Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, March 7

The 22nd annual Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Convention was called to order by Becca Hawkins leading 131b. Nic Tuff offered the opening prayer. Leaders: Julia Seidenstein 59; Maura Burns 497; Jana Yeaton 448b; Paul Robinson 56b; Anuhea Sebstad 30t; Christopher Kain 97; Lilly Israel 277; Rachel Stevens 111b; Nathan Aldrich 40; George Howe 36b; Oona Coy 495; Daniel Harvester 179; John Holbrook 38t; Laura Clampitt 129.

RECESS

The second session was called to order by Crispin Youngberg leading 105. Leaders: Kshama Ananthapura 33b; Kerry Cullinan 145b; Laura Clawson 430; Stephen Krueger 538; Michael Nord 196; Joan Frankel 414; Kit Walsh 99; Sam Mayo 106; Richard Schmeidler 474; Christine Andrews 328; Daniel Stratford 39t; Bill Holt 550; Joan Nagy 77t; Laura Borrelli 142; Molly B. Ellis 496; Joanne Fuller 352.

RECESS

The third session was called to order by Miriam Delirium leading 159. Leaders: David DiLorenzo 162; Patrick DeDauw 58; Laura Hodges 197; Gabriel Zuckerberg 274t; Erik-Dardan Ymeraga 318; Dan Coppock 63; Tristan Gordon 421; Rosie Sokolov 426b; Mary Skidmore 224; Chris Geissler 440; Nic Tuff 278t; Elise Cavicchi 300; Sam Kleinman 434; Tarik Wareh 119; Lynne deBenedette 182. Lilly Israel offered the blessing before the meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was called to order by Matthew Léger-Small leading 81t. Leaders: Allison Steel 542; June Murphy 333; Sunny Doyle 453; Robin Banerji 165; Jerusha Wheeler 351; Tim Morton 310; Ivy Hauser 326; Nathan Rees 272; Liz Cantrell 422; Steve Luttinen 570; Deidra Montgomery 500; Jesse P. Karlsberg 216; Jean Seiler 217; Judy Contompasis 384; Liora O’Donnell Goldensher 428; Philippe Doyle Gosselin 112; Barbara Swetman 91; Mike Richards 126; Rachel Hall 498; Pippa Stoddard 134; Toino Dumas 76b; Elsa Phemayotin 376; Gabrielle Manion 535; Thomas Begley 534.

RECESS

The last session of the day was called to order by Jana Yeaton leading 312b. Leaders: Micah John Walter 39b; Adam Roberts 399b; Leland Kusmer 114; Miriam Delirium 313b; Gerald Clark 271b; Peter Irvine 282; Stina Soderling 411; Tim Eriksen 442; Ben Sachs-Hamilton 189; Joseph Mendes 268; Myles Louis Dakan 448t; William Schuller 278b; Linda Shea 168; Mel Novner 209; Matthew Léger-Small 183; Crispin Youngberg 548; Becky Wright 108t. Molly Merrett led 187 as the closing song. The closing prayer was offered by Will Harron.

Sunday, March 9

The Sunday session of the Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Convention was called to order by Becca Hawkins leading 47t. Will Harron offered the opening prayer. Leaders: Julia Seidenstein 154; Sara Lennox 171; Matthew Léger-Small 71; Linda Shea 371; Laura Timmerman 68b; Barbara Swetman 35; George Sigut 448b; Sheila Kelley 475; William Schuller 64; Joan Frankel 143; Pippa Stoddard 283; Jeremy Galvani 36b; Robin Banerji 426t; Kerry Cullinan 54.

RECESS

The second session was called to order by Paul Robinson leading 159. Leaders: Nathan Aldrich 484; John Holbrook and Wendy Sibbison 477; Elsa Phemayotin 383; Mike Richards 316; Yael Tarshish 315; Will Harron 87; Margaret Youngberg 428; Gabrielle Manion 503; Liora O’Donnell Goldensher 546; Sunny Doyle 108b; Tristan Gordon 203; Erik-Dardan Ymeraga 573; Liz Cantrell 348b; Dan Coppock 220; Thomas Begley 287; Mel Novner 232.

RECESS

The third session was called to order by Wendy Sibbison leading 147t. Leaders: Becky Wright 95; Sam Mayo 163b; Steve Luttinen 387; Allison Forster 378b.

The memorial lesson was conducted by Janet Spongberg and Christine Andrews. Janet Spongberg provided the lesson for the sick and shut-ins and read the following list: Rachel Rudi, Sierra Norferd, Delphine Schiavetta, Michael Mayo, Liz O’Gilvie, Amy Frankel, Ellen Davis, Cassandra Linehan, Christine Nord, Sue Nord, Jennifer Jones, Susan Little, Steve Crevoshay, Noel Salmond, Catherine Skidmore, Jack Kagay, Susan Dierks, Chloe Rombach, Elliot Busse, Ellen Dahl, Corrone Bryant, Ruth Ann Bryant, and Leonard Spencer. Janet led 229 in their honor.

Christine led the lesson for the deceased and read the following list of names: John Brunkala—Ohio; Alfred Bedard, Stephanie Rose, Dan Clawson, Richard Sumner, Blue Sky, Neraya Molina, and George Sulzner—Massachusetts; Paul Siu, Gerry Zobel, Jean Ayotte, and Louis Andrews—New York; Meena Ishwar Ananthapura—India; Bill French, Rodney Reed, and Charlene Churchill—Maine; Hubert Jessup—California; John Beasley—Alabama; Alvin Tollestrup—Illinois; Madeleine Grieve—Australia; Charlene Wallace and Larry Hawkins—Georgia; Donald Aldrich—Rhode Island; Butch Morton—Indiana; Eileen Maclean, Edna Malta, and Gordon Ekelund—Canada. Christine led 72b in their honor. Tim Eriksen offered a prayer to end the lesson.

Leaders: Deidra Montgomery 556; Allison Steel 47b; Kshama Ananthapura 400; Rachel Hall 377; Laura Clawson 29t. Matthew Léger-Small offered the blessing before the meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was called to order by Micah John Walter leading 422. Leaders: Lilly Israel 127; Joanne Fuller and Kshama Ananthapura 512; Tim Eriksen 269; Rosey Sokolov 271t; Em Ekelund 181; June Murphy 410t; Nathan Rees 228; Gwen Gethner, Ian Quinn, Charles Biada, and Angharad Davis 488; Peter Irvine 460; Miriam Delirium and Erin Gum 163t; Laura Hodges 234; Philippe Doyle Gosselin 306; Myles Louis Dakan 197; Molly B. Ellis 406; Stina Soderling 567; Tarik Wareh 572; Esther Wade 394; Elise Cavicchi 76b; Jerusha Wheeler 441; Ben Sachs-Hamilton 327; Gerald Clark 381.

RECESS

The final session of the convention was called to order by Laura Clampitt leading 288. Leaders: Mike Nord 213t; Chris Geissler 107; Toino Dumas and Anuhea Sebstad 69t; Mary Skidmore 42; Joan Nagy 504; Magdalena Zapedowska 200; Judy Contompasis 416; Daniel Stratford 479; Will Harron and Emily Ehrensperger 129; Crispin Youngberg 34t; Patrick DeDauw 100; Sam Kleinman 73t. A short business meeting was held. Will Harron offered the closing prayer. Becca Hawkins, Julia Seidenstein, and Sara Lennox led 62 as the closing song, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Becca Hawkins; Vice Chairman—Julia Seidenstein; Secretary—Sara Lennox