Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, January 27

The 20th annual Keystone Sacred Harp Convention was held on the fourth Sunday and Saturday before in January. Ruth Wampler called the class to order by leading 77b. Hollie Long offered the opening prayer. The following officers were elected: Chairman—Nancy Tkacs, Vice Chairman—Sasha Hsuczyk; Treasurer—Krista Guerrieri; Secretaries—Dann Pell and Thomas Ward.

Leaders: Nancy Tkacs 350; Sasha Hsuczyk 60; Dann Pell 460; Hollie Long 489; Doron Henkin 144; Molly Sayvetz 99; Jeff Shenk 122; Kathy Carluzzo 76b; Scott Robinson 66; Linnea Clark 448t; Julian Bender 474; Thomas Ward 125; Anna Melton 108b; Miriam Delirium and Claire Hogan 378b; Sonia Chin 208.

RECESS

Ted Stokes called the class back to order by leading 229. Leaders: Shani Aviram 505; Jessica Keyes 371; Ben Cocchiaro 436; Molly Sauder 569b; Corinne Ducey 422; Topher Lawton 163t; Jasmine Mendoza 84; Roland Hutchinson 112; Mary Skidmore 110; Gillie Campbell 347; Pattie Wareh 192; Krista Guerrieri 102; Mary Helen Dupree 157; Keillor Mose 340; Sharon Strong 213b; Dean Jens 212; Laura Densmore 542.

RECESS

Leon Pulsinelle called the class back to order by leading 162. Leaders: Claire Simon 547; Ron Trial 198; Gina Balestracci 137; Tim Gregg 92; Judy Contompasis 388; Carol Medlicott 276; Kerry Cullinan 29t; Julia Seidenstein 344; John delRe 280; Miranda Elliot Rader 86; Graham Dezarn 372; Nora Miller 217; Jan May 532; Emma Swartz and Lillian Bell 454; Greg Creech 74b; Gerry Hoffman 564; Stacey Berkheimer 297; Ray Rechenberg 203; Kevin Beirne 411. Anna Mays offered the blessing before the meal.

LUNCH

Tom Stokes and Alex Forsyth called the class back to order by leading 111t. Leaders: Emily Ekelund 383; Philippe Doyle-Gosselin 142; Kelly Macklin 96; Amber Davis 380; Justin Bowen 550; Fallon Cook 176t; Isaac Green 170; Barrett Patton 292; Beth Anne Clay 377; Hayden Arp 434; Shelby Castillo 546; Sarah Trumbore 475; Nicholas Thompson 216; Eva Striebeck 426b; Chris Holley and Kathe Pilibosian 376; Anna Grace Sipe 47t; Evelyn Lamb 43; Ivy Hauser 500; Annie-Lou Chester 401; Cheyenne Ivey 182; Joanne Fuller 439; Robert Stoddard and Elizabeth Stoddard 522; Jamie Ross 504; Barbara Swetman 196; Laura Hodges 300.

RECESS

Rachel Speer and Dean Jens called the class back to order by leading 274t. Leaders: Douglas Fower 472; Al McCready 269; Mike Richards 218; David Brodeur 368; Anna Mays 548; Andy Ditzler 466; Lydia Lewallen 342; Rachel Taylor 480; Jesse Flynn 319; Sara Lott 430; Faiz Wareh 48b; Tom George 317; Jesse Vear 470; Angharad Davis and Nathalie Levine 335; John Hughes 481; Wendy Sibbison 477; Tarik Wareh 375; Emily Hale Sills 390; Crispin Youngberg 492; Brian Harris 419; Cora Wareh 58; Mel Novner 71; Lilly Israel 312b; Charlotte Ehrman 486; Rebecca Hawkins 230; Nathan Aldrich 394; Carol Huang and Sam Kleinman 73t.

Nancy Tkacs and Sasha Hsuczyk led 30b as the closing song. Joel Bassett offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, January 28

The Sunday session of the Keystone Sacred Harp Convention was held at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. Nancy Tkacs called the class to order by leading 171. Alex Forsyth offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Leon Pulsinelle 32t; Elizabeth Patton 285b; Chloe Mohr 344; Ryan Nash and Brian Harris 288; Joyce Forry, Leah Sides, and Faith Sides 282; Susan Bingham 168; Guy Bankes 287; Ina Shea 38t; Lamar Matthew and Harry Scott 315; Barbara Swetman 383; Gerry Hoffman 458; Rachel Speer 528; Joanne Fuller 406; Keillor Mose and Ethan Hosta 129; Mary Skidmore 538; Pattie Wareh and Cora Wareh 501.

RECESS

Bethany Towne called the class back to order by leading 128. Leaders: Doron Henkin and Barbara Hohenstein 506; Sue Peters 82b; Maria Cramer 271t; Judy Kaplan 31t; Gwen Gethner 26; Charles Biada 545; Ted Stokes and Krista Guerrieri 56b; Tom Ivey 189; Alanna Goodman 148; Carol Huang 30t; Terry Ryan 193; Emma Rose Brown 309; Robin Banerji 242; Alice Beattie 187; Myles Louis Dakan 213t.

RECESS

Daniel Hunter and Katy Hunter called the class back to order by leading 153. Leaders: Chris Cotter 498; Kevin Beirne and Gedney Barclay 228; Robert Stoddard 89; Sam Kleinman 82t; Nancy Mandel 313t; Brenda Dunlap 69t; Gerald Clark 271b.

Barrett Patton and Gina Balestracci conducted the memorial lesson. Barrett Patton spoke and read the following list of names of the sick and shut-ins: Larry Wootten, Claudene Townsend, Irene Brown, Merv Horst, Ester Wildey, Renee Hernandez, Concetta Branson, Rosemary Vequist, Evelyn Silvia, Lynne deBenedette, Chris Brown, Jim Wallis, Scott Harriman, Gillian Inksetter, Betsy Jeronen, Mike Spencer, Jacob Gravat, Chloe Rombach, Joyce Homan, Michael Kaye, Joan Trout, Ben Pirie, Robert Chambless, Judy Chambless, Margie Smith, Charlene Wallace, Jewel Wootten, Olive Wilson, Josslynn Riot, Margaret Bornick, Ronald Bornick, Nate Green, Norma Green, Pam Nunn, Coy Ivey, Boyd Scott, Claire McGuire, Michael Appert, Don Bowen, Marilyn Murata, Judy Clum, and Mary Ellen Schrock. He led 70t in their honor.

Gina Balestracci spoke and read the following list of names of the deceased: Rhoda Weiner, Skip Trout, Winter Acorn, Michael Sensor, Will Abbot, and Virginia Crawford—Pennsylvania; Darrell Swarens—Indiana; Steve Helwig—Oregon; Albert Davis—Louisiana; Herb Eriksson, Barbara Bell, Jean Coppola, and Brendan Rush—New York; Rhoda Ann Wildey and Florence Haas—New Jersey; Wayne Jens and Evalyn Tornabane—Iowa; Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien—Massachusetts; Pat Doerfler, Ann Sleeva, Berkley Moore, and Les Sontag—Illinois; Hugh McGraw, Robyn Green, Delorese Lee, and Edna Vickers—Georgia; Robert Lacey and Nancy Graham—Maryland; Edward Swetman, Charles Wells, and Collette Miller—Minnesota; Jane Goforth, Edith Owen, Amy Denison, and Maurice Trial—Texas; Julie Vea—Wisconsin; Eloise Wootten, Daphne Causey, Martha Moody, Johnie Chafin, Floy Wilder, Susie Denson, Caleb Allred, Gravis Ballinger, and Edna Rogers—Alabama; Howard Verman—Vermont; Michael Goldenberg—Ohio; Laura Bodenheimer and Ruth Ekelund—North Carolina; John Dixon—London, UK; Laurie Maggiano—Virginia. She led 47b in their memory, and closed the memorial lesson with a prayer. Chris Holley offered an additional prayer of gratitude.

Leaders: Mel Novner and Emily Hale Sills 432; Molly Dektar 410b; Stefani Priskos 42; Mike Richards and Laura Hodges 507; Wendy Sibbison and Lillian Bell 36b; Jesse Beller 141; Elizabeth Stoddard 283. Nicholas Thompson offered the blessing before the noon meal.

LUNCH

Alex Forsyth and Barrett Patton called the class back to order by leading 224. Leaders: Tarik Wareh and Evelyn Lamb 396; Philippe Doyle-Gosselin and Em Ekelund 32b; Eva Striebeck and Nele Gilich 74t; Lydia Lewallen and Isaac Green 483; Cheyenne Ivey 430; David Brodeur and Andy Ditzler 442; Sarah Trumbore and Tom George 183; Shelby Castillo 318; Nicholas Thompson 304; Stacey Berkheimer 440; Ray Rechenberg 277; Amber Davis 391; Jan May 540; Fallon Cook 556; Justin Bowen and Beth Anne Clay 215; Anna Grace Sipe 77t; Ivy Hauser and Rebecca Hawkins 567; Jim Glaser 322.

RECESS

Charles Biada and Gwen Gethner called the class back to order by leading 100. Leaders: Angharad Davis 204; Emma Swartz 278t; Hayden Arp 384; Clare Hogan and Annie-Lou Chester 414; Crispin Youngberg 88b; Jesse Vear and Jesse Flynn 530; Carol Medlicott, Greg Creech, and Anna Creech 178; Lilly Israel and Nathan Aldrich 299; Jamie Ross 38b; Anna Mays, Kerry Cullinan, Judy Contompasis, and Nicandra Galper 180; Faiz Wareh 411; Sasha Hsuczyk and Wayne Taylor 272; Rachel Hall, Joel Basset, Ruth Wampler, and Jesse Krikorian 212.

Resolutions were offered by Charles Biada and Shani Aviram. Following announcements, the convention officers led 62 as the closing song. Justin Bowen offered the closing prayer.

Chairman—Nancy Tkacs; Vice Chairman—Sasha Hsuczyk; Secretaries—Dann Pell and Thomas Ward