Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, January 19

The 31st All-California Sacred Harp Singing Convention was called to order by Carolyn Deacy leading 171. David Fetcho offered the opening prayer. Mairye Bates welcomed everyone, and a business meeting was held. The following officers were elected or appointed to serve: Chairman—Mairye Bates; Vice Chairman—Mary Rose O’Leary; Secretaries—Mary Linn Bergstrom and Judy Getrich; Treasurer—Mairye Bates; Arranging Committee—Judy Getrich, Susan Willis-Powers, and Mimi Wright; Chaplains—Jeff Begley, David Fetcho, and Midge Harder; Resolutions—Sean Francis Conway.

Leaders: Mairye Bates and Mary Rose O’Leary 340; Judy Getrich 228; Mimi Wright 410b; Carla Smith 178; Midge Harder 184; Karen Mathews 114; Al Grindon 191; Pat Coghlan 351 (in memory of Steve Helwig); Sean Francis Conway 48t; Jeri Segal 312b; Peter Stenshoel 68t; Carri Grindon 217; Edward Rice 89; David Fetcho 220; Lindy Groening 527; Carolyn Craig 567; David Olson 564.

RECESS

Wren Hyde led 101t to bring the class back together. Leaders: Jon Rand 448t; Kathy Manning 444; Susan Fetcho 549; Jeff Laub 551; Mischa Skeeter 372; Leigh Cooper 570; Alison Fisher 532; Jen Rymut 75; Sterling McElrath and Peter Stenshoel 504; Laurie Burk 299; Anzick Donico 46; Mark Godfrey 213t; Jeff Begley 158; Erica Martinez 361; Fred Wilkey 474; Aisha Morgan 87; Joel Chan 491; Melissa Kelley 460.

RECESS

Sadhbh O’Flynn brought the class back together leading 85. Leaders: Claire Singleton 82t; Nicholas Thompson 216; Thom Fahrbach and Julie McMahan 475 (dedicated to Cousin Dorothy and for Eric Schwab); William Price 441; Carol Crawford 433; Linda Booth and Tom McTighe 245; Debby Moody 547; Corrie Van Duzer 352; Janet Plattner 276; Leah Coffin 384; Abbie Sorg 383; Steve Warner 168; Anita Landess 379; Nancy Price 277; Catherine Van Duzer 47t; Tom Booth 480; Sophia Schinske 548; Mike Rasmussen 177; Jim Crawford 546; Brad Knoke 160b. A blessing for the noon meal was offered by David Fetcho.

LUNCH

Julius Pasay led 145t to call the class back together. Leaders: Anne Heider 236; Evelyn Lamb 550; David Smead 536; Carol Huang 528; Chris Noren 485; Marie Brandis 172; Lisa Grayson 192; Kate Coxon 422; Judy Van Duzer 186; Kevin Barrans 270; Lisa Bennett 208 (in memory of Darrell Swarens and for J.R. Hardman); Jerry Schreiber 538; Andrew Mashchak 481; Monica Rasmussen 290; Kate Fine 198; Betsy Jeronen 534; Sadhbh O’Flynn 522; Clinton Davis 426t.

RECESS

Brad Knoke brought the class back together leading 287. Leaders: Julius Pasay 187; Sophia Schinske 573; India Genack 48b; Tom McTighe 34t; Jerry Schreiber 59; James Moursand 47b; Wren Hyde 416; Steve Warner 84; Nicholas Thompson 436; Steven O’Leary 542; Edward Rice 378b; Robin Woolner 31t; Adam Boocher and Evelyn Lamb 99; David Fetcho 196; Anne Heider 155; Pat Coghlan 391; Jim Crawford 28b.

Mary Rose O’Leary and Mairye Bates led 347 as the closing song. David Fetcho offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

A composium organized by Susan Willis-Powers (an opportunity for new compositions to be presented and sung) followed the Saturday session.

Sunday, January 20

Leah Coffin brought the Sunday session to order leading 47t. Midge Harder offered the opening prayer. Leaders: Judy Getrich 350; Jeff Laub 63; Peter Stenshoel 365; Carla Smith 394; India Genack 112; Midge Harder 148; Laurie Burk 142; Karen Mathews 147b; Anzick Donico 146; Arieta Santinelli and Jeff Begley 61; Jeff Begley 51; Bruce Hayes 250; Emily Ross 535; Colleen Dougher 532; Susan Willis-Powers 189; Bonnie Mitchell and Peter Stenshoel 178; Fred Wilkey 107; Steven O’Leary 217.

RECESS

Kate Coxon led 30b to bring the class back together. Leaders: Pat Keating 528; Sean Francis Conway 491; Pat Coghlan 91; Mary Rose O’Leary 362; Carolyn Craig 268; Carolyn Deacy 224; Edward Rice 276; Jerry Schreiber and April West 454; Lindy Groening 377; Aisha Morgan 339; Mark Godfrey 283; Chris Thorman 179; Wren Hyde 376; David Fetcho 136; Susan Fetcho 505; Erica Martinez 472; Julius Pasay 506; Sophia Schinske 527.

RECESS

Erica Martinez brought the class back together leading 358. Leaders: Judy Van Duzer 312b; Jim Crawford and Mary Crawford 523; Carol Crawford and Mary Crawford 165; Lisa Bennett and Tracy Barnes 212; Jen Rymut 400.

Peter Stenshoel and James Banks conducted the memorial lesson. Peter Stenshoel spoke movingly and led 86 in honor of the sick and homebound.

James Banks spoke words of comfort and led 163b in memory of the following deceased: Eugene Forbes, Glenda Hopper, and Lily Hopper—Alabama; Rodney Willard and Barbara Willard—Arizona; Dorothy Cross, Linda Domholdt, Una Feeney, Lou Feiner, Jan Feiner, Ruth King, Hildy May, Marilyn Montgomery, and Anise Stevens—California; George Fetcho—Florida; Richard Davis, and Darrell Swarens—Indiana; Ivan Laszlow—New Jersey; Michael Kaye and Eliot Long—New York; Sile O’Flynn—New York and Cork, Ireland; Mary Ellen Schrock—New York and Florida; Steve Helwig—Oregon; Mel Rosenbaum, Adelaide Vaughn, and Doug Webb—Texas; Barbara Losse and Gary “Doc” Taylor—Utah; Francois Brunet—Paris, France. Jeff Begley led a prayer to close the memorial lesson.

Leaders: Mimi Wright 284; Kathy Manning 302; Sadhbh O’Flynn 201; Nicholas Thompson 200; Marie Brandis 140; Evelyn Lamb 26; Mike Rasmussen 240. Jeff Begley offered a blessing for the noon meal.

LUNCH

Sean Francis Conway and Natasha Kozaily led 33b to bring the class together. Leaders: Brad Knoke 398; Debby Moody 108b; Jeri Segal, Richard Hughes, and Patsy Hughes 411; Nancy Price 270; William Price 58; Andrew Mashchak 487; Alison Fisher and Christine Schmidt 282; Monica Rasmussen 277; David Smead 266; Abbie Sorg 455; Catherine Van Duzer and Stephanie Grant 280; Kevin Barrans 203; Leah Coffin 397; Kate Coxon 349; Jerry Schreiber, Mairye Bates, and several singers new to Sacred Harp 474, 442; Janet Plattner 119; Thom Fahrbach and Nicholas Thompson 434; Kate Fine 187; Lee Cooper 149; Claire Singleton 273; Corrie Van Duzer 191.

RECESS

Jen Rymut and Kevin Barrans led 354b to bring the class back together. Leaders: Chris Noren 507; Lisa Grayson 278b; Betsy Jeronen 436; Mischa Skeeter 324; Joel Chan 30b; Tom McTighe 560; Jerry Schreiber 556; Nicholas Thompson 204; Linda Booth 269; Claire Singleton 344; Evelyn Lamb, Mike Rasmussen, and Monica Rasmussen 215; Mary Linn Bergstrom and Carla Smith 424; Lisa Bennett and David Smead 197.

Mairye Bates announced that convention expenses had been met. Judy Getrich reported that ninety-six songs were led on Saturday and eighty-nine on Sunday, with singers coming from twelve states. Sean Frances Conway expressed enthusiasm for a successful convention, and thanked the many people who worked hard to make it so. Announcements were made and invitations issued for upcoming singings.

Following committee reports and announcements, Mairye Bates and Mary Rose O’Leary led 62 as the closing song. Jeff Begley offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Mairye Bates; Vice Chairman—Mary Rose O’Leary; Secretaries—Mary Linn Bergstrom and Judy Getrich