Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

The Philadelphia Midwinter Online Sacred Harp Singing met online via Jamulus and Zoom on Saturday, the 23rd of January. Vale Cofer-Shabica welcomed the class and explained the format of the online singing: Jamulus enables a group of thirty to forty singers to sing together in almost real time; their sound is transferred to Zoom, where others may sing along. Vale led 101t. Thomas Ward offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Cassie Houtz 76b; Thomas Ward 501; Emily Ross 475; Theresa Rodriguez 48b; Emily Hale-Sills 72b; Don Bowen 147t; Leah Velleman 131t; Greg Holt 339; Hannah Land 378t; Juniper Hill 472; Stacey Berkheimer 448b.

RECESS

Katie Eichenlaub White conducted the lesson for the sick and homebound and for the deceased. She spoke of how, although sorrow, sickness, and isolation have touched us all in the past year, singing together helps to lighten our load. Speaking the names of those lost is a way to deal with overwhelming grief, especially in a time where so much loss is invisible. Katie found in a concordance that the most common words in The Sacred Harp include not only death, die, and sorrow, but also the many names of God: love, praise, and blessing. She chose to sing 114, reminding the class that the saints in the title, “Saint’s Delight”, refer to all people of faith, living or dead.

Katie read the following list of names of the sick and shut-ins: Jim Hall, Tommie Spurlock, Ethel Strube, Gayle Cowart, Anne Cofer, Bud Cofer, Laura Densmore, Jesse Vear, Kelsey Taylor, John Taylor, Judy Clum, Jennifer Jones, Melanie Hauff, Aramis Kouzine, Daniel Guy, Glenda Walton, Julie Smith, and Bill Cline.

Katie read the following names of the deceased: Anne Mauldin Chalker, Bill Windom, Kenneth Sundberg, Jewel Wootten, Earline Lawson, Margaret Spurlock, Lance Phillips—Alabama; Tim Field, Jean Steptoe, Hans Horst-Martz—Pennsylvania; Chris Abud, Curtis Owen—Texas; Judy Toole—Tennessee; Hubie Jessup—Massachusetts and California; Peter Golden—Maine; Paula Johnson Ross—Washington; Harry Dodge—Wisconsin; Frank DeBolt, Bentley McGuire, Charlene Wallace, Norma Mincey—Georgia; Janet Miller, Nick Pasqual—Illinois; Bill Beverly—Michigan; Doug Anderson—Florida; Robert Archambeau—Arizona; Hugh Dufner—North Dakota; Rick Beebe, Stephen O’Leary—California; Stuart Goldberg—Minnesota; Greg Shroat—Indiana; Alicia Santinelli—Mexico; Eli Saguy—Israel; Mary Halford, Peter McDonald—Scotland. Katie led 114. Cassie Houtz closed the memorial lesson with a prayer.

Leaders: Becky Wright 564; Tim Gregg 51; Steve Schmidgall 38t; Karen Turner 270; Sasha Hsuczyk 313t; Lena Strayhorn 70b; Sam Sommers 280; Kathy Kaiser and Dave Gardner 142; Esther Morgan-Ellis 113; Barrett Patton 129.

RECESS

Allison Steel called the class back together leading 82t. Leaders: Chris Wolf 230; Ames Bielenberg 228; Pat Coghlan 351; Ateven Snderson 344; Ann Riley 440; Lynne and Steve Hoyt 549; Tim Eriksen 378b; Ron Trial 198; Kimberly Haas 178; Miriam Delirium 448t; Jenny Solheim 163t; Alexa Silverman 504.

RECESS

Krista Guerrieri led 444 to bring the class together. Leaders: Lael Birch 146; Doron Henkin 477; Rachel Hall 318; Nancy Tkacs 474; Ina Shea 34t; Colleen Hayes 48t; Nancy Mandel 324; Jim Solheim 171; Jenny Wallace 40; Mary Skidmore 203; Ruth Wampler 394.

Vale Cofer-Shabica thanked the officers and the arranging committee for their service and thanked Rachel Hall, Miriam Delirium, and Ron Trial for their technical assistance. Kimberly Haas gave the Secretary’s report, stating that fifty leaders led forty-nine songs and over 175 singers attended, representing twenty-seven states, the District of Columbia, four Canadian provinces, and seven countries. Vale Cofer-Shabica led 62 as the closing song. Nancy Tkacs offered the closing prayer. The class was dismissed, with the hope of singing together in person when it is safe to do so.

Chairman—Vale Cofer-Shabica; Secretaries—Ron Trial and Kimberly Haas