Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, September 22

The 7th annual Poland Sacred Harp Convention was held on the fourth Sunday and Saturday before in September on the main campus of the University of Warsaw at the Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies. The class was called to order by Kuba Choiński leading 59. Jacek Borkowicz offered the opening prayer. Kuba Choiński welcomed the guests.

Leaders: Gosia Perycz 32t; Jacek Borkowicz 49b; Alma Molędys 445; Marta Kaczorowska and Gosia Perycz 457; Caro Stamm-Reusch 187; Jan Geerts 378b; Werner Ullah 73b; Joanna Bennett 434; Steve Brett 89; Ingrid Rædergård 35; Ailish McMahon 148; Sue Peters 338; George Simms 512; Mary Jane Wells 159; Ted Brown 77b; Amanda Parkes 283.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Kari Lundgren leading 448b. Leaders: Piotr Zarzycki and Jasmina Graf 142; Mali Dray 48b; Josh Lant 77t; Kerry Cullinan 26; Claire Welford 501; Jeannette DePoy 392; Kamil Watkowski and Andy Ditzler 296; Rachel Wemyss 129; Marta Wnukiewicz and friends 95; Johannes Sauer 151; Eva Striebeck 362; Aldo Ceresa 534; Eimear O’Donovan 411; David Brodeur 543; Betsy Jeronen 564; Philippe Doyle-Gosselin 432; Nick Hall 511; Lloy Cook 504; Geoff Grainger 313b; Camilla Marie Widholm 280.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Justyna Orlikowska leading 56t. Leaders: Judy Whiting 492; Constantin Dorsch 542; Peter Rayner 236; Rachel Jordan 466; Jared Pope 300; Stina Söderling 451; Rosalind Oldham 84; Martha Beverly 197; Edwin Macadam 444; Ulrike Tietjen 396; Chris Brown 447; Tom McTighe 517; Christopher Schuller 372; Marielle Minutella 497; Elene Stovall 430; Tristan Gordon 460; Helen Brown 500; Carolyn Deacy 112; Dan Brittain 417; Ann Riley 192; Teresa Maguire 506; Vella Dailey 34b. The blessing for the midday meal was offered by Alma Molędys.

LUNCH

The class was called back to order by Kama Dembińska leading 67. Leaders: Katie Ahern 189; Andy Ditzler 181; Lauren Bock 419; Karen Ivey 532; Morag Logan 72b; Kathy Williams 365; Kate Fine 361; Vicki Elliott 327; David Ivey 428; Samuel Sommers 426b; Sheila Girling Macadam 377; Kari Lundgren 36b; Amy Pope 277; Richard Schmeidler 120; Scott DePoy 65; Idy Kiser 217; Laurie Burk 312b; Jasmina Graf 216; Bill Beverly 547; David Carlton 421; Lissi Schallwig 106; Derek Buckland 125; Justyna Orlikowska 328.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Gosia Perycz leading 330t. Leaders: Joyce Smith 31t; Błażej Matusiak 276; Oskar Kvasnes 66; Kuba Choiński 40; Eva Striebeck 42; Betsy Jeronen 499; Rosalind Oldham 503 (in memory of Steve Helwig); Mali Dray 163b; Ann Riley 186; Peter Rayner 324; Jan Geerts 38b; Camilla Marie Widholm 550; Johannes Sauer 196; Stina Söderling 531; Ingrid Rædergård 128; Morag Logan 344.

Kuba Choiński led 47t as the closing song. The closing prayer was offered by Helen Brown, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, September 23

The Sunday session of the 7th Poland Sacred Harp Convention began with Kuba Choiński leading 101t. The opening prayer was offered by Eimear O’Donovan.

Leaders: Marta Kaczorowska 87; Jacek Borkowicz 163b; Kama Dembińska 71 (in memory of Steve Helwig); Alma Molędys, Basia Molędys, and Justyna Molędys 274t; Izabela Jachnicka and Justyna Orlikowska 457; Dominika Jędrzejczak and Marta Wnukiewicz 49t; Christopher Schuller 278t; Hyke Sakaras 117; Błażej Matusiak 171; Kuba Choiński 501; Piotr Zarzycki and Jasmina Graf 107; Kerry Cullinan 467; Oskar Kvasnes 515; Lloy Cook 503; Josh Lant 183; Laurie Burk 146; Ulrike Tietjen 113; Derek Buckland 160b; Vicki Elliott 565; David Carlton 198; Katie Ahern 318.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Gosia Perycz leading 82t. Leaders: Inga Huebner 98; Mali Dray 201; Constantin Dorsch 26; Ailish McMahon 111b; Nick Hall 231; Gail Doss 191; George Simms 492; Lissi Schallwig 324; Idy Kiser 479; Jan Geerts 455; Jasmina Graf 442; Claire Welford 556; Richard Schmeidler 474.

Jeannette DePoy and Samuel Sommers conducted the memorial lesson. Samuel Sommers spoke for the sick and shut-ins and led 45t for the following: Silke Kunow-Koch, Erika Nebel, Phil, Bob Patten, Sister Rippa, David Elliott, Philip Ralls, Ruth Daniel, Eugene Forbes, Ann Jett, Karen Rollins, Melanie Hauff, Dorothy Hall, Chris Densmore, Laura Densmore, Charlie Miller, Regina Contrino, and Curtis Owen.

Jeannette DePoy spoke and led 68b in memory of the following deceased: Jennifer Bennett—Canada, Jürn Otten and Andrej Sauer—Germany; Maciej Kaziński—Poland; Wassim Suleiman—United Arab Emirates; Peter Golding, Andy Spence, Susan Carr, John Marsh, Frank Pigott, Michael Ridge, Michael Seifert, Kamila Zahno, Ivan Bainbridge, Reginald Brett, Steve Harrison, Rev. Michael Pain, and Janet Winstanley—United Kingdom; David Gasi—Australia; Willodean Barton, Daphene Causey, Art Gilmore, Glenda Hopper, Mike Jones, J.A. Moseley, and Verlon Stiefel—Alabama, USA; Barbara Willard and Rodney Willard—Arizona, USA; Freddie Briggs—Florida, USA; Florice Akin, Daniel Evans, Louise Holland, and Thomas Sanders—Georgia, USA; Berkley Moore and Ann Sleeva—Illinois, USA; Darrell Swarens—Indiana, USA; Michael Kaye and Mary Ellen Schrock—New York, USA; Elizabeth Rechenberg—Ohio, USA; Steve Helwig—Oregon, USA; Eugene Horst—Pennsylvania, USA; Amy Denison and Peter Nichols—Texas, USA; Julie Vea—Wisconsin, USA.

Leaders: Rachel Jordan 330b; Bill Beverly 523; Joyce Smith 535; Andy Ditzler 218; Sue Peters 341; Kathy Williams 273; Scott DePoy 179 (for his cousins Benton, Kate and Cyndi); Sheila Girling Macadam 299 (for Bob Patten); Dan Brittain 429; Rachel Wemyss 544; Werner Ullah and David Carlton 538. Grace for the midday meal was offered by Jan Geerts.

LUNCH

Stina Söderling called the class back to order leading 81t. Leaders: Tristan Gordon 176b; Martha Beverly 348t; Joanna Bennett 358; Helen Brown 475; Tom McTighe 374; Amanda Parkes 483; Aldo Ceresa 309; Caro Stamm-Reusch 397; Edwin Macadam 306; Elene Stovall 396; Steve Brett 507 (for Kate Kirwan); Lauren Bock 145t; Chris Brown 464; Eimear O’Donovan 222 (for Sadhbh O’Flynn); Philippe Doyle-Gosselin 272; David Brodeur 200; Judy Whiting 208; David Ivey and Karen Ivey 384; Eva Striebeck 465; Peter Rayner 452; Jacek Borkowicz 456; Vella Dailey, Amy Pope, and Jared Pope 549; Inga Huebner 94; Johannes Sauer 567.

RECESS

Steve Brett called the class back to order leading 278b. Leaders: Joanna Mankiewicz and Justyna Orlikowska 148; Ingrid Rædergård 480; Morag Logan 63; Ted Brown 43; Kuba Choiński 401; Camilla Marie Widholm 240; Ann Riley 440; Anna Godlewska and Gosia Perycz 163t; Betsy Jeronen 573; Kama Dembińska and Justyna Orlikowska 267; Steve Brett, Tom McTighe, Helen Peake, and Rachel Wemyss 290.

A business meeting was held for the purpose of hearing reports. The Treasurer, Kuba Choiński, announced that all expenses were met through the generosity of the attendees. Bogna Różyczka gave the Secretary’s report and stated that 190 songs had been sung in total (=103 on Saturday and =87 on Sunday) by =105 registered singers (among them 94 leaders). Thirteen countries were represented: Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, England, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America (twelve states were represented: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, New York, Tennessee, and Vermont). The Resolutions Committee (Aldo Ceresa) thanked all whose work made the convention a success. The business meeting was closed, and announcements were made.

Kuba Choiński remembered the late Steve Helwig, (who contributed a lot to make the first Poland Sacred Harp Convention possible) and together with Justyna Orlikowska and Gosia Perycz led 146 as the closing song (as they did together with Steve Helwig during the first Poland Sacred Harp Convention in 2012). Błażej Matusiak offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Kuba Choiński; Secretary—Bogna Różyczka