Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, August 5

The 165th session of the Chattahoochee Convention was held on the first Sunday and Saturday before in August, at Wilson’s Chapel, Cross Plains, Georgia. Sheri Taylor called the class to order by leading 56b. Jeannette DePoy offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Laura Frey 47b; Donna Duke 159; Robert Kelley 165; Judy Chambless 464; John Plunkett 405; Jeannette DePoy 37b; David Brodeur 127; Joyce Walton 39b; Aldo Ceresa 132; Helen Bryson 492; Fred Eady 192; Andy Morse 377; Henry Johnson 289; Lela Crowder 124; Winfred Kerr 59; Andy Ditzler 64; Samuel Williams 272; Faye Hollis 99; Robert Chambless 494; Dan Brittain 309.

RECESS

Jenna Frey called the class to order by leading 358. Leaders: Mike Richards 36b; Jerusha Wheeler 300; Bill Hollingsworth 180; Lisa Bennett 266; Leanne Carter 63; Rebecca Over 397; Charles Woods 197; David Smead 567; Ben Shirley 232; John Hollingsworth 36t; Justin Bowen 179; Johnathon Kelso 285b; Philip Denney and Gayle Denney 129; Michael Thompson 198; Eva Striebeck 213t; Lydia Lewallen 379; Don Keeton 489; Brenda Dunlap 61; Isaac Green 411.

RECESS

The convention was called into a business session. The following were elected officers for the 2017 session: Chairman—Sheri Taylor; Vice Chairmen—Laura Frey and Lisa Webb; Secretary—Donna Duke; Chaplains—Jeannette DePoy and Johnathon Kelso; Arranging Committee—Robert Kelley and Jenna Frey; Finance Committee—Lori Goode and Joyce Heath; Resolutions Committee—Aldo Ceresa and John Plunkett; Memorial Committee—Richard DeLong and Rebecca Over.

Leaders: Simon Filbrum 503; Oscar McGuire 573; Joyce Heath 107; Tony Hammock 267; Lori Goode 176b; Don Bowen 510; Jonathon Smith 428; Lauren Bock 349; Susan Cherones 564; Michael Spencer 166; Brittany Thompson 282; Nathan Rees 449; Judy Mincey 571; Karen Rollins 222.

LUNCH

Sheri Taylor and Laura Frey brought the class to order leading 178. Leaders: Jesse Karlsberg 189; Kathy Williams 291; Matt Hinton 217; Jesse Roberts 240; Erica Hinton 372; Richard DeLong 419; Anna Hinton 455; Gene Duke and Michele Morgan 111t; Eli Hinton 82t; Gary Davis and Karen Flagg 480; Amy Marsee Callahan 106; Sadie Bagley 146; Lydia Lewallen 406; Mike Richards 389; Lisa Webb 361; Eva Striebeck 465; Ben Shirley 113; Rebecca Over and Dan Brittain 353; Dan Brittain 472; Brenda Dunlap 103; Jonathon Smith 102; Lauren Bock and Isaac Green 434; Henry Johnson 288; Aldo Ceresa 475.

RECESS

Leaders: Robert Kelley 501; Susan Cherones 481; Brittany Thompson 112; Winfred Kerr 500; Christian Webb 294; Johnathon Kelso 284; Fred Eady 236; Andy Morse 542; Simon Filbrum 245; Don Bowen and Lisa Bennett 549; Aldo Ceresa and Michael Thompson 322. Sheri Taylor led 340 for Lovie Boyd, who will be 100 years old in September. Ms. Boyd has been attending the convention for at least seventy years.

Sheri Taylor, Lisa Webb, Laura Frey, and Christian Webb led 323t as the closing song. Johnathon Kelso dismissed the class with prayer.

Sunday, August 6

The Sunday session of the Chattahoochee Convention was brought to order by Sheri Taylor leading 142. Jeannette DePoy offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Laura Frey 178; Donna Duke 503; David Brodeur 119; Karen Rollins 95; Robert Chambless 225t; Cecil Roberts 138b; Daniel Williams 196; Judy Chambless 549; Andy Ditzler 301; Gary Davis and Karen Flagg 565; Jim Neal 81t; Aldo Ceresa 175; David Smead 154; Michael Spencer 393; Jeannette DePoy 111b; Samuel Williams 123t.

RECESS

Leaders: Lisa Webb 421; Lisa Bennett 419; Winfred Kerr 516; Darlene Moak 278t; Kathy Williams 336; Oscar McGuire and Lisa Bennett 485; Brenda Dunlap 538; Amy Wells 354b; Bryan Black 505; Michael Thompson 385b; Eva Striebeck 138t; Dan Brittain 302; Chris Parris 358.

RECESS

Leaders: Jenna Frey 408; John Plunkett 467; Lori Goode 146; Richard DeLong 428; Ben Fink 387; Lydia Lewallen 568.

The memorial lesson was conducted by Rebecca Over and Richard DeLong. Rebecca read the following: Now we come to the time when we pause to think about those who are sick and unable to be with us today. We also think of those who are caring for them. Many of us have experienced the joy that cards, phone calls, emails, and visits from singers can bring when we have been stuck at home unwell, unable to do the one thing (singing) that would make us feel better. We may also have gone to visit a fellow singer to cheer them up and come away much uplifted ourselves when we least expected it. Another thing we do is to put people’s names on the list of sick and shut-ins, or housebound as we say in the U.K., and we read these names at conventions and singings. We take time to think of these people, and their names are recorded in the minutes. This tradition transcends the boundaries of countries and continents. Back in 2012, when I had to cancel the first ever trip to sing in Georgia due to severe laryngitis, I was greatly comforted by the fact that someone put my name on the sick and shut-ins list at the Georgia State Convention, all the more so because most of the singers there had never even met me. Earlis McGraw was delighted with a card sent from the Irish Convention, signed by singers from all over the world. By including people’s names on the list we very likely bring them more comfort and consolation than we will ever know. The people who we hold in our hearts today are Eloise Wootten, Mike Taylor, Larry Smith, Agnes Roberts, Robby Rivers, Louise Holland, Pat Kierbow, Tim Morse, Chris Holley, Jen Heath, Concetta Branson, and Julie Vea. Rebecca led 330b in their honor.

Richard DeLong read the following list of names of the deceased: Gravis Ballinger—Alabama; Bob Bonnell—Florida; Hugh McGraw, Geneva Prichard, Johnny Lee, Delorese Lee, B.M. Smith, Glenda Yancey, Harold DeLong, Elder Larry Keaton, Gail Jackson, and Lynn Key—Georgia; John Lewallen—North Carolina; Erin Harris and Daniel Summerlin—Tennessee. Richard led songs 381 and 153 in memory of the deceased. Samuel Williams closed the memorial session with prayer.

Leaders: Erica Hinton 131b; Dan Edwards 30b; Ben Shirley 313b; Anna Hinton 383.

LUNCH

Laura Frey and Jenna Frey began the afternoon session by leading 163b. Leaders: Matt Hinton 114; Mike Richards 328; Johnathon Kelso 203; Anders Wells 99; Rebecca Over 527; Mark Puckett, Leighanna Beatenbough, and Haley Beatenbough 35; Rosemarie Yntema 269; Lottie Hinton 32t; Eli Hinton 65; Robert Kelley 536; Gene Duke 569b; Aldo Ceresa 548; Bryan Black, David Brodeur, and Andy Ditzler 344; Michael Thompson 89; Brenda Dunlap 433; Eva Striebeck 215; Christian Webb 156; Chris Parris and Bryan Black 282; Ben Shirley 191; Dan Edwards 73t; Lydia Lewallen and Mike Richards 100; Lisa Webb 168; Ben Fink 49b.

RECESS

Sheri Taylor led 528. The convention went into a business session. Committee reports were read as follows: Lori Goode reported for the Finance Committee, thanking the class for their contributions and generosity. May the Lord bless you for a giving heart.

Aldo Ceresa and John Plunkett, Resolutions Committee, gave the following resolution: On behalf of the 165th session of the Chattahoochee Sacred Harp Musical Convention, we thank: God, for the gift of music and in particular for the gift of the Sacred Harp tradition; the Wilson family for all that they do in preparation for this convention and for maintaining the property throughout the year; all of the officers for ensuring that we have a smooth running convention; all those who have supported the convention by bringing food for our lunch and for those who have donated other resources to aid in the success of the convention; the people that keyed for the convention and for the singers who have traveled from near and far to attend and sing and have made this convention a great success. We do hereby resolve that we will make every effort to return for the 166th session, to be held on the first Sunday and Saturday before in August, 2018. Respectfully submitted, Aldo Ceresa and John Plunkett. Motion was made and carried that the reports be accepted, and added to the convention’s minutes.

Leaders: Michael Spencer 205; John Plunkett 167; Kathy Williams 208; Winfred Kerr 314; Daniel Williams 74t; Lisa Bennett 391; Jeannette DePoy 460; Jim Neal 389; Rebecca Over 176t; Samuel Williams 171; Richard DeLong 399b; David Smead 228; Gary Davis and Karen Flagg 426t.

Announcements were made. Sheri Taylor, Laura Frey and Lisa Webb, Jenna Frey, and Riley Webb led 62 as the closing song. The class was dismissed with prayer offered by Johnathon Kelso.

Chairman—Sheri Taylor; Vice Chairmen—Laura Frey and Lisa Webb; Secretary—Donna Duke