Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, October 5

The 38th New England Sacred Harp Convention held at Great Salt Bay School, Damariscotta, Maine, was called to order by Corrone Bryant leading 77t. Richard Mauldin offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Barb Ames 40; Elizabeth Stoddard 32t; Debby Bliss 47t; Bobbie Goodell 474; Bruce Voyles 344; Clara Fagan and Pat Callahan 276; John Martin 354t; Ally Talbot 163b; Ian Ludders 132; Molly Merrett 406; Robert Dove 473; Deborah Marsh 155; Ben Sachs-Hamilton 148; Susan Jaster 157; Pleasance Crawford 293; Bob Parr 430; Ellen Lueck 404; Scott Luscombe 547; Linda Shea 330t; Bill Holt 150; Alexa Gilmore 29t; Terry Ryan 218; Pat Callahan 558; Willis McCumber 92; Philippa Stoddard 275t; Myles Louis Dakan 391; Christina Andrews 400; George Sigut 178; Joanne Fuller 179.

The following officers were elected or appointed to serve: Chairman—Corrone Bryant; Vice Chairman—Barb Ames; Secretary—Alexa Gilmore; Finance Officer—Robert Stoddard; Memorial Committee—Ian Quinn and Paula Picton.

RECESS

Chris Holley led 105 to bring the class back together. Leaders: Angharad Davis 352; Frances Bliss 193; Emily Hancock 192; Charles Cofone 35; Mary Skidmore 505; John Plunkett 466; Ina Shea 462; Edwin Macadam 280; Betsy Jeronen 440; Ben Bath 411; Elene Stovall 142; Richard Mauldin 446; Jean Seiler 217; Hubert Nall 168; Robert Stoddard 319; Kris Paprocki 208; Ann Flight 388; Traci Naylor 209; Kyle 49b; Corrone Bryant 503. Wayne Newell dismissed the class with a blessing.

LUNCH

Barb Ames brought the class back to order leading 99. Leaders: Christina Wallin 186; Peter Golden 556; Maura Burns 195; Emma Rose Brown 322; Ian Quinn 488; Sheila Girling Macadam 553; Paula Picton 422; Mel Novner 182; Ruth Wampler 316; Cheri Hardy 58; Chris Noren 369; Carly Goss 542; Neely Bruce 340; Mary Jo Shafer 378t; Aldo Ceresa 431; Liz Cantrell 207; Leonard Spencer 95; Liora O’Donnell Goldensher 187; Dan Hertzler 426b; Jenny Wright 272; Sasha Hsuczyk 144; Ishmael Stefanov-Wagner 189; Ann Kazlauskas 173; Chris McKnight 70b; Julie Botnick 93; Mike Woineski 82t; Celia Devine 362; John Travers 515; Kathe Pilibosian 532; Barb Ames and Corrone Bryant led 34b as the birthday song for all October birthdays, in keeping with the Maine tradition.

RECESS

Liz Cantrell called the class back together by leading 384. Leaders: Myles Dakan 495; Betsy Jeronen 112; Sasha Hsuczyk 414; Ben Sachs-Hamilton 200; Chris Holley 551; Dan Hertzler 39t; Chris McKnight 500; Kris Paprocki 284; Molly Merrett 445; Ina Shea 329; Chris Noren 269; Ally Talbot 472; Carly Goss 108b; Robert Stoddard 498; Francis Bliss 209; Ellen Lueck 138t; Neely Bruce 380; Maura Burns 376.

Corrone Bryant and Barb Ames led 347 as the closing song. Liz Cantrell offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, October 6

The Sunday session of the New England Sacred Harp Singing Convention was called to order by Barb Ames leading 59. Joanne Fuller offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Alexa Gilmore 68b; Christina Wallin 313t; Elizabeth Stoddard 545; Terry Ryan 540; Mary Skidmore 111b; Sumner Roberts 154; Angharad Davis 50t; Mel Novner 42; Emily Hancock 40; Bobbie Goodell 344; Robert Dove 287; Christine Andrews 474; Julie Botnick 465; Scott Luscombe 254; Maura Burns 312b; Robert Stoddard 486; Cheri Hardy 99; Myles Louis Dakan 349; Mary Jo Shafer 290; John Travers 36b; Liora O’Donnell Goldensher 423; Ishmael Stefanov-Wagner 183; Pleasance Crawford 476; Leonard Spencer 250; Jenny Wright 383; Ben Sachs-Hamilton 198; Deborah Marsh, Elizabeth Stoddard, and Dorothy Connor 473; Chris Holley and Clara Fagan 159 (in memory of Bess Honaker); Corrone Bryant and Barb Ames 171.

RECESS

Elene Stovall and Aldo Ceresa called the class back to order leading 475. Leaders: Liz Cantrell 101t; Peter Golden 76b; Traci Naylor 388; Mike Woineski 33b; Celia Devine 326; John Martin 489; Philippa Stoddard 507 (in memory of Josie Hyde); Bill Holt 73t.

Ian Quinn led 30b for the following sick and homebound: Kermit Adams, Ozella Blackmon, Shelbie Sheppard, Stella Pratt, Sammie Oliver, S.T. Reed, Toney Smith, Claudene Townson, Steven Townson, Phillip Wootten, Linn Smith, Peter Frank, David Wampler, John Conley, Sarah Hauser, Karin Zervas, David McCumber, and Loraine Bayer.

Paula Picton led 303 in memory of the following deceased: Frances Bliss, Bess Honaker, Hal Tucker, Jason Raymond, Susan Bisbee—Maine; Josie Hyde, Charles Creel, Leona Haynes, Myrtle Ann Beasley, Pernie Adams Pelfrey, Bud Oliver, Lessie Reed, Gertrude DeLong, Jeff Sheppard—Alabama; Clayton Ezell—Tennessee; Diane Mennella, Rosemary Hamilton, Audrey Wiscera, Charles Waide, Dean McNeil—New York; Ed Hylander—California; Barbara Savard, William Durkin, Marion O’Donnell, Robert O. Smith—Massachusetts; Mary Louise Sunderland, Harry Thompson—Vermont; Leslie Smith—Utah; Evelyn Steinruck, Nancy Wyllie—Pennsylvania; Barbara Holt-Littlejohn—Florida; Rachel Willard Smith, Margaret Stiffler—Washington; Violet Thomason, Nancy Yeager—Georgia; Cheryl Stroud—Quebec; Watsana—Thailand. Paula Picton closed the memorial lesson with a prayer.

Leaders: Kathe Pilibosian 542; Ian Ludders 348b; Susan Jaster 94; Bob Parr 377; Sasha Hsuczyk 39t; Willis McCumber 396; Ann Kazlauskas 447; George Sigut 86. Robert Dove led 180 before the noon meal, and asked a blessing.

LUNCH

Corrone Bryant called the class back to order leading 73b. Leaders: Pat Callahan 538; Hubert Nall 176b; Ruth Wampler and Traci Naylor 57; Kyle 91; Sheila Girling Macadam 546; Richard Mauldin 146; Aldo Ceresa 522; Elene Stovall 216 (in memory of Diane Mennella); Edwin Macadam 528; John Plunkett 517; Emma Rose Brown 419; Beth Bath 392; Jean Seiler 492; Ian Quinn 436; Joanne Fuller 439; Robert Stoddard 464; Bruce Voyles 163b; Elsa Phemayotin 29b; Hal Booth 236; Ann Flight and Elizabeth Stoddard 454; Liora O’Donnell Goldensher 532; Mel Novner 203; Liz Cantrell 34t; Susan Jaster 71; Terry Ryan 408; Mary Skidmore 448t; Bob Parr 53; Mary Jo Shafer 225t; Ian Ludders 228.

RECESS

Richard Mauldin led 358 to bring the class together. Leaders: Willis McCumber 201; Ishmael Stefanov-Wagner 550; Jenny Wright 313b; Sumner Roberts 271t; Anne Kazlauskas 376; Scott Luscombe 506; Celia Devine 147b; Claudia Smigelski 569b.

A business meeting was held to hear committee reports, and it was moved and approved that Maine should be permanently entered into the rotation of locations for the New England Sacred Harp Convention, after Vermont and before Massachusetts. The meeting was adjourned.

Announcements were made. Corrone Bryant and Barb Ames led 62 as the closing song. Richard Mauldin offered the closing prayer.

Chairman—Corrone Bryant; Vice Chairman—Barb Ames; Secretary—Alexa Gilmore