Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, March 5

The 6th session of the Ireland Sacred Harp Convention met in St. Maries of the Isle School, Cork, Ireland, on the first Sunday and Saturday before in March. The class was brought to order by Lisa O’Grady leading 171. Al McCready offered the morning prayer.

Leaders: Bryan Seale 28b (for Chris Lyons); Amanda Parkes 56t; Joanna Bennett 30b; Colleen Jones 344 (for Chris Lyons); Declan Synnott 38t; Katie Ahern 47t; Sinéad Hanrahan 187; Kevin Kennedy 326; Eimear O’Donovan 63; Marcos Sullivan 417; Mike Morrisroe 213t; Juniper Hill 481; Áine Uí Cheallaigh 39t; Rob Wedgbury and Suzy Blue 500.

RECESS

Kate Kirwan brought the class back to order leading 204. Leaders: Ewan Paterson 227; Marielle Minutella 82t; Dermot Peel 84; Inga Hübner 163b; Brian Flanagan 480; Ben Zucker 151; Clelia Crawford 448t; Lily Power 31t; Kevin Kennedy 56b; Rachel Adelstein 351; Kuba Choinski 49t; Ruth Clinton 425; Patrick DeDauw 144; Boyan Pohl 566; Catherine Roberts 278t; John Hughes 474.

RECESS

Ross Harbison called the class back to order leading 217. Leaders: Eimear Cradock 457 (for the Australian singers); Caro Stamm-Reusch 168; Joe Jones 360; Emma Rock 111b; Kathy Manning 377; Sue Lord 79; Julie Botnick 399b; Florent Decherf 222; Franzi Schmidt 540; Eli Petzold 340; Leilai Immel 101t; Phil Tyler 182; Kevin Beirne 212; Gosia Perycz 189 (for Steve Helwig); Steve Brett 560. The blessing before lunch was offered by Cath Saunt.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was brought to order by Fynn Titford-Mock leading 72b. Leaders: Matthew Parkinson 475; Eva Striebeck 396; Jonathon Smith 220; David Brodeur 492; Becca Gibson 548; Sam Kleinman 214; Andy Ditzler 283; Stephanie Fida 118; Sam Carter 292; Kate Coxon 318; Mike Hinton and Aldo Ceresa 532 (for Janelle Davis); Al McCready 177; Rebecca Over 196 (for Earlis McGraw); Jon Giles 507; Karen Willard 453; Rachel Jordan 436; Aldo Ceresa 411; Erin Johnson-Williams 397; Sarah West 91.

RECESS

Dara Desmond called the class back to order leading 29t. Leaders: Jessica Sligter 215; Ed Johnson-Williams 113; Chris Brown 274b; Vicki Elliott 332; Ann Chesterton 38b; Cornelia Stanton 143; Ella Cumber 192; Michael Walker 506; Annie Flynn 36t; Cath Saunt 272; Piers Blewett 300; Sarah Hill 61; Cheri Macneill 131b; Nick Hall 352; Steve Biggs 276; Jan Geerts 454; Geoff Grainger 523; Cornelia van den Doel 178; Theresa Hofmann 107; Stefan Swat 122; Evelyn Saylor 347; Léopoldine Guillaume 49b; Dominik Fraune 472.

Lisa O’Grady led 335, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, March 6

The Sunday session of the Ireland Sacred Harp Singing Convention was brought to order by Lisa O’Grady leading 48t. Gosia Perycz offered the morning prayer.

Leaders: Bryan Seale 88b; Amanda Parkes and Thomas Parkes 142; Ewan Paterson 105; Colleen Jones 171; Jan Geerts 228; Steve Biggs 288; Rob Wedgbury 278t; Stefan Swat 268; Cath Saunt 287 (for the new Cambridge group); Chris Brown 279; Katie Ahern 112; Nick Hall 391; Declan Synnott 102; Catherine Roberts 410t.

RECESS

Joanna Bennett called the class back to order leading 99. Leaders: Piers Blewett 117; Geoff Grainger 156; Sandy Semeonoff 369; Juniper Hill 254; Sheila Girling Macadam 294; Marcus Döbert 209; Kate Kirwan 477; Kevin Kennedy 26; Eli Petzold 176b; Wayne Dawson 344; Léopoldine Guillaume 466; Marcos Sullivan 547; Emma Rock 320; Joel Wallenberg 365. Eimear Cradock read a blessing named “Beannacht” from John O’Donohue’s book, Anam Cara.

RECESS

Eimear O’Donovan brought the class back to order leading 154 (in memory of Oliver Kindig-Stokes). Leaders: Boyan Pohl 186; Ed Johnson-Williams 442; Judy Whiting 208.

Katie Ahern conducted the sick and housebound lesson in which she spoke about personal experience and the support she received from the Sacred Harp community. She read the names of the following people: P. Dan Brittain, Earlis McGraw, Don Walker, Charlotte Walker, Janelle Davis, Jeannette DePoy, Ian West, Joe McPartland, Allan Jones, Liliana Sillito, David Sillito, Duane Nasis, Dan Brown, Renée Dussert, Kirsty Grainger, Curtis Owen, Edith Owen, Shelbie Sampson, Melanie Hauff, Paula Mogensen, Susan Harcrow, Ruth Steggles, Moss Flynn, Aggie Hourihan, Herbert, Lucy Chadwick, Bob Schinske, and Nigel Cumber. Katie led 30t in their honor.

Vicky Langan began the memorial lesson by reading an excerpt from one of Samuel Beckett’s radio plays, then spoke about death and grief growing up. She read the following list of names: Sylvia Smoul, Derek Stapleton, Kenny Macarthur, and Roma Reid—Scotland; Margaret Barry, Kitty Hickey, Helen Lyons, and Mark Ferguson—Ireland; Stanislaw Statkiewicz—Poland; Lindsay Hill—Rotherham, UK; David Oliver—England; George Reed—Bedford, UK; Gillian Woodward and Isabel Smith—London, UK; Mary Newell—Dalton, UK; Ian Whiting—Barrow-upon-Humber, UK; Eileen Wilson—Bristol, UK; Steve Robinson—Yorkshire, UK; June Howieson—Sussex, UK; Eileen McDougall—France; Paddy Graber—Canada; C.W. Garner and George Garner—Georgia, USA; Robert DuPree and Evelyn Harris—Alabama, USA; Tammi Ziola, Sara Hauser, and Fran Ross—Oregon, USA; Loraine Bayer—Ohio, USA; Oliver Kindig-Stokes—Pennsylvania, USA; Thomas Robinson—Texas, USA; Mary Goulding and Dan Adams—Connecticut, USA; Ann Henry—New York, USA; Dave Brown—Massachusetts, USA; Trevor Stuark—North Carolina, USA; Milton Ross Charles—Washington, USA; John Schaffer and Donald Klein—Colorado, USA. Vicky then led 122 in memory of them.

Leaders: Michael Walker 404; Jonathon Smith 444; Erin Johnson-Williams 482. The blessing before lunch was offered by Kevin Beirne.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was brought to order by Chris Lyons leading 114. Leaders: Aldo Ceresa 218; Eva Striebeck 495; Sheila Girling Macadam and Edwin Macadam 236; David Brodeur 304; Tom McTighe 224; Julie Botnick 445; Kathy Manning and Mike Hinton 77t (in memory of Amanda Denson); Rebecca Over 383; Rachel Jordan 534; Gosia Perycz 327; Edwin Macadam 280; Becca Gibson 134; John Hughes 203; Karen Willard 400; Jon Giles 512; Mike Hinton 426b; Kate Coxon 447; Stephanie Fida 372; Andy Ditzler 468.

RECESS

Michael Walker called the class back to order leading 143. Leaders: Kevin Beirne 522; Sam Kleinman 460; Lauren Ciancio 84; Margaret Bradshaw 421; Anne Fry 183; Gerben Vos 155; Claire Welford 440; John Davis 162; Cheri Macneill and Franzi Schmidt 430; Al McCready 153; Ronan O’Donovan 277; Ben Zucker 146; Fynn Titford-Mock 521; James Buckley 37b; Inga Hübner and Karen Willard 94; Ellen Watterson 267; Elise Cavicchi 65; Cath Ingham 128 (for Ruth Steggles); Ella Cumber and Sam Carter 565.

Lisa O’Grady made closing announcements, thanking all those involved in the organization and running of the weekend, and thanking visitors for travelling. Amanda Parkes reported that 173 songs had been sung by 160 (t? b?) registered singers, with 111 leaders. Fourteen countries were represented (Ireland, UK, USA, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Iceland, South Africa, Poland, Japan, Italy, and Croatia). Thirteen American states were represented (Maryland, Texas, Rhode Island, Virginia, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Georgia, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington, Oregon, and California). Kevin Kennedy gave the treasurer’s report, stating that all expenses had been met.

Lisa O’Grady led 62 as the closing song. Chris Lyons offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Lisa O’Grady; Vice Chairman—Bryan Seale; Secretary—Amanda Parkes