Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

The 20th annual Pioneer Valley All-Day Singing was held outdoors at the Sunderland Town Park Pavilion on Saturday before the first Sunday in July. The class was called to order by Linda Shea leading 131b. Matthew Leger-Small offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Matthew Leger-Small 171; Will Harron 31t; Peter Irvine 228; Jeremy Galvagni 30t; Janet Spongberg 101t; Magdalena Zapędowska 186; Wendy Sibbison 460; Rick Johnston 480; Kerry Cullinan 61; Margaret Youngberg 318; Ron Trial 474; William Schuller 511; Charles Biada 458; John Davis 312b; Nathan Aldrich and Ellie Ungerleider 388.

RECESS

Laura Hodges led 176t to bring the class back together. Leaders: Erin Fulton 332; Tarik Wareh 522; Ateven Sndersen 344; MB Gowins 475; Becca Hawkins 59; Molly B. Ellis 432; George Sigut 448t; Matthew Wojcik 512; Michael Nord 200; Barbara Swetman 287; Jacob Hamidi 390; Bill Holt 112; Sophie Sokolov 425.

RECESS

Lilly Israel brought the class back to order by leading 294. Leaders: Ivy Hauser 114; Elsa Phemayotin 376; Sophia Zuker 178; Gwen Gethner 546.

Becky Wright gave the memorial lesson for those sick and shut-in, speaking on loss and the various types of grief besides that of death, and reading the following names: Jesse Vear, Corrone Bryant, Ruth Ann Bryant, Allison Steele, Debora Gardner, Ruth Creamer, Joanne Fuller, Beth Sachs, Mary Harmon, Lydia Llewellyn, and Michael Pozner. Becky led 315.

Bridge Hill Kennedy gave the memorial lesson for the deceased, speaking to the certainty of death amidst the uncertainty of its progression and our task of loving, before reading the following names: Dan O’Toole, Ariel Bourke, David Reck, David Kaynor, Paul McCaleb, and Keith Malcolm Brown—Massachusetts; Hooey Pen and Ronnie L. Troxtel—Kentucky; Larry Gordon, Tony Barrand, Margaret Dale, Leonard Spencer, Barbara Wojcik, Elke Schumann, Andy Johnston, and Steve Crevoshay—Vermont; Peter Golden and Christine Teale Howes—Maine; Al Hawkins—Wisconsin; Real Tardif and Brenda Conboy—Canada; Bill Dunn and Robin Porter—Rhode Island; Nancy Johnston—New Hampshire; Solomon Ossa—Washington; Merv Horst, Ron Bornick, Lolly Tupper, Ed Hildebrand, Ryan White, and Jim Miller—New York; Ruth Evelyn Walter—Wyoming; Thomas Killingsworth—Tennessee; Father Les Singleton—Florida; James Vernon—Illinois; Sue Nord—Minnesota; John Davis—South Carolina; Velton Chafin, Joan Aldridge, and Coy Ivey—Alabama; Richard DeLong, Eris Denney Muse, and Bentley McGuire—Georgia; Rebecca Over, Norma Waterson, and Alastair Sayles—United Kingdom.

Christine Andrews read a message from Allison Steele asking the class to acknowledge the loss from staying away from singing, and to choose to remember it as a sacrifice to keep each other safe as we were never alone these last two years through our mutual bonds of love, and led 384.

Leaders: Jonathan Spencer 260; Sue Peters 66; Jana Yeaton 277. Matthew Leger-Small asked for a blessing before the meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session began with Margaret Youngberg leading 106. Leaders: Laura Timmerman 448b; Myles Louis Dakan 505; Tristan Gordon 176b; Jesse P. Karlsberg and Lucey Rose Karlsberg 196; Rachel Speer 197; Emily Ross 300; Miriam Delirium 271t; Diedra Montgomery 181; Stina Soderling 58; Micah Walter 430; Lauren Bock 419; James Baumgartner 347; Jennie Brown 456; Alison Forster 442; Greg Holt 102; Mike Richards 528; Lynette Combs 198; Kit Walsh 481; Wendy Sibbison and Kit Walsh 558.

RECESS

The final session of the singing was called to order by Jeremy Galvagni leading 148. Leaders: Matthew Wojcik 532; Mary Skidmore 564; Laura Hodges 57; Bryan Zayatz and Christine Andrews 284; Yael Tarshish 440; Bridge Hill Kennedy 142; Lilly Israel 335; Ivy Hauser 377; Peter Irvine 270; Lauren Bock, Jesse P. Karlsberg, Lucey Rose Karlsberg, and Hattie Karlsberg 146; Jennie Brown, MB Gowins, and Milo Browins 187; Becca Hawkins 236 (for her grandmother); Ron Trial and the online Jamulus singers 189; Gwen Gethner and Charles Biada 506; John Davis 128.

A brief business meeting was held and the resolutions committee (Jennie Brown and MB Gowins) gave thanks to the Almighty God, the officers, memorial committee, chaplains, keyers, the hands who prepared the food, and the Sunderland Volunteer Firefighters Brigade who manage the space we met in, and resolved to meet again on Saturday before the first Sunday in July, 2023, for the twenty-first annual Pioneer Valley All-Day Singing. Announcements were made.

Linda Shea, Matthew Leger-Small, and Will Harron led 62 as the closing song, and invited the class to take the parting hand. Matthew Leger-Small offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Linda Shea; Vice Chairman—Matthew Leger-Small; Secretary—Will Harron