Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, September 17

The 21st session of the United Kingdom Sacred Harp Convention was called to order by Matthew Parkinson leading 448b. Andrew Clark offered the opening prayer.

The following officers were appointed: Chairman—Matthew Parkinson; Vice Chairman—Vicki Elliot; Secretary—Phil Owen; Arranging Committee—Samantha Cole, Sarah West, and Helen Brown; Treasurer—Emma Hooper.

Leaders: Vicki Elliot 61; Phil Owen 31t; Leilai Immel 276; Emma Hooper 335; Barry Parsons 72b; Kate Kirwan 171; Samantha Cole 131b; Crispin Walker 448t; Ella Cumber 432; Ian Lamb 209; Marjorie Brown 101t; Mandy Townsend 318; Toby Goss 313b; Cath Ingham 30t; Joe Vickers 103; Hauke Grünefeld 122; Arthur Swindells 99; Sophie Sawicka-Sykes 440; Richard Mayers 107; Rachel Wemyss 312b.

RECESS

Sarah West called the class to order leading 87. Leaders: Liam Kirby 436; Bridget McVennon 111b; Teresa Maguire 83t; Thomas Greig 542; Catherine Roberts 348t; Cora Wareh 481; Scott Lewin 378t; Sarah Hill 456; Mick Verrier 272; Grace Scrimgeour 547; Andrew Clark 73b; Claire Welford 501; Tom Gerber 455; Joe Jones 350; Eimear O’Donovan 313t; Mark Wardlaw 462; Steve Biggs 178; Katie Ahern 426b; Fynn Titford-Mock 57; Dermot Peel 143; Seth Dickens 287; Rachel Jordan 200. Karen Turner offered the blessing for the midday meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was called to order by Charlie Williams leading 475. Leaders: Erin Johnson-Williams 460; Calum Woods 283; Thom Fahrbach 315; Lisa Bennett 538; Paul Landskroener 486; David Ivey 273; Robert Stoddard 362; Elizabeth Gentry 108b; Emma Hooper 496; Jesse P. Karlsberg 377; Samuel Sommers 528; Karen Isbell 383; Harry Scott 474; Kate Coxon 411; David Brodeur 150; Dan Brittain 193; Elizabeth Stoddard 422; David Smead 196; Richard Schmeidler 254; Steve Helwig 228.

RECESS

Sue Lord called the class to order leading 290. Leaders: Ian West 105; Steve Brett 206 (for Chris Parris); Judy Whiting and Eva Striebeck 330b (for Andreas Manz and his new wife, Franka); Sam Carter 77t; Helen Brown 532; Amanda Parkes 441; Guy Hayes 153; Pattie Wareh 479; Jan Geerts 212; Emily Verrier 106; Cath Saunt 299; Francis Gaskin 160t; Sadhbh O’Flynn 56b; Nick Hall 497; Margaret Gillanders 500; Ron Holman 504; Hannah Land 182; Lisa O’Grady 351.

Matthew Parkinson led 68b as the closing song. Marjorie Brown offered the closing prayer.

Sunday, September 18

The Sunday session of the United Kingdom Sacred Harp Convention was called to order by Matthew Parkinson leading 59. Thom Fahrbach offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Vicki Elliot 81t; Phil Owen 42; Barry Parsons 36b; Kate Kirwan 72b; Bridget McVennon 88b; Sarah West 288; Gerben Voss 31t; Leila Gamaz 83t; Ann Chesterton and Kate Coxon 56b; Faiz Wareh 118; Eleni Melis and Fynn Titford-Mock 163t; Lottie Sumner, Sally Sumner, and Lee Dunleavy 146; Fionnuala Kirby and Liam Kirby 207; Lamar Matthew 344; Jill Thompson 504; Emma Hooper 354b; John Davis 37b; Áine Uí Cheallaigh 148; Edwin Macadam 556.

RECESS

Steve Brett called the class to order leading 544. Leaders: Kevin Kennedy 394; Caro Stamm-Reusch 29t; Tarik Wareh 445; Margaret Bradshaw 340; Christopher Lyons 442; Andy Ditzler 222; Chris Brown 480.

Amanda Parkes conducted the sick and housebound lesson and read the names of the following: Jackie Saunders, Ben Price, Kathy Williams, Joe McPartland, Michael Appert, Bio Capéra, Nigel Cumber, Nate Green, Norma Green, Cath Tyler, Johnny Lee, Delorese Lee, Laura Densmore, Curtis Owen, Edith Owen, Bruce Rowland, Mary Wilsher, Ian Monty, Sister Pippa, Debby Bliss, Sheena McMain, Myrtle Wiley, Dani Wiley, Anne Brown, Cameron Brown, Jess Dickens, Emily Grote, Sue Gruffydd, Brian Morrisroe, Paula Mogensen, Maddy O’Brien, Melanie Hauff, Brenda Richards, and Sheila Dodsworth. Amanda Parkes led 376 in their honor.

Michael Walker conducted the memorial lesson and read the names of the following deceased: Ruth Steggles, Margaret Owen, Janelle Davis, Earlis McGraw, B.M. Smith, Bill Milne, Mike Bronniman, Dawn Chaloner, Oliver Kindig-Stokes, Sylvia Smail, April Selley, Jimmy Baily, Patricia Parker, Pilar Nuñoz, Jim Gray, Connie Greenwood, Natalie Elliot, S.T. Reed, Irene Smith, Gillian Woodward, Helen Lyons, Charlie Derleth, Tom Robinson, Eileen McDougall, Ian Whiting, Eileen Wilson, Gary Smith, Michael Whitmore, Kellie Moore, Tony Conrad, Francis Bliss, David Strother, Mary Kennedy, Jane Davies, Doris Hammond, Helga Eisen, Alfred Caldwell, Geneva Pritchard, David Smith, June Howieson, Suzanne Wilsher, Gaetano Scarasciullo, Maxine Wiley, Brunhilde Laabs, Greg Maher, and Charles Dodsworth. Helen Brown and Hannah Land gave a special additional lesson in memory of Ruth Steggles, and led 454. Michael Walker then led 475 in memory of all those on the list, and closed the memorial service with prayer.

Leaders: Ted Brown 97; Eva Striebeck 444; Ed Johnson-Williams 201. Christopher Lyons offered prayer before the midday meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was called to order by Helen Brown leading 270. Leaders: Joanna Bennett 428; Mike Morrisroe 536; Sinéad Hanrahan 296; Steve Fletcher 196; Michael Walker 396; Sheila Girling Macadam 377; Samuel Summers 232; Claire Welford 384; Katie Ahern 112; Mark Wardlaw 260; Ian West 102; Dan Brittain 218; Fynn Titford-Mock 382; Hannah Land 392; Lisa O’Grady 332; Thom Fahrbach 505; Sadhbh O’Flynn 385t; David Brodeur and Andy Ditzler 220; Tarik Wareh, Pattie Wareh, Cora Wareh, and Faiz Wareh 472; Cath Saunt 217; Jan Geerts 168.

RECESS

Ted Brown called the class to order by leading 111b. Leaders: Lamar Matthew 35; Elizabeth Gentry 141; Paul Landskroener 485; Elizabeth Stoddard and Robert Stoddard 142; Calum Woods 132; Harry Scott 104; Nick Hall and Rachel Jordan 546; Dermot Peel 278t; Steve Helwig 466; Lisa Bennett and David Smead 506; Richard Schmeidler 120; Cath Ingham 155; Kevin Kennedy and Amanda Parkes 123b; Karen Isbell 348b; Caro Stamm-Reusch 523; Chris Brown and Judy Whiting 208; Eva Striebeck 515; Kate Coxon 406; Edwin Macadam and Sheila Girling Macadam 474; Margaret Bradshaw 266; Sinéad Hanrahan 69t; David Ivey and Jesse P. Karlsberg 45b.

Matthew Parkinson led 62 as the closing song, and the class took the parting hand. Samuel Sommers offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Matthew Parkinson; Vice Chairman—Vicki Elliott; Secretary—Phil Owen