Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, February 14

The 24th annual Pacific Northwest Sacred Harp Convention, Washington Session, was called to order by Susan Helf leading 49t. Nancy Price offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Kate Coxon 114; Karen Willard 28t; Anne Huckins 39t; Darlene Simpson-Brown 391 (for Bill and Nancy Price, who are moving away).

The class held a business session, and the following officers were approved: Chairman—Kevin Barrans; Rising Chairman—Clarissa Fetrow; Treasurer—Adam Berey; Secretary—Lu Zeng. The business session was closed.

Leaders: Bill Price 163b; Marcia Stedman 107; Bob Schinske 82b; Destiny Woods 347; Jim Friedrich 183; Roger Campbell 277; Erik Schwab 464; Jinx McGuire 171; Kevin Beirne 45t; John Wiens 89; Kate Fortin 315; Katharine Hough 47b.

RECESS

Jeff Begley called the class back to order by leading 82t. Leaders: Kathy Vlach 34b; Nicholas Taylor 421; Heidi Kissinger 30t; Aubrey Hemminger 142; Nancy Price 148; David Wright 272; David Hough, Lindsey Pisani, and Liz Minnix 53; Anna Stoerch 172; Greg Saue 147t; Shannon McGuire 196; Karl Oswald, Margaret Hardy Oswald, and Mercy Primrose Oswald 569b; Mary Rose O’Reilley 500; Jim Van Horn 454; Wing Mui 300; Kate Fine 369; Ana Tighe 362; Dan Harper 209; Bruce Rowland 270.

RECESS

Scott Kennedy led 228 to bring the class back to order. Leaders: Lu Zeng 569t; Ethan Hardy 87; Karen Stingle 254; Reed Schilbach 297; Adam Berey 294; Scott Kennedy 549; Steve Cackley 489; Elizabeth Riggs 479; Mary Taylor 106; Marilyn Murata 105; Clarissa Fetrow 430; Linda Selph 349; Harrison Deadwood 535; Ginny Landgraf 419; Eva Striebeck 383. Nancy Price offered a blessing before the noon meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was called to order by William Price leading 111b. Leaders: Betsy Jeronen 112; Jennie Brown 460; Bethany Towne 279; Steve Helwig 352; Lindy Groening 472; Stephanie Fida 385t; Evelyn Lamb 370; Erika Wilson 275t; Pat Coghlan 38t; Mary Gowins 530; Mryka Hall-Beyer 135; Jack Lofton 475; Elaine Denny 378b; Thom Fahrbach 436; Jerry Creason 56b; Caroline Helmeczi 440; Alberta Hardy 426t; Nell Whitman 42; Carolyn Gilkey and Laura Bentle 344; Sean MacPherson 235; Jean Murphy 335.

RECESS

Lindy Groening called the class back to order by leading 81t. Leaders: Melissa Stephenson 134; Jordan Singer 77t; Dorothy Robinson 506; Linda Berkemeier 145b; Kevin Barrans, Gaea Singer, and Bill Zuehl 108b; Adam Berey and Rebecca Allen 63; David Hough and Jack Caldwell 448t; Jennie Brown and Juniper Shuey 313b; Susan Helf 377; Eva Striebeck 102; Dan Harper 345b; Bill Walters 444; Nancy Price and Zoe Scofield 47t; Kate Coxon 58; Ginny Landgraf 433; Linda Selph 217; Stephanie Fida 399b; Lindy Groening 74b; Bethany Towne 351; Mary Gowins 318.

Kevin Barrans and Clarissa Fetrow led 348b as the closing song. Nancy Price offered a closing prayer.

Much of the class retired for the evening, but Kevin Barrans presided over a small composium for those who wished to stay. Composers Adam Berey, Ethan Hardy, Kevin Barrans, and David Wright led the class in singing their compositions. The class was ample with feedback and admiration.

Sunday, February 15

The Sunday session of the Pacific Northwest Sacred Harp Convention, Washington Session, was called to order by Kevin Barrans leading 52t.

John Wiens offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: John Wiens 38b; Nancy Price and Alastair Pringle 350; Wing Mui 228; Clarissa Fetrow 101t; Lucinda Saue 178; David Hough 496; Elizabeth Riggs 497; Bill Walters 547; Matt Ebarb 344; Nicholas Taylor 294; Kathy Vlach 143; Nell Whitman 66; Jordan Singer 330b; Reed Schilbach 501; Greg Saue 99.

RECESS

Thom Fahrbach led 65 to bring the class back to order. Leaders: Kate Fine and Alastair Pringle 282; Jake Hachey 312b; Students from the Evergreen State College 354b, 46; Bruce Rowland 551; Destiny Woods 328; Bob Schinske 320; Students from the Evergreen State College 268; Jim Friedrich 163t; Kari Lundgren 353; Elaine Denny 372; Students from the Evergreen State College 267, 45t; Adam Berey 159; Mryka Hall-Beyer and Anne Cowling 327; Jack Lofton 528; Karen Stingle 503.

RECESS

Stephanie Fida called the class back to order by leading 445. Leaders: Betsy Jeronen 573; Carol Selleck 354t; Pat Coghlan 474.

Lucinda Saue read the list of names of the sick and shut-ins, followed by a prayer. She led 171 for the following: Tammi Ziola, Hugh Clark, Cathryn Bearov, Sr., Wallace Bradberry, Adrienne Papermaster, Paul Brueggermeier, Mary Metzger, Tracy Jalbuena, Kirk Lundgren, Shisue Sugimoto, John Shaffer, John Fruin, Hilde Ward, Tom Bilbro, Bernice Harvey, and Carla Smith.

Bill Price shared a meditation on the bonds that connect our community and remembered those who have passed on, leading 347 in memory of Donald Glor, Sally Coghlan, Jean Williams, Boyd Dion, Fred Mercer, Fumie Murata, Alfonso Shettini, Clautille Louis, Brenda Hansen, Mike Shields, Joe Nishimura, Nadine Willard—California; Dean McMurray, Zander Whitman, Wilma Onan, Jerry Freundlich, Velma Southerland, Carol Parrish—Washington; Ruth Ross, Jeff Eaton, Julie Rogers, Jerry Jeronen, Renee Windwor—Oregon; David Wampler, Eleanor Anderson, Timothy Florravit—Pennsylvania; Bill Aplin, Sammie Oliver, Tom Maxwell—Alabama; David Rust, Janet Davis—Indiana; Bob Sullivan—Illinois; Susan Smith—Colorado; Wayne Brumley—Texas; Stanly Edwards—Oregon / Alabama; Raymond Hamrick—Georgia; Richard Brandt—Minnesota. John Wiens offered a prayer to close the memorial lesson.

The class resumed singing with the following leaders: Darlene Simpson-Brown 337; Jerry Creason, Ann Sibole, and Nikki Swingle 192; Sam Bennett 410t; Linda Berkemeier 566. John Wiens offered thanks for the meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was called to order by Wing Mui leading 155. Leaders: David Wright 189; Kate Coxon 29t; Jen Rymut 89; Mary Gowins 546; Eva Striebeck 455; Kevin Barrans 465; Jennie Brown 505; Linda Selph 396; Bethany Towne 411; Erik Schwab 538; Jonathan Levy-Wolins and Micah Hull-Levy-Wolins 383; Ginny Landgraf 504; Evelyn Lamb 390; Lindy Groening 500; Caroline Helmeczi and Tova Houpt 49b; Peter Schinske 272; Dan Harper 269; Jeff Begley 158; Kate Fortin 498; Mary Taylor 218; Jinx McGuire 148; Marilyn Murata 423; Scott Kennedy 162; Katharine Hough 236.

RECESS

Eva Striebeck led 37t. Leaders: Apollo Gott and Benjamin Smith 472; Rachael Ashley and Katharine Hough 376; Kevin Beirne 457; Ethan Hardy 138t; Stephanie Fida 486; Steve Helwig 227; Thom Fahrbach 416; Kramer Klein 215; Karen Willard, Ken Hallock, and Dudley Willard 79; Ana Tighe 387; Steve Cackley 204; Robert Pavelchek and Molly Pumfrey 338; Marla Elliott 86; Shannon McGuire and Rachel Kessler 142; Karl Oswald 179; Susan Helf and Gayla Bradberry 72b; Alberta Hardy 425; Sean McPherson 348t; Anne Huckins 384; Elaine Denny 146.

A business session was held to hear reports. The Treasurer reported that all expenses were covered by the generous offering. The Arranging Committee reported 191 total attendees from 13 US states, 2 Canadian provinces, and 1 additional country (Germany), and that leaders called 165 songs. The Resolutions Committee (Kate Fortin and Stephanie Fida) thanked all who worked to make the convention a success. Announcements were made, and the business session was closed.

Kevin Barrans and Clarissa Fetrow led 62 as the closing song, and all who wished took the parting hand. John Wiens closed the convention with prayer.

Chairman—Kevin Barrans; Rising Chairman—Clarissa Fetrow; Secretary—Lu Zeng