Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, October 17

The 24th annual Oregon portion of the Pacific Northwest Sacred Harp Singing Convention was held at the Milwaukie Community Club, Milwaukie, Oregon, on the third Sunday and Saturday before in October. Tom McTighe and Kate Fine called the class to order leading 448b. Dorothy Robinson offered the morning prayer.

A business meeting was held and the following officers were elected: Chairperson—Tom McTighe; Vice Chairperson—Kate Fine; Treasurer—Nell Whitman; Secretary—Betsy Jeronen.

Bridgett Hill Kennedy was introduced as the singing school teacher. She stated that she is not a music scholar, but is interested and schooled in the social aspects of singing. Her talk focused on the human interactions of the singing community. She led 82t. Bridgett told of her first experience singing at Carbon Hill, Alabama, and the lasting impact it had on her. She talked about being mentored by experienced singers, and traveling around Alabama to rural churches that were so welcoming to her. She led 276, which was the first tune she led in the hollow square. She used the terminology of the social sciences to describe the Sacred Harp community as demonstrating mutual obligate symbiosis, meaning we need each other to live fully and that both the individual and the community benefit from the relationship. She also gave tips and demonstrated effective leading techniques, emphasizing minimum movement with maximum communication, and that your enthusiasm should be displayed through your voice, not your body movements.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Thom Fahrbach leading 89. Leaders: Betsy Jeronen 225t; Nell Whitman 107; Martha Sherwood 117; Tom Payne 163b; Cornelia Stanton 473; Ruby Fore 56b; Bruce Rowland 426b; Ann Huckins 350; Susan Helf 352; Dan Thoma 274t; Corinne Serfass 65; Ethan Hardy 462; Jen Rymut 498; Ana Tighe 269; Bob Schinske 197; Darlene Simpson Brown 464; Steve Cackley 41; Kate Fortin 432.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Bradley Knoke leading 410t. Leaders: Steve Tarr 433; David Wright 536; Wing Mui 142; Karen Willard 573; Erik Schwab 196; Sofia Schinske 544; Lucinda Larsen Saue 306; John Wiens and Yu Wei Li 344; Kathy Vlach 84; Laura McMurray 176b; Greg Saue 99; Kate Coxon 113; Steve Helwig 30t; Clarissa Fetrow 423; Lyle Lindsey 384; Tom McTighe 348t.

LUNCH

The class was called back to order by Kate Fine leading 33b. Leaders: Kevin Barrans 505; Natalie Sims 284; John Plunkett 354t; Gillian Inksetter 377; Stephanie Fida 215; Mike Hinton 534; Carolyn Thompson 550; Lindy Groening 419; Hugh McGuire 528; Bridgett Hill Kennedy 411; Ted Mercer 139; Steve Luttinen 192; Stacy Berkheimer 157; Jennie Brown 456; Amandeep Gill 535; John Seaton 47t; Nell Whitman 39t; Gabriel Kyne 434; Bob Hume 63; Amanda Jokerst 97; Kevin Beirne 362; Dave Barber 189.

RECESS

The class was called to order by Alberta Hardy leading 278b. Leaders: Greg Freed 472; Evelyn Lamb 397; Jeff Begley 506; Karl Oswald and Phoebe Oswald 250; Erika Wilson 201; Marilyn Murata 351; Linda Booth and Bob Jost 503; Sean MacPherson 235; Pat Coughlan 444; Carolyn Helmeczi 332; Delia Barrans 354b; Bea Aaron 475; Scott Kennedy 178; Dorothy Robinson 349; Linda Berkemeier 566; Mary Gowins 181.

Dorothy Robinson offered the closing prayer. Kate Fine invited attendees to stay for the composium to sing new tunes and give feedback to the composers.

Sunday, October 18

The Sunday session of the Pacific Northwest Sacred Harp Singing Convention was brought to order by Tom McTighe leading 28b. The morning prayer was offered by Cornelia Stanton.

Leaders: Steve Cackley 88b; Kate Fine 77b; Dorothy Robinson 33b; Jennifer Jones 162; Dan Thoma 421; Linda Berkemeier 270; Thom Fahrbach 403; Corinne Serfass 268; Kramer Klein 282; Bob Hume and Peg Faithful 38b; Tina Cramer 501; Greg Saue 163t; Stacy Berkheimer 178; Jeff Begley 539; Laura McMurray 159; Jean Murphy 171; Lyle Lindsey 40; John Wiens 179; Kathy Vlach 122; John Plunkett 297; Cornelia Stanton 480; Bridgett Hill Kennedy 383; Ann Huckins 474.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Scott Kennedy leading 228. Leaders: Lucinda Saue 532; Chrissy Rauwolf 77t; Karen Stingle 318; Kevin Barrans 230; Amandeep Gill 98; Susan Willis-Powers 538; Joey Rauwolf 448t; Mike Hinton 434; Bruce Rowland 513; Martha Sherwood 53; John Seaton 277; Hugh McGuire 82t; Clarissa Fetrow and Gillian Inksetter 245; Sophia Schinske 148.

Linda Berkemeier read the following list of names of the sick and shut-ins: Valerie Ward, Judy Linn, Mary Metzger, Paul Wyatt, Jake Hachey, Albert Whittaker, Will Marcotte, Don Fisher, Johanna Fabke, Julie Vea, Fran Ross, John Shaffer, Hilde Ward, Elle Ard, Shisue Sugimoto, Debby Zeller, Ed Rose, and James Kyne.

Steve Tarr gave the memorial lesson, and led 418 in memory of the following deceased: Caroline Bonnet, John Andrew Dunn, Alfanso Schettini, Clautille Louis, Brenda Hansen, Mike Shields, Joe Nishimura, Burdie Carter, Oscar Marin, Jim Sanchez, Zana Mokricki, Tom Fagen, and Paula Botti—California; Austin Robert, Marcy Westering, Jim Newell, Jeannie Crabtree, Renee Windsor, Tammy Ziola, Sarah Hauser, Paul Harrison, Jim Newcomb, Phyllis Quigley—Oregon; Julia Reifel, Fred Olson, Dorothy Herivel, Gary Copeland, Jim Roe, Gordy Adams, and Marilyn Rotschley—Washington; Raymond Hamrick, Joyce Harrison, Jacob Larsen—Georgia; David Wampler, Timothy Florravit, Eleanor Anderson—Pennsylvania; Brendan Egan and Ann Henry—New York; Janet Davis and David Rust—Indiana; Delores Two Bulls—South Dakota; Eveline Inksetter—Quebec; Bob Sullivan—Illinois; Clark Beyer—Minnesota; Rose Warnock—Massachusetts.

Leaders: Steve Helwig 472; Jen Rymut 298; Ted Mercer 345b; Linda Booth 273; Kevin Beirne 198; Darlene Simpson Brown 400; Steve Luttinen 387; Dave Barber 497; Bradley Knoke 380.

LUNCH

The class was called back to order by Steve Cackley leading 72t. Leaders: Tom McTighe 224; Bob Schinske 114; Kate Fortin 522; Gabriel Kyne 564; Marie Brandis 212; Jennie Brown 192; Lindy Groening 34t; Karen Willard 81b; David Wright 217; Natalie Sims 299; Stephanie Fida 36t; Caroline Helmeczi 567; Ethan Hardy 315; Amanda Jokerst 69b; Erika Wilson 416; Marilyn Murata 105; Bill Walters and Jimmy Palmer 86; Betsy Jeronen and Anna Berry, and Sarah Berry 111b; Nell Whitman 34b; Sean MacPherson 545; Kate Coxon 328.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Anna Stoerch leading 445. Leaders: Scott Kennedy 454; Evelyn Lamb 370; Mary Gowins 500; Susan Willis-Powers 142; John Plunkett and Jesse Brownlee 350; Alberta Hardy 424; Steve Luttinen and Stacy Berkheimer 477; Ted Mercer and John Seaton 324; Natalie Sims 203; Amanda Jokerst, Stephanie Fida, and Amandeep Gill 436; Bridgett Hill Kennedy 31t; Gillian Inksetter 542; Mike Hinton 340; Kevin Beirne, Tina Cramer, Sean MacPherson, and Carolyn Helmeczi 227; Jeff Begley 410t; Marilyn Murata 146; Evan Palmer 344; Evelyn Lamb 442.

A business meeting was held to hear committee reports. The treasurer reported that all expenses had been met. Registration and Arranging Committees announced that 138 (t? b?) attendees from eleven states and five countries registered, and 169 tunes were led. The Resolutions Committee (Natalie Sims and Kevin Beirne) thanked everyone for all their hard work and making the weekend a success. Gifts were presented to Bridgett Hill Kennedy for her wonderful singing school.

Announcements were made. Tom McTighe led 36b as the closing song. Cornelia Stanton offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Tom McTighe; Vice Chairperson—Kate Fine; Secretary—Betsy Jeronen