Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, March 2

The 9th annual session of the Ireland Sacred Harp Convention met in St. Maries of the Isle School, Cork, Ireland, on the first Sunday and Saturday before in March. The class was brought to order by Katie Ahern leading 187. Christopher Lyons offered the morning prayer.

Leaders: Ross Harbison 32t; Sinéad Hanrahan 77b; Rosalind Woods 143; Aislinn Ahern 30t; Declan Barron 99; Niamh Madigan 155; Laurie Skelton 35; Ewa Lichnerowicz 539; Kate Kirwan 47t; Catherine Roberts 288; Greg Carson 31t; Ellen Kennedy 29t; Christopher Lyons 228; Florine Vieilly-Eymard and Julius Pasay 276; John O’ Flynn 37b; Helen Peake 501; Rachel Wemyss 354b; Jan Geerts 385t; Leilai Immel-Parkinson 278b; Johannes Saver 285t.

RECESS

Shana Wenger and Tivey called the class back together leading 203. Leaders: Kayne Coy 39t; Steph Malpass 216; Jude O’ Neill 535; Cornelia Van den Doel 452; Steve Biggs 178; Jacoba Bruneel 315; Anne Grosse and Steve Luttinen 59; Theresa Hofmann 128; Josh Lant 302; Stacy Hackner 268; Bénédicte Guillaume and David Brodeur 191; Dominik Fraune 134; Werner Ullah 278t; Camilla Marie Widholm 536; Samuel Turner 348t; Teresa Maguire 290; Gwendal Geleoc and Perrin de Sancy 40; Cäcilia Mann 232; Ed Johnson-Williams 303.

RECESS

Joanna Bennett and Hannah Bywaters brought the class back together leading 500. Leaders: Edwin Macadam 280; Caro Stamm-Reusch 528; Chris Brown 517; Marielle Minutella 515; Gideon Dresdner 329; Thom Fahrbach 214; Richard Mayers 213b; Saara Pakarinen 131t; Gerben Vos 485; Helen Brown 532; Philippe Doyle-Gosselin 440; Ross Harbison 81t; Léopoldine Guillaume 87; Joe Jones 350; Rachel Jordan 189; Sam Kleinman 292; Kim Lusk 89; Alec Williams 448b; Juniper Hill 481. The blessing before lunch was offered by Dominik Fraune.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was brought to order by Steve Brett leading 111t. Leaders: Erin Johnson-Williams 193; Andy Ditzler 304; Erica Martinez 300; Kevin Barrans 400; Elene Stovall 430; Kate Coxon 564; Jon Giles 546; Kathy Williams 434; Bobby Watkins and Sheila Girling Macadam 460; Jane Cannon 360 (for Jonathon Smith); Tom Booth 475; Bridgett Hill Kennedy 377; Mary Jane Wilkie 332; Tom McTighe 422; Mary Helen Dupree 210; John Hughes 372; Nancy Novotny 419; Paul Wyatt and John Meldrum 464; Martha Beverly 504; Christopher Kain 471.

RECESS

Steve Luttinen called the class back to order leading 277. Leaders: Al McCready and Agnès Francke 269; Megan Holm 339; Margaret Youngberg 383; Maggie Zhou 204; Julius Pasay 309; Dan Coppock 542; Becky Wright 406; Carol Huang 428; Ruth Linehan 168; Bill Beverley 547; David Brodeur 315; Linda Booth 198; Crispin Youngberg 170; Laurie Burk 122 (for Karl Stephen Walbrecht); Leslie Booher 274b; Amy Cutts 142 (for Falvia Miller); Chris Affolter 58; Emma Rock 551; Calum Woods 398; Sadhbh O’ Flynn 32b; Fynn Titford-Mock 399b.

Katie Ahern led 472 as the closing song. Kate Kirwan offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, March 3

The Sunday session of the Ireland Sacred Harp Singing Convention was brought to order by Katie Ahern leading 318. Joe Jones offered the morning prayer.

Leaders: Ross Harbison 335; Colleen Jones 84; Dermot Peel 114; Diane Hayward and Calum Woods 49t; Lisa O’ Grady 82t; Frédèric Eymard 183; Desmond O’ Flynn and Joanna Bennett 480; Eimear Cradock, David Larkin, and Sarah Twomey 345b; Kevin Beirne 505; Kevin Kennedy 82b; Ailish McMahon 42; Emma Greenough 63; Bryan Seale 123t; Judy Whiting 171; Mali Dray 48b; Blandine Gaydon 457; Piers Blewett 477; Susannah Gill 72b; Steve Welch 569t; Steve Welch 34b.

RECESS

Amanda Parkes called the class back to order leading 145t. Leaders: Philippe Doyle-Gosselin 56b; Oskar Kvasnes 147b; Anne Grosse 348b; Tom Sprackland 426t; Ruth Linehan 68b; George Simms 124; Megan Holm 213t; Joyce Smith 162; Beth Dixon 142; Ger Wolfe 178; Mike Morrisroe 182; Una Nicholson 474; Margaret Youngberg 151; Steve Luttinen 375; Mike Upton 207; Bill Beverley 546; Ross Harbison 285t; Seth Wenger and Frank Eeyamgittoowauconnuck-Brotherton 341.

RECESS

Michael Walker called the class back to order leading 179. Leaders: Alex Dixon 77t; Maggie Zhou 76b; Clare O’ Flynn and Jon Giles 274t; Nick Hall 455; Martha Beverly 283; Ted Brown 43; John Hughes 148; Vicki Elliott 212; Julius Pasay 373; Matthew Parkinson 560; Crispin Youngberg 172; Mary Jane Wilkie 217; Erica Martinez 112; Sheila Girling Macadam 320; Kate Coxon 330b.

Joanna Bennett conducted the memorial lesson and read the names of the following recently deceased: Charlie Hicks, Ivan Bainbridge, Kamila Zahno, Michael Siefert, John Marsh Weeley, Michael Ridge, Dennis Lingwood, Roberto Cavallar, Harry Cowking, Stuart Tanner, Janet Winstanley, Glenda Hopper, Barbara and Rodney Willard, Steve Harrison, Susan Carr, Rev. Michael Pain, Greg Hodnett, Bob Patten, Caroline Williams, Bill Steel, Dick Levine, Marlene Levine, Peter Civico, Yango Phol, Markus Becker, Alan Jones, Jo Seabrook, Betty Woods, Katherine Glatter, Andy Spence, Peter Zander, Ode Raymond, Franck Marynouser, Mary Ellen Schrock, Robert Eller, Carl Sednaoui, Peter Nichols, Louise Holland, Steve Helwig, Florice Akin, J.A. Mosley, Verlon Stiefel, Mike Jones, Willodean Barton, Freddie Briggs, Eugene Forbes, Karl Stephen Walbrecht, James B. Walker, Matthew Lennon-Smith, Céline Gresset, Kathy Forrest-Syracuse, Edme-Etienne, Suzie Lachapelle, Maureen Carty, Martha Brett, Reginald Brett, Carl Snook, Nick Diggins, Pauline Burgdorf, Oriana Ndreu, Flavia Miller, Tanner Swick, Phyllis Collins, John Condon, Etta Condon, Darrell Swarens, and Jer Harrington.

She also spoke for the following sick and housebound: Sarah Huckaby, Jonathan Smith, Jean McDougall, John Hopkinson, Philip Ralls, Melanie Hauff, Curtis Owen, Louis Hughes, Paul Wilson, Olivia Powell, Franz-Josef Fraune, David Sillito, Liliana Sillito, Carol Aitken, Roy McGregor, Bea Aaron, Carolyn Thompson, Karen Rollins, Norma Mincey, Judy Mincey, Ulla Schlobohm, Concetta Branson, Dan Fahrbach, Erik Bean, Jay Vanaken, Matthew Robley-Siemonsma, Richard Khaviec, Sue Daniels, Alan (Bear) Williams, Breda Morrisroe, Brian Morrisroe, Barbara McTighe, Richard DeLong, Velton Chafin, Paul Murphy, Charlotte Walker, and Dan Walker. Joanna then led 566 in their honor.

Leaders: David Brodeur 407; Sadhbh O’ Flynn 208. The blessing before lunch was offered by Megan Holm.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was brought to order by Amanda Parkes and Fynn Titford-Mock leading 322. Leaders: Sam Kleinman 426b; Jane Cannon 548; Bobby Watkins and Helen Brown 436; Carol Huang 522; Paul Wyatt 476; Bridgett Hill Kennedy and Resego Morakanyane 411; Kevin Barrans 416; Elene Stovall 396; Thom Fahrbach 423 (for Dan Fahrbach); Laura Morton 503; Camilla Marie Widholm 200; Andy Ditzler 442; Becky Wright 445; Kathy Williams 540; Caro Stamm-Reusch 410b; Jon Giles 298; Nancy Novotny 392; Steve Brett 417; Mary Helen Dupree 410t; Josh Lant 380; Jason Law 66; Kate Kirwan 397.

RECESS

Saara Pakarinen called the class back to order leading 176b. Leaders: Al McCready 270; Jelle Kuiper 47b; Laurie Burk 277; Dan Coppock 368; Leslie Booher 448t; Tom McTighe 150; Emma Rock 67; Gideon Dresdner 176t; Erin Johnson-Williams and Ed Johnson-Williams 495; Chris Affolter 312b; Helen Brown and Ted Brown 391; Dominik Fraune 76t; Calum Woods and Rosalind Woods 48t; Dublin singers 236; Marielle Minutella 361; Scottish singers 344; Bristol singers 225t; London singers 111b.

Katie Ahern made closing announcements, thanking all those involved in the organization and running of the weekend, and thanking visitors for travelling. Niamh O’Sullivan reported that 207 songs had been sung by =202 registered singers, with 146 leaders. Twelve countries were represented (Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Canada, The United States, Spain, and Botswana). Nineteen American states were represented (Minnesota, Oregon, New York, Washington, Georgia, California, Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, Rhode Island, Michigan, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, Tennessee, New Hampshire, Iowa, Kentucky, and Wisconsin). Ross Harbison gave the treasurer’s report, stating that all expenses had been met.

Katie Ahern led 62 as the closing song. Thom Fahrbach offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Katie Ahern; Vice Chairman—Ross Harbison; Secretary—Niamh O’Sullivan