Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, January 17

The 27th annual All-California Sacred Harp Convention was held at the Harrison Recreation Center, Lincoln Park, Alameda, California, on the third Sunday and Saturday before in January. The class was called to order by Jeff Begley leading 275t. Jim Friedrich offered the opening prayer.

A business meeting was held and the following officers were elected: Chairman—Jennie Brown; Vice Chairman—Mairye Bates; Secretary—Betty Marvin; Treasurer—Terry Barber.

Leaders: Jennie Brown 101t; Betty Marvin 540; Greg Freed 339; Linda Selph 68b; Susan Fetcho 421; Leigh Cooper 418; Mary Gowins 135; Lindy Groening 498; Erika Wilson 201; David Fetcho 440; Tom Ayres 260; Rebecca Edwards 85; Linda Berkemeier 480; Mark Godfrey 277; Terry Barber 210; Edward Rice 48t; Dave Barber 362; Carolyn Deacy 224; Caroline Bonnet 401; Dan Harper 268; Matthew Lawson 312b.

RECESS

The class was called back together by Julian Damashek and Lucy O’Leary leading 36b. Leaders: Chris Thorman 269; Linnea Sablosky 285t; Will Fitzgerald 56b; Shani Aviram 377; Hannah Mae Blair 271t; Hugh McGuire 240; Linda Booth 198; Terry Moore 422; Colleen Dougher 442; James Welsch 436; Janet Herman 500; Esteban Veliz 228; Marilyn Murata 456; Pat Coghlan 272; Terry Barber and Mary Gowins 59.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Lindy Groening and Clarissa Fetrow leading 82t. Leaders: Phil Jensen 569b; Beth Fitzgerald and Will Fitzgerald 131t; Jeri Segal 411; Gordon Rees 539; Ruth Warkentin and Stephen O’Leary 49b; Jim Friedrich 300; Rick Russell 446; Dorothy Robinson 106; Steve Cackley 378t; Bob Jost and David Olson 535; Erik Schwab 538; Joanne Orengo and David McFarlane 472; Kate Coxon 344; Bruce Coates 150; Susan Willis-Powers 38b; Steve Warner and Betty Lou Bradshaw 474; Clarissa Fetrow 182; Sean Francis Conway 491; Nancy Price 107. Jim Friedrich offered the prayer before the noon meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session began with David Fetcho leading 105. Leaders: Steve Helwig 371; Karen Willard 485; Laura Boyd Russell 384; Paul Lindholm 187; Sally Langendorf 548; Mary Rose O’Leary 183; Sara Kostka 503; Betsy Jeronen 573; Beverly Coates 448t; Kevin Barrans 209; Cornelia Stanton 350; James Baumgartner 319; Stephanie Fida 400; Isaac O’Leary, Lucy O’Leary, and Rachel O’Leary 155; Anne Heider 546; Brad Knoke 153; Claire Singleton 455; Franziska Schmidt 131b; Thom Fahrbach 531; David Hawes 365; Kate Fine 149; Leslie Alperin 163b.

RECESS

The class was called together by Linda Domholt leading 70b. Leaders: David Wright 556; Maggie Dougher 133; Ana Tighe 200; Mary Taylor 532; Elaine Denny 270 (for Jerry Schreiber and Carla Smith); Ted Mercer 391; Clinton Davis 426t; Stephen O’Leary 497; Karen Stingle 203; John Wiens 95; Anna Stoerch 72b; Eleanor Glewwe 42; Bob Schinske 67; Peter Ross 99; Lu Zeng 489; Alison Fisher 122; Leland Kusmer 306; William Price 168; Shelley Phillips 86; Susan Turpin 33b; Robin Woolner 448b; Ellen Auriti 47t; Aaron Silverman 40; Peter Stenshoel and Eunice Stenshoel 313b; Annalise Perone 352; Bob Brylawski 236; Jane Hancock 335.

Announcements were made. Jennie Brown led 176t as the closing song. Jim Friedrich offered the closing prayer.

Sunday, January 18

The Sunday session of the All-California Convention was called to order by Jennie Brown leading 276. Linda Selph offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Greg Freed 154; Mark Godfrey 37b; Dave Barber 164; Lindy Groening 61; Bob Brylawski 163t; Hannah Mae Blair 332; Laura Boyd Russell 298; Franziska Schmidt 30b; Tom Ayres 178; Kevin Barrans 34t; Terry Barber 32t; Kate Fine 77b; Rebecca Edwards 283; Chris Thorman 313b; Matthew Lawson 148; Caroline Bonnet 101b; Cornelia Stanton 171; Gretchen Muller 565; Mary Rose O’Leary 379 (for her brother-in-law, Donald Clark); Mary Ann Ciavonne 146.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Leland Kusmer leading 71. Leaders: Thom Fahrbach 432; Robin Woolner 315; Inder Khalsa 29t; Leah Coffin 268; Brad Knoke 348b; Jeri Segal 372; Susan Fetcho 474; David Olson 49t; Linda Berkemeier 471; Rachel O’Leary 290; Paul Lindholm 386; Anne Heider 192; Stephanie Fida 202; Edward Rice 273; Karen Stingle 475; Claire Singleton and Leslie Alperin 452 (for David McPherson’s birthday); Carolyn Deacy 430; Jeff Begley 416; Betsy Jeronen 560; James Baumgartner 112.

RECESS

The class was called to order by Julian Damashek and Rebecca Edwards leading 82t. Leaders: Linda Domholt 235; Betty Marvin 274b; Lucy O’Leary 550; Erika Wilson 539; Leslie Alperin 504; Linda Booth 397; Sean Francis Conway 111b.

The memorial lesson was held at this time. Will Fitzgerald spoke and led 147t for the following sick and shut-ins: Adrienne Papermaster, Tammy Ziola, Karen Mathews, Bernice Harvey, Donald Clark, Tom Ambrogi, Joe Harrington, Barry Phillips, Curtis Owen, Edith Owen, Rose Warnock, Shelby Sampson, Nan Budinger, Molly Fisher, Robert W. Jenson, Bea Friesth, Doris Magregor, Jerry Schreiber, Carla Smith, Duke Miller, Shisue Sugimoto, John Shaffer, John Fruin, Hilde Ward, and Andrew Robert Luke.

Pat Coghlan spoke and led 547 for the following deceased: Nadine Willard, Judy Roth, Lisa Moats, Michael Alsburg, Justin White, Sally J. Coghlan, Shirley Begley, Elijah Dymant, Andrew Olson, Fred Mercer May, Fumie Murata, Alfonso Schettini, Clautille Louis, Brenda Hansen, Mike Shields, John Messenger—California; Julie Rogers, Jerry Jeronen, Jack Berry, Ralph Smith, Michael Eichmann, Renee Windsor, Jack Fitch, Stanly Edwards—Oregon; Wayne Brumly, Doris Hanks, Wesley Nations—Texas; Eleanor Anderson, Timothy Florravit—Pennsylvania; David Rust, Janet Davis—Indiana; Gordon Willis—Massachusetts; Susan Smith—Colorado; Raymond Hamrick—Georgia; Liam Casement—Maine; Lisa Branson—New York; Carol Harper—New Mexico; Mary Friedlander—Washington; Richard Sterne—Utah; Don Ward—North Carolina; Virginia Lee Tolley Duke—Tennessee; Ursula Neinast—Germany; Barbara Ivan—Bali. By request, 503 was sung in memory of Raymond Hamrick. Linda Selph offered a prayer to close the memorial lesson.

Leaders: David Fetcho 409; Karen Willard 532; Steve Helwig 311. Linda Selph offered the prayer before the noon meal.

LUNCH

The class was called to order by Hannah Mae Blair leading 339. Leaders: Dan Harper 66 (in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.); Steve Warner 84; Ellen Lueck 377; Will Fitzgerald 300; Erik Schwab 543; Leland Kusmer 368; Evelyn Lamb 505; Bruce Coates 515; William Price 441; Clarissa Fetrow 174; Anna Stoerch 327; Bob Schinske 396; Ted Mercer 132; Beverly Coates 499 (for her parents); David Wright 47b; John Wiens 370; Kate Coxon 349; Greg Freemon 419; Steve Cackley 423; Nancy Price 31t.

RECESS

The class was called back together by Edward Rice leading 34b. Leaders: Jim Friedrich 347; Rick Russell 536; Annalise Perone 108b; Peter Stenshoel 426b; Marilyn Murata 506; Ana Tighe 428; James Welsch 260; Susan Willis-Powers 501; Stephen O’Leary, Rachel O’Leary, and Lucy O’Leary 77t; Lu Zeng 159; Eleanor Glewwe 162; Melissa Stephenson 144; Esteban Veliz 186; Mary Taylor 318; Alison Fisher 282; Peter Ross 38t; Elaine Denny 567; Colleen Dougher and Maggie Dougher 102; Terry Moore 218; Linda Selph 97; Cecil Godfrey and family 40.

A business meeting was held. The Treasurer reported that expenses were met. The Secretary reported that at least 212 people sang 209 songs with 114 leaders, and singers came from at least eleven US states and Germany. The Resolutions Committee, Claire Singleton and Alexander Cotton, thanked the officers and committees, chaplains, keyers, arrangers, registrars, cooks, and all others who made the singing possible, and resolved to meet next year in San Diego for the 28th All-California Sacred Harp Convention. Announcements were made.

The officers led 62 as the closing song. Linda Selph offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Jennie Brown; Vice Chairman—Mairye Bates; Secretary—Betty Marvin