Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, March 12

The Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Convention was called to order by Mike Nord leading 276. Leaders: Emma Schwartz 131b; Leland Kusmer 65; John Holbrook 475; Chris Frantz-Dale 299; Charles Taylor 192; Yuka Oiwa 148; Jennifer Jones 472; Andrew Magee 378b; Laura Timmerman 340; Brian Harris 313t; Deborah Marsh 33b; John Ostwald 254; Rachel Rogers 406; Max Wareham 129; Laura Keeler 210; George Dyment 168; Mills 228; Kate Richardson 163b.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Jeremy Galvagni leading 176b. Leaders: Chris Carlton 277; Joanne DeVoe 31t; Laura Borrelli 142; John Hughes 203; Traci Naylor 274t; Libby Brownell 383; Julia Reischel 99; Paul Butler 64; Maura Burns 474; Vale Cofer-Shabica 215; the Finance Committee and Matthew Leger-Small 486; Gideon Dresdner and Jorgen Harris 329; Michael Kaye 146; Sophie Soloway 404; Richard Schmeidler 120; Krista Guerrieri 159; Tom Padwa 71.

RECESS

The class was called together by Deirdre Montgomery leading 121. Leaders: D.J. Hatfield 212; Anna Melton 270; Ian Ludders 478; Mike Richards 77b; Cat Walsh 332; Terry Ryan 193; Mary Andrews and Anna Bowen 59; Angus Macdonald 300; John delRe 102; Laura Clawson 385b; Willis McCumber 500; Ruth Wampler 279; Keillor Mose 156; Rachel Speer 399b; Isabelle Gervais Chapman 86; Carly Goss 197; Sam Kleinman 434; Joanne Fuller 352.

LUNCH

The afternoon session began with Ivy Hauser leading 312b. Leaders: Matthew Wojcik 302; Corinne Ducey 345b; Kelsey Ivey 536; Emma Rose Brown 507; Sasha Hsuczyk 114; Richard Ivey 39t; Lydia Llewallen 171; Joel Bassett 564; Liora O’Donnell Goldensher 428; Phillip Langley 542; Alex Forsyth 292; Karen Rollins 327; Justin Bowen 172; Dan Hertzler 56b; Kyle Johnston 480; Molly Bledsoe 269; Elizabeth Stoddard and Annie Nixon 191; Charlie Basham 515; Ian Quinn 165; Chris Coughlin 426t; Crispin Walker 186; Laura Hodges 411; Doran Henkin 80t; Jean Seiler 273; Angharad Davis 384; Faiz Wareh 313b.

RECESS

The class was called to order by Elsa Phemayotin and Mary Andrews leading 81t. Leaders: Anya Skibbie 37b; Ben Bath 512; Peter Golden 540; Myles Louis Dakan 122; Al McCready 227; Mary Skidmore 497; Michael Sensor 178; Guy Bankes and Leon Pulsinelle 174; Bill Holt 376; Leonard Spencer 250; Sarah Wang 504; Jesse Flynn 421; Rachel Weisberg 47b; Claire Hogan 42; Barbara Swetman 40; David DiLorenzo 448t; Alice Maggio 47t; Rachel Stevens 361; Cora Wareh 481.

Mike Nord led 323t as the closing song, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, March 13

The Sunday session of the Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Convention was called to order by Mike Nord leading 30b. Leaders: Emma Schwartz 48t; Leland Kusmer 201; Sally Langendorf 138b; Curtis Brooks 385t; Lydia Vernon-Jones 415; Tristan Gordon 335; Sheila Kelly 318; Andrew Forsthoefel 268; Magda Erikson 269; Jesse C. Polhemus 438; Philippa Stoddard 283; Patty Wareh 460; Sunny Doyle 324; Paula Picton 123b; Kelly Taylor 217; Mel Novner 282; Erik-Dardan Ymeraga 456; Margaret Youngberg 207.

RECESS

The class was called back together by Cheri Hardy leading 111b. Leaders: Gerald Clarke 214; Maggie Shar 348b; Micah Walter 432; Jesse Vear 568; Zach Marcus 501; Eric Sandberg 479; Bobbie Goodell 496; Sarah Galper 344; the Finance Committee and Matthew Leger-Small 319; Amy Valladares 162; James Baumgartner 29t; Dean Jens 225t; Vicki Hayes 122; Chris Holley 229; Stina Soderlin 58; Chris Geisler 84; Andre Kuney 163t; Tarik Wareh 200; Susan Murata 63.

RECESS

The class was called to order by Mills leading 160b. Leaders: Emily Hancock 300; Eileen Raab 107; Suzan Greenberg and Yael Tarshish 442; Evan Druce 472; Ines Lüttger 506; Troad 95; George Sigut 448t; Jeremy Galvagni 448b.

The memorial lesson was conducted by Becky Wright and Sasha Hsuczyk. Becky read the following list of names of the sick and shut-ins before leading 72b in their honor: Brenda Dearborn, Eric Hutter, Georgia Frazier, Ian Freur, Chloe Rombach, Nancy Johnson, Rick Johnson, Susan Bukacek, Margie Baron, Carol Sherbeck, Cath Tyler, Ron Bornick, Margaret Bornick, Joan Forsthoefel, Steve Smith, Joe Crompton, Allison Steel, Jeannette DePoy, Susan Harcrow, William Gray, Clara Kirsher, Doris Damon, Francis Bliss, Janelle Davis, Sue Nord, Kathy Miller, Arthur Cohen, John Byrne Cooke, Nancy Nickerson, Tony Barrand, Holly Mixon, Laura Densmore, and Steve Sombor.

Sasha Hsuczyk read the following list of names of the deceased before leading 176t in their memory: Susan Hayes—Australia; Sami Balas and Sam Andrew—California; Carol Hall, Anne Winter, and Jordan McKenzie—Canada; Dan Adams, Alice Blanchard, and Irene Trembly—Connecticut; Terry Pratchett—England; Tommy Soper—Florida; Ron Sy and David Stein—Illinois; Roberta Robson—Louisiana; Reverend Robert Howes—Maine; David Strother—Maryland; John Beckoff, Patricia Corrigan, Anne Gallagher, and George Kelly—Massachusetts; Larry Manahan and Wesley Lego Bessette-Reiter—Minnesota; Sonia Kemper—Missouri; Angela Ricker—New Hampshire; James Wells, Leon J. Pulsinelle, and Joe Neighmond—New Jersey; George Benedetto, Anne Henry, John Wright, Mike Taylor, Linda Staekhouse, Peggy Waide, and Jean Delfs—New York; Trevor Stuart—North Carolina; Loraine Bayer—Ohio; David Moody—Oregon; Judy Creamer, Lloyd Staebler, Mary Staebler, Oliver Kindig-Stokes, Betty Hanf, and Mary Mullen—Pennsylvania; John Lang—Scotland; Deborah Slavitt—South Carolina; Albert LeDoux—Texas; Paula—Vermont; Paul Christopher Mamon—Washington; Gary Frisch.

Leaders: Ruth Wampler 381; Alex Forsyth 285t; Lauren Bock 202.

LUNCH

The afternoon session began with Linda Shea leading 328. Leaders: Tim Erikson 449; Ben Bath 377; Kshama Ananthapura 270; Liz Cantrell 500; Lydia Llewallen 567; Alvaro Witt Duarte 216; Esther Wade 535; Lynne deBenedette 426b; Rachel Hall 428; Jesse P. Karlsberg 424; Phillip Langley 430; Crispin Walker and Margaret Youngberg 284; Anya Skibbie 203; Joel Bassett 36b; Kitty Kagay 112; Justin Bowen 362; Deidra Montgomery and Rachel Rudi 521; Charlie Basham 66; Richard Ivey and Kelsey Ivey 272; Kelsey Wessels 477; Corinne Ducey and Liora O’Donnell Goldensher 85.

RECESS

The class was called together by Becky Wright and Ivy Hauser leading 339. Leaders: Gerald Clarke 326; Peter Irvine 67; Becky Wright and Ivy Hauser 235; Alison Steele and family 105; Sarah Taylor 89; Ellen Lueck 81t; Ann Flight 511; Molly Merrett 76b; Ron Woodland 31t; Christine Andrews and Mary Andrews 70b; Becca Hawkins 294; Ian Quinn 424; Laura Clampitt 457; Isabelle Gervais Chapman 378t; Clarissa Lyons 290; Claire Hogan 445; Charles Taylor 408; Sam Kleinman 73t.

Committee reports were given, and announcements made. Mike Nord led 62 as the closing song, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Mike Nord; Vice Chairman—Emma Schwartz; Secretary—Leland Kusmer