Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, September 21

The 30th annual session of the Minnesota State Sacred Harp Singing Convention held at Olivet Congregational Church in Saint Paul was brought to order by Midge Olsen and Paul Landskroener leading 34b. Mary Ellen Shaw offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Matt Wells 37b; Ben Copenhaver 271b; John Wiens 36b; Jeanette Nelson 99; Peter Frenz 168; Erik McDonald 271t; Eleanor Haase 216; Dick Patterson 38b; Myles Alexander 328; Jim Goetz 218; Alec Jenkins-White 300; Francis Gurtz 209; Paul Wyatt 189; Kit Canright 171; Maggie Stansfield 277; Stephen Parker 49b; Jacob Kiakahi 394.

RECESS

Nathan Berry recalled the class by leading 35. Leaders: David Schmitt 481; Doug Donley 547; Jeff Bell 33b; Cecelia Kramer 71; Michael Shewmaker 40; Eleanor Glewwe 203; Corinne Serfass 436; Valerie Stoehr 47t; Michael Moore 299; Kevin Bullock 70t; Leon Pulsinelle 482; Jim Pfau 411; Susan Helf 472; Ivy Hauser 173; Robin Fox 276.

In a business meeting, the following people were elected to the office of chairman for the Minnesota singings in 2020: for the Cooper book singing in February—Ben Copenhaver and Denise Kania; for the Shenandoah Harmony singing in July—John Wiens and Anne Grosse; for the Minnesota convention in September—Cathy Jordan and Tivey. Alec Jenkins-White led 318 to close the second session.

RECESS

Cathy Lutz led 106 to reconvene the class. Leaders: Hans Guttman 28b; Hanna Peterson 76b; Stina Soderling 475; Julia Zaffarano 319; Matt Knight 117; Carol Buche 178; Miriam Delirium 313b; Tamara Harris 70b; Sadhbh O’Flynn 527. Mary Ellen Shaw offered grace before the noon meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was began with Anna Pfau leading 480. Leaders: Steven Levine 496; Mike Hinton 534; Jonathan Een Newton 274t; Barb Patterson 383; Stephanie Fida 272; Ted Mercer 353; Clarissa Fetrow 434; Denise Kania 29t; Lisa Grayson 192; Laura Densmore 542; Corinne Ducey and Sadhbh O’Flynn 477; Tristan Gordon 460; Val Eng 528; Karen Clark 234; Tom Sprackland 212; AnnaLeigh Smith 564; Catherine Van Duzer 52t; Stacey Berkheimer 202; Carol Crawford 458; Christine Stevens 532; Brian McKee 217; Bear with Paul Wyatt 147t; Claudia Egelhoff 421.

RECESS

Matt Wells recalled the class by leading 32t. Leaders: Jacob Carrigan 31t; Midge Olsen 362; James Page 334; Martha Henderson 396; Claire Hogan 367; Paul Landskroener 565; Meg Parsons and Jim Parsons 384; Judy Van Duzer 148; Gordon Olsen 86; Steve Luttinen 399t; Corinne Ducey 429; Cathy Lutz 282; Jonathan Een Newton 57; Shana Wenger 378b. Mary Ellen Shaw offered prayer, and Midge Olsen and Paul Landskroener led 330b as the closing song.

Sunday, September 22

The Sunday session of the Minnesota State Sacred Harp Singing Convention met at The Landing in Shakopee. Midge Olsen and Paul Landskroener brought the class to order by leading 150. Mary Ellen Shaw led the class in prayer. Leaders: Steven Levine 68b; Eleanor Haase 270; Tivey 99; Shana Wenger 72b; Michael Shewmaker 84; Hans Guttman 448b; Barb Patterson 46; Gordon Olsen 547; Hannah Lutz 344; Joel Setterholm 146; Michael Moore 96; AnnaLeigh Smith 30b; Kat Kohorst 384; Mary DeGrow 334; Denise Kania 500; Hanna Brolander 440.

RECESS

Ben Copenhaver and Stephanie Argo recalled the class by leading 129. Leaders: Erik McDonald 158; Alec Jenkins-White 180; Carol Crawford 89; Martha Henderson 377; Myles Alexander 538; Claudia Egelhoff 569t; James Page 169; Christine Stevens 485; Joel Menk 468; Catherine Van Duzer 121; Carol Buche 143; Ben Fink 200.

RECESS

Tamara Harris brought the class back together by leading 338. Leaders: Jeanette Nelson 504; Brian McKee 208.

The memorial lesson was conducted by Carol Crawford and Valerie Stoehr. Carol led 70t for the following sick and shut-ins: Clarence P. Cameron, Janell Draper, Johanna Fabke, Mary Owen Grayson, Melanie Hauff, Lynn Parker Hendrix, Chris Holley, Jennifer Jones, Robert Lockhart, Mark Lusche, Marian Mitchell, Mary Owen, Leona Mae Penn, Ottis Sides, Len VanderJagt, Charlene Wallace, and Jewell Wootten.

Val led 159 in memory of the following deceased: Eleanor M. Pulsinelle, Rozlyn Greene, and Charles Wyatt—Alabama; Grant Stepp—California; Mary Vimmerstedt—Colorado; Susan Roberts and David Smith—Georgia; Bob Shaw and Louise Shaw—Idaho; Michael Appert, Karen Hojnacki, and J. Michael Powers—Illinois; Skip Harris, Roberta Mather, and Suzanne Zaffarano—Iowa; Kathryn Glatter—Massachusetts; Max Berocay, Helen Buche, Rev. Earl Nelson, Colette Miller, Dale Newton, and Paul Luther Wilson—Minnesota; Marlene Levine and Richard Levine—New Jersey; Leonora Fensterman—New York; Ronald Berkheimer and Concetta Branson—Oregon; Doug Webb—Texas, Cisca van Eijsden-de Rijke—the Netherlands. Mary Ellen Shaw ended the memorial lesson with prayer.

Leaders: Stephen Parker 475; Stephanie Fida 372; Laura Densmore 456. Mary Ellen offered grace before dinner.

LUNCH

Jim Pfau reconvened the class by leading 59. Leaders: Lisa Grayson 340; Julia Zaffarano 102; Stina Soderling 375; Corinne Serfass 215; Mike Hinton 426b; Sadhbh O’Flynn 506; John Wiens 349; Evan Druce 112; Cecelia Kramer 191; Dick Patterson 163t; Ted Mercer 431; Claire Hogan 165; Leon Pulsinelle 359 (in memory of his mother); Miriam Delirium 448t; Steve Luttinen 376; Susan Helf 66; Karen Clark 464; David Schmitt 168; Jenny Willard 274t; Matt Knight 183.

RECESS

Anna Pfau led 128 to reconvene the class. Leaders: Steven Schmidgall 369; Elise delMas 566; Clarissa Fetrow 110; Tristan Gordon 162; Tom Sprackland 522; Sarah McRoberts 111t; Eleanor Glewwe 296; Jim Crawford 546; Ivy Hauser 76b; Paul Wyatt 222; Matt Wells 196.

After thanking everyone who worked to make the convention happen, and inviting announcements of upcoming singings, Midge Olsen and Paul Landskroener led 347 as the closing song. The class was dismissed with prayer offered by Mary Ellen Shaw.

Chairmen—Paul Landskroener and Midge Olsen; Secretaries—Stacey Berkheimer and Erik McDonald