Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, March 11

The 19th annual Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Convention was called to order by Becky Wright leading 101t. Tim Eriksen offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Gerald Clark 172; Stina Soderling 171; Philippa Stoddard 36b; Mary Andrews 40; John Holbrook 38t; Molly Merrett 81t; Jeremy Galvagni 95; Wendy Sibbison 477; Sheila Kelley 475; Tristan Gordon 32t; Lydia Vernon-Jones 198; Maggie Shar 276; Chris Carlton 277; Oona Coy 162; Lilly Israel 270; Kelly Taylor 217; Bob Mills 228; Liz Patton 234.

RECESS

The second session was called to order by Margaret Youngberg leading 335. Leaders: Brian Harris 142; Solon Gordon 222; Emily Hale-Sills 474; Molly Dektar and Alanna Goodman 547; Chris Frantz-Dale 299; Kathy Collett 84; Dan Hertzler 39t; Terry Ryan 532; Eileen Raab 268; Joshua Barnett 384; Zoë Madonna 344; Mike Richards 432; Harold Booth 254; Maura Burns 195; Ivy Hauser 163t; Barbara Swetman 390; Evan Druce 313t.

RECESS

The third session was called to order by Michael Nord and Molly Merrett leading 30b. Leaders: Mel Novner 293; Erik-Dardan Ymeraga 367; Dann Pell 434; Tristan Gordon 129; Anna Mays 436; Bill Dunn 300; Isabelle Gervais Chapman 503; Magdalena Eriksen 200; Bill Holt 209; Anya Skibbie 466; Keillor Mose 28b; Angharad Davis 426b; Laura Borrelli 196; Myles Dakan 502; Emma Swartz 522; Charles Biada 391; Corinne Ducey 56t; Doron Henkin 336; Mary Skidmore 567; Matthew Leger-Small 361. Joseph Pensak offered a blessing before the meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was called to order by Christine Andrews leading 179. Leaders: Linda Shea 306; Dean Jens 182; Matthew Wojcik 192; Kelsey Ivey 536; Mark Godfrey 500; Lela Crowder 272; Tim Eriksen 47b; Emma Rose Brown 349; Jean Seiler 106; Richard Ivey 212; Ina Shea 101b; Philip Langley 430; Deidra Montgomery 377; Peter Irvine 460; Leigh Cooper 348b; M.B. Gowins 556; Liz Cantrell 538; Scott Luscombe 548; Amy Finlay 203; Sara Lott 442; Guy Bankes 65; Cat Walsh 417; Vale Cofer-Shabica 131b; Sharon Strong 218; Jonathan Skeet Surrency 235; Tara Mulder 312b; Leland Kusmer 481.

RECESS

The last session of the day was called to order by Sam Kleinman leading 445. Leaders: Leon Pulsinelle 345t; Diane Holmlund 108b; Brian Collett 163b; Philippe Doyle 187; Anne Kazlauskas 118; David DiLorenzo 236; Ron Trial 455; Dan Coppock 55; Traci Naylor 542; Patrick DeDauw 229; Michael Sensor 504; Sarah Maika 284; Tom Padwa 148; Porter James 146; Vicki Hayes and LaRee Delahurst 34b; Joanne DeVoe 31t; Jonathan Spencer 165; Allison Steele and Calum Steele 105.

Becky Wright led 323t as the closing song. Ivy Hauser offered the closing prayer.

Sunday, March 12

The Sunday session of the Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Convention was called to order by Becky Wright leading 52t. Tim Eriksen offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Stina Soderling 37b; Rebecca Hawkins 230; Andrew Forsthoefel 67; Nathan Aldrich 323b; Michael Nord 171; Jonathan Skeet Surrency 176t; Alvaro Witt Duarte 48t; Ben Sachs-Hamilton 365; Jenny Wright 315; M.B. Gowins 371; Sally Langendorf 138b; Claire Moore-Cantwell 425; Guy Bankes 77b; Dean Jens 338; George Sigut 122; Mark Godfrey 39b.

RECESS

The second session was called to order by Magdalena Eriksen leading 335. Leaders: John Holbrook 354t; Leah Velleman 53; Chance Kellner and Diane Holmlund 183; Corey Walters 505; Keillor Mose 83t; Margaret Youngberg 362; Ian Ludders 131t; Marie Hamilton and Patrick Friesen 284; Tristan Gordon 111t; Chris Geissler 110; Sara Lott and Stina Soderling 440; Charles Biada 392; Mel Novner 181; Scott Luscombe 376; Mary Skidmore 189; Myles Dakan 383; Deirdre Browne 193; Joan Frankel and Sasha Hsuczyk 414.

RECESS

The third session was called to order by Mary Andrews leading 31t. Leaders: Kelly Taylor 318; Leigh Cooper 283; L.H. Spencer 245; Emily Hale-Sills 312t; Leon Pulsinelle 435; Jonathan Spencer 70b; Sarah Maika 198; Dan Coppock 380.

The memorial lesson was conducted by Tim Eriksen and Wendy Sibbison. Tim read the following list of names of the deceased before leading 285t in their memory: Thomas Jerome Fugle, Leo Gaesser, Jean Comfort Hallowell, Paul Gavin, Johnny Lee, Delorese Lee, B.M. Smith, Joyce Fagan, John Bayer, Dixie Lee Trial, Curtis Smith, James Stevenson, Baerana Sabaco, Danny Spooner, Barry Redlich, Mary Bryan, Vivian Kellner, Mary Stumo, Donal Staebler, Kari Skural, Adam Vera, Bill Mates, Tommy Soper, Sam Soper, Timothy Grannis, Francine Grunberg, Geneva Prichard, Collette Miller, Robert Germany, Jay Hartman-Berrier, Bill Seaman, Charlotte Quimby, Carol Quimby Heath, Margie Baron, Ann Morrison, Adrian Morton, Lucien Turbide, Bill Horovitz, Dick Wetherbee, Sandy Sheehan, Cheryl Burrows, Paul Begley, Dina Paisner, and Joan Forsthoefel.

Wendy read the following list of names of the sick and shut-ins before leading 30t in their honor: Joanne Fuller, Katherine Glatter, Ellie Gavin, Mike Ramsey, Chloe Rombach, Christine Mayrand Fortin, Barbara Cole, Dan Richmond, Sue Nord, Ron Bornick, Margaret Bornick, Edward Swetman, Brenda Holtkamp, John Bloch, Henry Cheng, Lydia Lewallen, Captain Michael Appert, Rita Esparza, Tom Farrow, Scott Kelly, Peter Diamondstone, Bob Wilson, Lise Depelteau, Ben Pirie, David Aldrich, Jay Gesulga, Ann Peirce, Hilde Doherty, Peter Schenck, Don Butner, and Francis Collins. Alvaro Witt Duarte offered a prayer to close the memorial service.

Leaders: Christine Andrews 426t; Eliza Cavanaugh 448t; Richard Ivey and Kelsey Ivey 421; Jennie Brown 444. Tim Eriksen offered a blessing before the meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was called to order by Jeremy Galvagni leading 72b. Leaders: Allison Steele 384; Corinne Ducey 216; Kshama Ananthapura 400; Lynne deBenedette 306; Phillip Langley 564; Anna Mays 455; Mike Richards 316; Philippe Doyle and Simon Duchesne 168; Dan Hertzler 340; Isabelle Gervais Chapman 143; Laura Hodges 528; Doron Henkin 192; Sasha Hsuczyk 411; Patrick DeDauw 44; Molly Ellis 419; Philippa Stoddard 222; Anya Skibbie 573; Rachel Speer 42; Sharon Strong 497; Jean Seiler 273; Lela Crowder 157; Ivy Hauser and Margaret Youngberg 302; Sam Kleinman 422; Maura Burns 210.

RECESS

The last session of the day was called to order by Amy Finlay leading 282. Leaders: Kate Richardson 567; Cheri Hardy 313t; Gerald Clark and James Boisvere 32b; Cat Walsh 58; Laura Clampitt 536; Ron Woodland 479; Ines Lüttgen 378b; Ben Sachs-Hamilton 472; Emma Swartz 57; Barbara Swetman 114; Laura Timmerman 68b; Paul Kinsman 274t; Jennie Brown 475; Molly Dektar and Sara Lott 410b; Erik-Dardan Ymeraga 179; Evan Druce 496; Peter Irvine and Zoë Darrow 76b. A short business meeting was held.

Eliza Cavanaugh offered the closing prayer. Becky Wright, Gerald Clark, and Stina Soderling led 62 as the closing song, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Becky Wright; Vice Chairman—Gerald Clark; Secretary—Stina Soderling