Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

The 3rd biennial session of the Chmielno-Skepe-Warszawa Singing was held on Friday before the fourth Sunday in September. Zack Lindahl opened the business meeting, firstly thanking God and secondly praying for a safe journey. The following officers and committee members were elected or appointed to serve: Chairman—Jan Geerts; Secretary—Amanda Parkes; Treasurer—Richard Schmeidler; Chaplain—Richard Mayers; Hospitality Committee—Gosia Perycz and Richard Schmeidler; Arranging Committee—Ruth McNamara and Zack Lindahl; Resolutions Officer—Jesse P. Karlsberg. The business meeting was closed.

Jan Geerts called the class to order leading 171. Richard Mayers offered the opening prayer. Leaders: Kate Coxon 32t; Thom Fahrbach 60; Joanna Bennett 112; Ross Harbison 318; Kate Kirwan 105; Gosia Perycz 186; Jesse P. Karlsberg 185; Sinead Hanrahan 192; Chris Brown 82t; Eimear O’Donovan 25; Werner Ullah 37b; Judy Whiting 503; Gerben Vos 535; Ruth McNamara 274t; Oskar Kvasnes 113; Camilla Marie Widholm 216; Julius Pasay 457; Elizabeth Stoddard 545; Steve Helwig 28b; Eva Striebeck 330t.

RECESS

Jan Geerts called the class back to order leading 38t. Leaders: Aldo Ceresa 399b; Amanda Parkes 348b; David Ivey 79; Lloy Cook 178; Sarah West 320; Samuel Sommers 97; Sula O’Duffy 496; Zack Lindahl 507; Richard Mayers 294; Richard Schmeidler 254; Sinead Hanrahan 269; Sadhbh O’Flynn 263; Thom Fahrbach 236; Gosia Perycz 124. Richard Mayers offered the blessing before lunch.

LUNCH

The class was brought to order by Aldo Ceresa leading 474 (in dedication to Richard Schmeidler as the Treasurer). Leaders: Jan Geerts 52t; Amanda Parkes 472; Oskar Kvasnes 147b; Kate Coxon 354t; Camilla Marie Widholm 528; Werner Ullah 278t; Elizabeth Stoddard 341; Jesse P. Karlsberg 22 (on the left); Eimear O’Donovan 573; Richard Mayers 455; Joanna Bennett 245; Gerben Vos 228; Sarah West 365; Julius Pasay 410t; Sula O’Duffy 452.

The class went into a business session to hear reports from the various committees. The Treasurer reported that all expenses were met. The Secretary’s report was given, stating that a total of thirty-five registered singers representing ten countries and ten states were present. The Resolutions Officer submitted the following report: We, the singers of the third biennial Chmielno-Skepe-Warszawa Singing, humbly resolve to give thanks and praise to God for blessing our journey from Camp Fasola Europe to the Poland Sacred Harp Singing Convention with fellowship, food, sweet sleep, and singing.

We resolve to thank the chairman, Jan Geerts, for his gracious leadership, and congratulate him on his birthday. We further thank secretary Amanda Parkes and chaplain Richard Mayers, and we extend particular appreciation to our treasurer, Richard Schmeidler, for ensuring our ability to undertake these proceedings in such commodious accommodations. We express our gratitude to Gosia Perycz for her work coordinating our journey, and to our arranging committee, Zack Lindahl and Ruth McNamara, for coordinating our singing. Thanks as well to Sinead Hanrahan for her service in pitching our singing. We congratulate our leaders on successfully braving sudden starts and stops, unsteady aisles, and forward facing seats, negotiating vast expanses of tempo and pitch to bring hymns, fuging tunes, and so many anthems to their conclusions.

As we journey from this place, we resolve to put the lessons we’ve learned during our stay at Camp into practice, and to serve as conduits for spreading the sincere, divine love and fellowship that draws us to this music. Finally, we resolve to meet again on a bus on Friday before the fourth Sunday in September, 2018, pending confirmation of the dates for the next session of Camp Fasola Europe, for the fourth Chmielno-Warszawa Singing. A motion was made and carried to accept the reports and add them to the minutes. The business meeting was closed.

Jan Geerts thanked the singers, and led 155. Richard Mayers offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Jan Geerts; Secretary—Amanda Parkes