Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

The 12th Thanksgiving Singing Day was held in the Village Hall of Jordans, the Quaker Village, and burial place of William Penn. The class was called to order by Sheila Girling Macadam leading 34b. James Roche offered the opening prayer, which had been written by Amy Cutts, in her absence.

Leaders: Edwin Macadam 63; Robin Bisson 48b; Steve Brett 82t; Mary Hodgkins 31t; Rachel Jordan 492; Alec Williams 36b; Werner Ullah 49t; Joyce Smith 73t; Derek Buckland 56b; Fiona Burne 569t; Nick Hall 500; James Roche 28b; Bridget McVennon-Morgan 179; Joss Tait 70b; Rob Mahoney 171; Inga Buckland 111b; Pete Eiseman-Renyard 84; Elspeth Hannen 452; Constance Des Marais 102; Nigel Bowley 38t.

RECESS

The class resumed singing with Toby Goss leading 147t. Leaders: Brenda Harvey 122; Alec Williams 107; Maggie Eiseman-Renyard 70t (for London Sacred Harp singer, Teresa Maguire, whose husband Dave Thorpe had died 6 days previously); Neil Horlock 400; Susanne Rolli 474; Edwin Macadam 288; Inga Buckland 207; Robin Bisson 114 (also for Teresa Maguire).

Mary Hodgkins conducted a combined memorial and sick and housebound lesson, reflecting on the presence both of thanksgiving and of grief in our lives. She read Ps. 34 (t? b?) v 18 ‘The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit’. She led 83t for all on the minds of those present. The following sick and housebound were commemorated: Teresa Maguire, Paul Bisson, Seth Dickens, Mike Cooper, Dave Green, Cynthia Park, Jae Parsons, Joe Morris, Ram Ramamurthy, Stephanie Ramamurthy, Helen Bushell, Ken Baddley, Tim Fletcher, Michelle Rice, Steve Bird, Margaret Brickland, Sofi Mogensen, Laura, Cäcilia Giebermann, and Chris Drinkwater.

The following were entered on the memorial list: Dave Thorpe, Vicki Williamson, Pat Sexton, Sylvia Delaney, James Neame, Gill Peake, Brian Mitchell, Vonnie Chantler, Ian Wallace, Doreen Drinkwater, Peter Grant—United Kingdom; Allan Renyard—Guernsey, C. I.; Teresa Cavallar—Italy; Margaret Kennedy—Ireland; Virginia Dyer—Georgia, USA; Ted Mercer—Illinois, USA; Graham DeZarn—Virginia, USA; Larry Gordon and Tony Barrand—Vermont, USA; Lisa Null—District of Columbia, USA. Mary closed the memorial with prayer.

Leaders: Werner Ullah 278t; Elspeth Hannen 504; Pete Eiseman-Renyard 186; Joyce Smith 306; Rob Mahoney 178; Joss Tait 80t; Nigel Bowley 461; Fiona Burne 497; Derek Buckland 44; Bridget McVennon-Morgan 442; Constance Des Marais 187; Steve Brett 116. James Roche offered thanks for the midday meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session commenced with Robin Bisson leading 350. Leaders: James Roche 528; Nick Hall 454; Sue Bird and Nigel Bowley 47b; Toby Goss 344; Rachel Jordan 505 (for Mike Cooper); Sheila Girling Macadam 480; Neil Horlock 65; Susanne Rolli 72b; Brenda Harvey 99; Maggie Eiseman-Renyard 89 (at the request of Cäcilia Giebermann); Inga Buckland 361; Mary Hodgkins 410b; Edwin Macadam 198; Nadja Shannon-Dabek and Susanne Rolli 86; Joss Tait 300; Joyce Smith 34t; Constance Des Marais 564; Werner Ullah 49b; Alec Williams 210.

RECESS

The class was reconvened for the final session with Nigel Bowley leading 113. Leaders: Brenda Harvey 155; Bridget McVennon-Morgan 377; Toby Goss 481; Neil Horlock 324; Rachel Jordan 475; Steve Brett 225b; Derek Buckland 296; Pete Eiseman-Renyard 117; Nick Hall 534; Rob Mahoney and Jean Mahoney 535; James Roche 441; Maggie Eiseman-Renyard 282.

Thanks were extended to all those who had helped in any way to make the day’s singing a success. The 2022 Jordans singing was to be the last chaired by Sheila Girling Macadam and she welcomed Co-Chairman Robin Bisson as the new custodian for 2023 and onwards. Together with Edwin Macadam, she expressed their confidence in the commitment and ability of the young Sacred Harp community in the UK to continue the flame of shape note singing they had both helped to ignite more than 25 years ago. Thanks were expressed to Sheila and Edwin.

Announcements were made and invitations extended to other Sacred Harp singing events around the country. The Secretary reported thirty-five singers had registered from the UK, Germany, and USA, and twenty-nine leaders had led seventy-six songs. After expenses had been met, the surplus from the day’s donations would again be passed to the Quakers for their use. Sheila Girling Macadam, Edwin Macadam, and Robin Bisson led 347 as the closing song. James Roche offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Co-Chairmen—Sheila Girling Macadam and Robin Bisson; Treasurer—Werner Ullah; Secretaries—Edwin Macadam and Nick Hall