-fourth annual Sacred Harp Convention, hereby resolve: To thank God for giving us the spirit, will, and strength to gather to sing this music and glorify Him; To thank the pastor, staff, and congregation of First Christian Church for opening their doors to us and providing this magnificent place in which to sing; To thank Chairman Mark Davis and all the officers of this convention for their tireless efforts to make this occasion a thing of seemingly effortless joy; To thank Dustin McGowan and all those who prepared and brought the food which fed our physical bodies while the music fed our spiritual bodies; To offer appreciation to Sarah Beasley, Buell Cobb, and Warren Steel, who were members of the first National Sacred Harp Convention and have attended every year since then; To thank Sarah Beasley for opening her home to host the social which has become a tradition within the Sacred Harp community; And, we hereby resolve to gather again next year on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before the third Sunday in June to renew this convention.

Respectfully submitted: The Resolutions Committee—Gary Smith and Janet Fraembs. A motion was made and carried to accept the reports and add them to the minutes. The business session was closed.

Leaders: Joe Vickers 318; Charlotte Ehrman 147t; Jesse Roberts and Micah Roberts 84; Ryan Bowman and Nicole Bowman 312b; Morgan Bunch, Sue Bunch, and Beverly Dayton 203; Helen Brown and Ted Brown 532; Natalie Davis and Corissa Sweatt 445; Judy Hauff and Melanie Hauff 434.

The officers led 62 as the traditional closing song of the Convention, and those who wished took the parting hand. Jesse Roberts offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Mark Davis; Vice Chairmen—Buell Cobb, Gaston White, and Hubert Nall; Secretaries—Kathy Williams and Cheryl Foreman