Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, April 1

The 28th annual Potomac River Convention was called to order by Kelly Macklin leading 171. Ben Hartland offered the morning prayer.

The class went into a business meeting and the following officers were elected or appointed: Chairman—Brenda Dunlap; Vice Chairman—Matt Roberts; Secretaries—Abby Beavin, Zoe Plaugher, Julia Seidenstein, and Rebecca Wenstrom; Treasurer—Jim Glaser; Arranging Committee—Graham DeZarn, Corinne Ducey, Mary Helen Dupree, and Kelly Macklin.

All song selections on Saturday were from The Sacred Harp, 1991 Edition. Leaders: Brenda Dunlap 144; Graham DeZarn 277; Matt Roberts 183; Corinne Ducey 131b; Mary Helen Dupree 95; Kathy Manning 455; Tom Ivey 377; Richard Green 29t; Leyland delRe 164; Jim Glaser 486; Adrian Mariano 411; Mary Ann Daly 415; John delRe 77t; Tyler Benjamin 207; Abby Beavin 30b; Sharon Strong 334; Tim Slattery 344; Clare Chapin 86; Susan Green 157 (for her father); Topher Lawton 84; Joni Seidenstein 528.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Chris Wolf leading 34b. Leaders: Joel Miller 404; Miranda Elliott-Rader 512; Jeremy Donaldson 266; Liz Meitzler 215; Evan Duncan 300; Julia Seidenstein 89; Bev Yaeger and Erica Chapman 192; Robin Banerji 131t; Jim Strube 236; Peter Pate 197; Barbara Barry 148; Ina Shea 149; Nora Miller 47t; John Alexander 29b; Yael Tarshish 384; Elizabeth Betz 354b; Will Fesperman 112; Owen Kelley 106; Kathy Kaiser 485; Les Updike 373; Merry Bruns and Matt Roberts 146. Ben Hartland offered a blessing before the meal.

LUNCH

Shawn Fenton called the class back to order by leading 501. Leaders: Nancy Tkacs 143; Dean Jens 71; Cornelia Stanton 87; Chris Wolf 216; Cecelia Kramer 444; Leon Pulsinelle 214; Nancy Mandel 284; Aaron Weiss 500; Molly Sweetser 323t; Karl Dise 245; Becca Gibson 556; Michael Spencer 382; Shawn Fenton 480; Emily Hancock 430; Bethany Towne 328; Patrick Friesen 32b; Walter Olson 454; Ben Shirley 191; Rachel Speer 196; Ulrike Brauneis 442; Katie Kellert 178; Zoe Plaugher and Nora Miller 376.

RECESS

The class was called together by Bev Yaeger leading 40. Leaders: Robin Betz and Sharon Strong 358; Bridget Camden 70b; Kathy Kaiser 278b; Ina Shea 26; Cornelia Stanton 212; Aaron Weiss 326; Nancy Mandel 564; Becca Gibson 421; Rachel Speer 172; Cecilia Kramer 39t; Leon Pulsinelle 74t; Michael Spencer 289; Will Fesperman 102; Emily Hancock 198; Karl Dise 302; Molly Sweetser 378b; Shawn Fenton 73t; Bethany Towne 27; Martha Burns 288; Patrick Friesen 57; Dean Jens 272; John Alexander 56b; Miranda Elliott-Rader 547; Chris Wolf 445.

Brenda Dunlap led 56t as the closing song. Ben Hartland offered the closing prayer.

Sunday, April 2

The Sunday session of the Potomac River Convention was called to order by Brenda Dunlap leading 1b (ShH). Ben Hartland offered the morning prayer.

All song selections on Sunday were from The Shenandoah Harmony. Leaders: Matt Roberts 124 (ShH); Julia Seidenstein 163 (ShH); Jim Glaser 127 (ShH); Tom Ivey 210 (ShH); Leyland delRe 83t (ShH); John delRe 117 (ShH); Kathy Manning 114 (ShH); Ben Hartland 227 (ShH); Mary Helen Dupree 125 (ShH); Joel Miller 253 (ShH); Abby Beavin 208 (ShH); Zoe Plaugher and Corinne Ducey 246b (ShH); Bridget Camden 395 (ShH); Sharon Strong 217 (ShH); Clare Chapin 7b (ShH); Mary Ann Daly 288b (ShH); Adrian Mariano 423 (ShH); Joni Seidenstein 285 (ShH); Tim Slattery 78 (ShH); Nora Miller 420b (ShH); Aaron Weiss 140b (ShH); Kathy Kaiser 242 (ShH).

RECESS

Graham DeZarn called the class back to order leading 70t (ShH). Leaders: Ulrike Brauneis 27 (ShH); Kelly Macklin 292 (ShH); Nancy Mandel 77 (ShH); Shawn Fenton 246b (ShH); Steven Sabol 53 (ShH); Bethany Towne 28b (ShH); Rachel Speer 158t (ShH); Nancy Tkacs 151 (ShH); Dan Hunter 100 (ShH); Molly Sweetser 147 (ShH); Thomas Smith 260b (ShH); Peter Pate 225 (ShH); Susan Green 266 (ShH); Patrick Frieson 65t (ShH); Karl Dise 310 (ShH); Dean Jens 79 (ShH); Becca Gibson 86 (ShH).

The memorial lesson was conducted by Sharon Strong and Tom Ivey. Sharon Strong led 221 (ShH) for the following sick and shut-ins: Rachel Hall, Clara Sensor, Concetta Branson, Hugh McGraw, Randolph Green, John White, Kelly O’Rourke, Millie Haw, Charles Bennett, Miriam Kilmer, Cheryl Mitchell, and Garcia Oliver.

Tom Ivey led 417 (ShH) to remember the following deceased: John Bayer, Jr.—Ohio; Lois Kochanski, Frank Duncan, William Cardinal Keeler, and Stephanie Wolf—Maryland; Rosalie Duncan, Joan Donahue, Ruth Hare, Deacon Tom McQuillan, Wayne Bowman, J. Reilly Lewis, Chris Chaukley, Joseph Dezarn, Sr., and Bill Andrews—Virginia; Raymond Rivard—Indiana; Johnny Lee, Dolorese Lee, and B.M. Smith—Georgia; Rev. J. Donald Monan—Massachusetts; Helen Slattery and Dorothy Copeland Elliott—Texas; Minnie Dupree—District of Columbia; Gerard Marini, Leon J. Pulsinelle, and Rhoda Ann Wildey—New Jersey; Gary Smith—Alabama; Collette Miller—Minnesota; Jean Hallowell Comfort—Pennsylvania; Ric Zender—South Carolina; Joe Stead—United Kingdom.

Leaders: Corinne Ducey and Julia Seidenstein 441 (ShH). Leyland delRe offered a blessing before the meal.

LUNCH

Matt Roberts called the class back to order by leading 191 (ShH). Leaders: Martha Burns 296 (ShH); Michael Spencer 37 (ShH); Emily Hancock 243 (ShH); Nate Zweig 75 (ShH); Cecelia Kramer 254 (ShH); Jeremy Donaldson 202 (ShH); Ina Shea and John delRe 366 (ShH) (in memory of John Bayer); Cornelia Stanton 136 (ShH); David Giusti 177 (ShH); Liz Meitzler and Eleanor Hancock 181 (ShH); Jim Strube 402 (ShH); Miriam Delirium and Bethany Towne 363 (ShH); Topher Lawton 403 (ShH); Abby Beavin 81 (ShH); Chris Wolf and Ben Hartland 422 (ShH); Nancy Mandel 348b (ShH); Karl Dise 248b (ShH); Molly Sweetser 120t (ShH); Graham DeZarn 450 (ShH); Rebecca Wenstrom 373 (ShH).

RECESS

Julia Seidenstein and David Giusti called the class back to order by leading 93 (ShH). Leaders: Aaron Weiss 170 (ShH); Dan Hunter 149 (ShH); Chris Wolf 338 (ShH); Rachel Speer and Terra Kyle 305 (ShH); Michael Spencer and Abby Beavin 424t (ShH); Tom Ivey and Sharon Strong 378b (ShH); Adrian Mariano and Joni Seidenstein 326b (ShH); Miriam Delirium and Chris Wolf 326t (ShH); Nora Miller and Joel Miller 235 (ShH); Becca Gibson and Bethany Towne 384 (ShH); Dean Jens 186 (ShH); Mary Ann Daly 21 (ShH); John delRe and Nancy Mandel 129t (ShH); Bridget Camden and Ina Shea 312 (ShH); Matt Roberts 364b (ShH); Corinne Ducey, Topher Lawton, and Eleanor Hancock 157 (ShH); Tim Slattery 1t (ShH); Nancy Tkacs 183 (ShH); Liz Meitzler 429 (ShH); Peter Pate 434t (ShH); Ulrike Brauneis and Mary Helen Dupree 201 (ShH); Brenda Dunlap and D.C. area singers 15 (ShH).

The committees gave their reports. Matt Roberts offered Resolutions, and thanked the many volunteers. Announcements were made. The Potomac River Convention, 2018, switches to the second Sunday and Saturday before in April due to Easter falling on the first Sunday.

Brenda Dunlap and the officers led 309 (ShH) as the closing song. Chris Wolf offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Brenda Dunlap; Vice Chairman—Matt Roberts; Secretaries—Julia Seidenstein, Rebecca Wenstrom, Zoe Plaugher, and Abby Beavin