Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, January 20

The 30th annual All-California Sacred Harp Convention was held at the Harrison Recreation Center, Alameda, California, on the third Sunday and Saturday before in January. The class was called to order by Esteban Veliz leading 66. Jim Friedrich offered the opening prayer.

In a business meeting, the following officers and committee members were elected or appointed to serve: Co-Chairpersons—Carolyn Deacy and Erika Wilson; Vice Chairperson—Mairye Bates; Secretaries—Dan Harper, Sue Lindner, and Jeannette Ralston; Treasurer—Leigh Cooper; Arranging Committee—Lindy Groening, Mark Godfrey, and Chris Thorman; Chaplain—Jim Friedrich; Resolutions Committee—Wren Hyde and Ted Mercer.

Leaders: Carolyn Deacy and Erika Wilson 171; Mairye Bates 424; Rebecca Edwards 530; Marc Lambert 495; Wren Hyde 145b; Annalise Perone Veliz 72b; Inder Khalsa 29t; Jeff Begley 201; Lena Strayhorn 210; Gordon Rees 121; Irene Gilb 146; Laura Boyd Russell 298; Shelby Sampson 38t; Peter Stenshoel 33b; Betty Marvin 202; Bob Brylawski 236.

RECESS

Brad Knoke brought the class together leading 204. Leaders: Edward Rice 410b; Midge Harder 269; Pat Coghlan 299; Rick Russell 391; Arnold Zwicky 344; Linnea Sablonsky 532; Thompson Yeh 455; Jerry Schreiber 362; Concetta Branson and Clarissa Fetrow 472; Chris Thorman 189; Karen Mathews 191; Joel Chan 34t; Maggie Taylor 313b; Carla Smith 110; David Fetcho 441; Greg Freemon 285t; Rodman Campbell 39t; Nadia Abdelaziz 547; Leigh Cooper, Cecil Godfrey, and Leon Godfrey 32t.

RECESS

Eva Striebeck brought the class together leading 133. Leaders: Kate Coxon 215; Corrie Van Duzer 436; Marie Brandis and Steven Short 212; Laura McMurray 230; Hugh McGuire 319; Jessica Beer 445; Laurie Burk 178; Paul Lindholm and Trey Van Treeck 447; Kate Fine 309; Ana Tighe 411; Sean Francis Conway 491; Dorothy Robinson 383; Claire Singleton 40; Bob Schinske 460; Catherine Van Duzer 47t; Kate Fortin 512; Ellen Ray 170; Adam Berey 392; Nell Whitman 300; Linda Booth 196. Jim Friedrich offered prayer before the noon meal.

LUNCH

Greg Freed and Heather Purdy brought the class together leading 162. Leaders: Nancy Novotny 422; Ted Mercer 430; Eva Striebeck 222; Karen Ivey 492; Chris Cotter 213t; Charley Basham 523; Judy Caudle 500; Mary Rose O’Leary 203; J.T. Harechmak 384; Sadhbh O’Flynn 454; Bridgett Hill Kennedy 377; Leon Godfrey 37b; David Ivey 528; Gordon Rees and Nathan Rees 371; Stephanie Fida 198; Kevin Barrans 348b; Jonathon Smith 428; Julius Pasay 209; Darlene Dalton 147t; David Wright 28b; Lynn Basham 479; Stephen O’Leary 297. Judy Caudle and David Ivey of the Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association made a special presentation to Carolyn Deacy and Chris Thorman, in appreciation for more than two decades of service in preparing the annual Minutes Books for publication.

RECESS

J.T. Harechmak and Ellen Ray brought the class together leading 312b. Leaders: Erik Schwab 341; Betsy Jeronen 548; Judy Van Duzer 184; Thom Fahrbach 311 (for Steve Helwig); Linda Selph 480 (in memory of Janelle Davis); Andrew Snyder 245; Cornelia Stanton 192; Alison Fisher 183; Thomas Bauman, Luke Miller, and Thomas Miller 503; Hannah Blair 504; Jeremy Donaldson 173; Terry Barber 107; Lucy O’Leary 77t; Jim Friedrich 117; Mark Godfrey 142; Fred Wilkey 99; Mary O’Brien 378b; Susan Fetcho 282; Colin Kinlund 268; Peter Ross 163b; Dan Harper 56b.

For the closing song, Ted Mercer, Carolyn Deacy, Midge Harder, Sue Lindner, Mary Rose O’Leary, Stephen O’Leary, Jeannette Ralston, Jerry Schreiber, and Rena Sonshine led 448t in honor of the first All-California Sacred Harp Convention. These singers had all attended the first All-California Sacred Harp Convention. Jim Friedrich offered the closing prayer.

Sunday, January 21

Carolyn Deacy and Erika Wilson brought the Sunday session of the All-California Sacred Harp Convention to order by leading 59. Jim Friedrich offered the opening prayer. Leaders: Dan Harper 34b; Susan Fetcho 212; Betty Marvin 486; Irene Gilb 148; Fred Wilkey 114; Leah Coffin 101b; Karen Mathews 28t; Mark Godfrey 176t; Midge Harder 76b; Linnea Sablonsky 81t; Linda Selph 475; Mary O’Brien 271t; David Fetcho 302; Shelley Phillips 126; Wren Hyde 385b; Peter Stenshoel 73t; Rebecca Edwards 534; Maggie Taylor 569b; Tom Ayres 260.

RECESS

Brad Knoke and Jen Rymut brought the class together leading 89. Leaders: Ray Kutz and Bob Jost 84; Pat Coghlan 91; Shelby Sampson 171; Laura McMurray 138b; Leigh Cooper and Leon Godfrey 35; James Welsch 276; Carla Smith 331; Janet Herman 318; Mary Rose O’Leary 510; Judy Van Duzer 312b; Nell Whitman 373; Esteban Veliz 86; Kate Fortin 384; Susan Willis-Powers 300; Nancy Novotny 349; Jeff Begley 562; Laura Boyd Russell 551; Catherine Van Duzer 280; Jerry Schreiber 550; Hugh McGuire 234; Jim Friedrich 481; Karen Stingle 183.

RECESS

Stephanie Fida and Kate Fortin brought the class together leading 39b. Leaders: Rick Russell 200; Claire Singleton 82t; Rodman Campbell 151; Greg Freemon 376.

Mary Rose O’Leary and Linda Selph conducted the memorial lesson. Mary Rose O’Leary led 330b in honor of the sick and homebound. Linda Selph led 70t in honor of the following deceased: Owen Delay, Linda Domholt, Harvey Guthrie, Anne Neville, Paul A. O’Leary, Mark Redar, Luis Veliz, Lynn Anna Wilson—California; Caleb Allred, Gravis Ballinger, Daphene Causey, Martha Moody, Edna Earl (Brown) Rogers, Eloise Ivey Wootten, Gene Wootten—Alabama; Signe Brantvold—Arizona; Hugh McGraw—Georgia; Ann Sleeva, Berkeley Moore—Illinois; Darrell Swarens—Indiana; Wes Theophan Sheldahl—Kentucky; Don Fahrbach—Michigan; Robert Jenson—New Jersey; Yi Chiang Chu, Ken Ecks, Norma Ecks—New York; Gerhart Schwab, Charles Wells—Ohio; Lotte Streisinger—Oregon; Elizabeth Perry—Pennsylvania; Patricia Haider—South Dakota; Julie Vea—Wisconsin. Linda Selph offered a prayer to close the memorial lesson.

Leaders: Sean Francis Conway 426t; Ted Mercer 181; Kate Fine 111b; David Wright 315; Clarissa Fetrow and Karen Ivey 507 (in memory of Darrell Swarens); Stephen O’Leary 113. Jim Friedrich offered the prayer for the noon meal.

LUNCH

Marie Brandis and Jen Rymut brought the class together leading 354b. Leaders: Kate Coxon 208; James Baumgartner 272; Jonathon Smith 296; Paul Lindholm 419; Carrie Van Duzer 513; Judy Caudle 542; Stephanie Fida 220; Julius Pasay 129; Erik Schwab 572; Brian Harris 328; Adam Berey 333; David Ivey 482; Nathan Rees 182; Darlene Dalton 448t; Bridgett Hill Kennedy 440; Chris Cotter 506; Sadhbh O’Flynn 292; Kevin Barrans 434; Eva Striebeck 375; Bob Schinske 546.

RECESS

Leigh Cooper and David Fetcho brought the class together leading 30b. Chris Thorman thanked Carolyn Deacy for her efforts in connecting California singers to the living tradition of Sacred Harp; at the invitation of Co-Chairperson Erika Wilson, David Fetcho then led “Deacy,” a song he composed in honor of Carolyn Deacy. Leaders: Lindy Groening 216; Thom Fahrbach 225t; Marie Brandis 112; Annalise Perone Veliz 31t; Ana Tighe 564; Inder Khalsa 131t; Barbara Saxton 192; Cornelia Stanton 87; Anne Caswell 38t; Laurie Burk 47t; Alison Fisher 335; Nadia Abdelaziz, Gwendolyn Aelson, Ayla Aelson, and Jeremy Donaldson 188; Lucy O’Leary 442; Lizzie Sanders 38b.

In a business meeting, the Treasurer reported that expenses had been met. The Secretary reported that on Saturday at least 159 singers sang 104 songs led by 112 leaders; on Sunday at least 144 singers sang 94 songs led by 95 leaders; singers came from 14 U.S. states and two foreign countries. The Resolutions Committee thanked the many people who made the convention a success. The Co-Chairpersons announced that the All-California Sacred Harp Convention will meet in the San Diego area on the third Sunday and Saturday before in January, 2019.

The officers led 62 as the closing song, and the singers took the parting hand. Jim Friedrich offered the closing prayer.

Co-Chairpersons—Carolyn Deacy and Erika Wilson; Vice Chairperson—Mairye Bates; Secretaries—Dan Harper, Sue Lindner, and Jeannette Ralston