Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, September 24

The 5th session of the Poland Sacred Harp Convention was held in the Conference Centre Copernicus, Warsaw, Poland. The class was called to order by Kuba Choinski leading 49t. The opening prayer was offered by Magdalena Gryszko.

Leaders: Kama Dembinska 48t; Jacek Borkowicz 31t; Anna Spruch 452; Justyna Orlikowska 40; Gosia Perycz 168; Blazej Matusiak 171; Magdalena Gryszko 217; Steve Helwig 156; Lloy Cook 178; Oskar Kvasnes 63; Geoff Grainger 313b; Sharon Spicher and Steve Helwig 344; Zack Lindahl 73t; Richard Mayers 65; Olo Orlikowski 29t.

RECESS

Magdalena Gryszko called the class back to order leading 105. Leaders: Cornelia van den Doel 277; Ted Brown 426t; Gerben Vos 49b; Rachel Jordan 297; Christopher Schuller 81t; Jan Geerts 183; Thom Fahrbach 187; Joanna Bennett 446; Edwin Macadam 550; Coleen Jones 500; Eimear O’Donovan 56t; Elizabeth Stoddard 410b; David Ivey 328; Ross Harbison; 276; Amanda Parkes 439; Nick Hall 455; Richard Schmeidler 84; Jasmina Graf 505; Cherilyn Neilson 215; Samuel Sommers 448b; Julius Pasay 406; Chris Brown 392; Monique Mathieu 144.

RECESS

Jacek Borkowicz called the class back to order leading 401. Leaders: Marco Wessnigk 83t; Ciske Boekelo 209; Caro Stamm-Reusch 367; Ted Mercer 353; Camilla Marie Widholm 272 (for Samuel Sommers); Robert Stoddard 214; Aldo Ceresa 532; Judy Whiting 492; Paul Landskroener 464; Dan Brittain 458; Sinéad Hanrahan 134; Corinna Frische 142; Ruth McNamara 274t; Kate Kirwan 330t; Jesse P. Karlsberg 383; Kate Coxon 380; Eva Striebeck 456; Helen Brown 475; Sheila Girling Macadam 377; Sarah West 411; Sadhbh O’Flynn 428. A blessing before the noon meal was offered by Zack Lindahl.

LUNCH

Cherilyn Neilson called the class back to order leading 89. Leaders: Ulrike Tietjen 487; Julius Pasay 270; Magdalena Gryszko 542; Edwin Macadam 280; Aldo Ceresa 309; Eimear O’Donovan 269; Samuel Sommers 512; Thom Fahrbach 225t; Helen Brown 426b; Eva Striebeck 390; Steve Helwig 57; Sadhbh O’Flynn 573 (for Eimear O’Donovan); Jacek Borkowicz 268; Joanna Bennett 436; Kate Coxon 182; David Ivey 481; Amanda Parkes 558; Sheila Girling Macadam 421; Richard Mayers 196; Dan Brittain 333; Rachel Jordan 564.

RECESS

Sarah West called the class back to order leading 388. Leaders: Justyna Orlikowska 198; Gosia Perycz 454; Ross Harbison 444; Robert Stoddard 419; Sinéad Hanrahan 372; Jesse P. Karlsberg 472; Anna Spruch 448t; Ted Mercer 69t; Nick Hall 279; Kate Kirwan 404; Richard Schmeidler 490; Corinna Frische 95; Ruth McNamara 59; Elizabeth Stoddard 534; Gerben Vos 547; Camilla Marie Widholm 528; Jan Geerts 91; Judy Whiting 150; Jasmina Graf 181; Marco Wessnigk 207; Geoff Grainger 339.

Announcements were made. Kuba Choinski led 34b as the closing song. Eimear O’Donovan offered the closing prayer.

Sunday, September 25

The Sunday session of the Poland Sacred Harp Convention was called to order by Kuba Choinski leading 47t. Blazej Matusiak offered the morning prayer.

Leaders: Blazej Matusiak 503; Magdalena Gryszko 176t; Gosia Perycz 124; Kama Dembinska 313t; Zack Lindahl 445; Cornelia van den Doel 117; Ted Brown 77b; Cherilyn Neilson 497; Tim Eriksen 39t; Caro Stamm-Reusch 32b; Joanna Bennett 113; Paul Landskroener 112; Chris Brown 306; Ciske Boekelo 300; Oskar Krasnes 341; Lloy Cook 276; Christopher Schuller 324; Monique Mathieu 37b; Andras Szanto and Magdalena Gryszko 333; Olo Orlikowski 312b.

RECESS

Steve Helwig called the class back to order leading 335. Leaders: Nick Hall 302; Justyna Orlikowska 203; Ruth McNamara 340; Thom Fahrbach 232; Sadhbh O’Flynn 206; Kate Coxon 568; Corinna Frische 132; Gerben Vos 133; Richard Schmeidler 268; Anna Spruch 442; Ulrike Tietjen 396; Judy Whiting 208; Geoff Grainger 535.

A memorial lesson was held. Magdalena Gryszko led 480 for the following sick and shut-ins: Sister Pippa, Karen Turner, Kathy Williams, Curtis Owen, Edith Owen, Nate Green, Norma Green, Allan Jones, Roy McGregor, Johnny Lee, Delorese Lee, David Sillito, Liliana Sillito, Bruce Rowland, Brian Morrisroe, Philomena Henderson, Paula Okerstrom, Sheena McMain, Zdzislaw Gryszko, Maciej Kazinski, Bruce Rye, Sheila Dodsworth, Lavoy Smith, Paula Mogensen, and Issy Kellaway.

Helen Brown spoke and led 285t in memory of the following deceased: Jaroslaw Ryszard Milczarek—Poland; Ian Whiting, June Howieson, Charles Dodsworth, Ruth Steggles, Dave Smith, Eamon Smith, Irene Smith, and Gillian Woodward—United Kingdom; Scot Overton—Sweden; Ellen Vos—Netherlands; Mary Kennedy—Ireland; Kirstin Grainger Wellington—New Zealand; Chris Holloway—Germany; S.T. Reed, Toney Smith, Gary Smith, Charles Derleth, Francis Bliss, David Strother, Janelle Davis, Ann Henry, Oliver Kindig-Stokes, Earlis McGraw, and B.M. Smith—USA. Helen Brown offered the closing prayer for the memorial service.

Leaders: Colleen Jones 499; Sula O’Duffy 347; Sarah West 391; Jacek Borkowicz 245; Julius Pasay 111b; Dan Brittain 177; Gosia Perycz 309; Camilla Marie Widholm 196; Richard Mayers 71; Jasmina Graf 320; Amanda Parkes 379; Marco Wessnigk 495. A blessing before the noon meal was offered by Jacek Borkowicz.

LUNCH

Kama Dembinska called the class back to order leading 370. Leaders: Blazej Matusiak 218; Zofia Przyrowska 236; Chris Brown 501; Kate Kirwan 283; Ted Brown 546; Steve Helwig and Gosia Perycz 352; Rachel Jordan 189; Robert Stoddard 228; Samuel Sommers 386; Sheila Girling Macadam 114; Jesse P. Karlsberg 349; Helen Brown 327; David Ivey 76t; Sadhbh O’Flynn and Ross Harbison 163t (for Hasina Khalil and her family and for other refugees from Sounio Refugee Camp in Greece); Ted Mercer 299; Kate Coxon 145t; Aldo Ceresa 522; Eva Striebeck 434; Thom Fahrbach 227; Magdalena Gryszko 76b.

RECESS

Jacek Borkowicz called the class back to order leading 319. Leaders: Cherilyn Neilsen and Ellen Quenédie 58; Zack Lindahl 425; Lloy Cook 504; Elizabeth Stoddard 399b; Richard Schmeidler 475; Karolina Materek and Gosia Perycz 53; Monique Mathieu 457; Judy Whiting 373; Dan Brittain 43; Colleen Jones 432; Edwin Macadam 540; Sinéad Hanrahan 273; Jan Geerts 148; Kama Dembinska 315; Paul Landskroener 287; Sarah West 72t; Julius Pasay 159; Cornelia van den Doel 477; Justyna Orlikowska and Olo Orlikowski 267; Ruth McNamara 34t; Ulrike Tietjen 229; Caro Stamm-Reusch 278t; Amanda Parkes 381.

The Chairman asked for reports. The Finance Committee reported expenses for the convention were met. The Secretary reported that over the two days of singing 197 songs had been sung, with sixty-six leaders and eighty-six singers from fourteen countries (Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Czechia, England, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Scotland, Sweden, and USA).

The Resolutions Committee, Jesse P. Karlsberg, thanked the committees and individuals whose hard work made this a wonderful two days of singing and friendship. Announcements were made.

Kuba Choinski led 62 as the closing song. Magdalena Gryszko offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Kuba Choinski; Secretary—Bogna Rózyczka