Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, March 11

The 23rd Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Convention was held on the second Sunday and Saturday before in March. The class was called to order by Ben Sachs-Hamilton leading 82t. Will Harron offered the morning prayer.

Leaders: Christine Andrews 39t; John Davis 354t; Matthew Leger-Small 29t; Magdalena Zapedowska 186; Myles Louis Dakan 547; Wendy Sibbison 548; Rebecca Hawkins 40; Daniel Harvester 179; Crispin Youngberg 63; Jennie Brown 283; Sally Langendorf 106; Will Harron 87; Michaela Natal 99; Liam Francis 95.

RECESS

Kit Walsh called the class to order leading 72b. Leaders: Jeremy Galvagni 299; Colleen Hayes 440; Chris Bracken 472; Yael Tarshish 203; Corey Walters 183; Sinead O’Mahoney 455; Lorelei Erisis and Becky Wright 114; Kate Richardson 371; Brian Harris 430; Jana Yeaton 77t; Laura Borrelli 153; Joseph Dunn, Lizzy Dunn, and Kelly House 335; Gwen Gethner 448b; Robert Stoddard 542; Judy Contompasis 460; Willis McCumber 396; Sara Lott 379; Gary Ryan 385t.

RECESS

Ron Woodland called the class to order leading 479. Leaders: John Holbrook 236; Pippa Stoddard 217; Tristan Gordon 36b; Mel Novner 496; Tom Evers 86; Jack Tremblay and Léandre Coupal 312b; Andrew Forsthoefel and Tana Frank 504; Deidre Montgomery 411; Rachel Field 324; Phillip Langley 272; Cheri Haire and Even Venditti 442; Alanna Goodman 506; Tarik Wareh 148; Clarke Williams 298; Stina Soderling 31t; Sam Kleinman 475; Frank Griggs 362. Will Harron offered the blessing before the midday meal.

LUNCH

Linda Shea called the class to order leading 145b. Leaders: Peter Irvine 384; Elizabeth Stoddard 454; Elsa Phemayotin 376; Eric Gu 38b; Jean Seiler 318; Sadhbh O’Flynn 532; Sunny Doyle 146; Shawn Taylor 543; Andy Ditzler 304; Maggie Zhou 34t; John Wiens 76b; Bridge Kennedy 377; Anne Evers 397; Liora O’Donnell Goldensher 234; David Schmitt 277; Em Ekelund 245; Tim Gregg 426b; William Schuller 58; Philippe Doyle-Gosselin 522; Dan Hertzler 417.

RECESS

Laura Clampitt called the class to order leading 59. Leaders: Bill Holt 340; Margaret Hughes 101b; Ron Trial 474; Jenny Wright 315; Michael Nord 394; Léandre Coupal 448t; Kerry Cullinan 165; Névé Dumas 400; Bradford West 228; Aube Larouche 117; Stefan Amidon and Zara Bode 290; Nicole Collins 34b; Owen Stoddard 268; Maddy Mullany and Riley Mullany 313t; Julius Pasay 462; Julia Zaffarano 215. Ben Sachs-Hamilton and Christine Andrews led 176t as the closing song. Will Harron offered the closing prayer.

Sunday, March 12

The Sunday session was called to order by Ben Sachs-Hamilton and Christine Andrews leading 48t. Dan Coppock offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Chris Bracken 131b; Janet Spongberg 229; Jeremy Galvagni 147t; Davenport Wallace and Crispin Youngberg 457; Will Harron 271t; Linda Shea 168; John Holbrook 155; Anna Bowen 56b; Pippa Stoddard 57; Laura Borrelli 196; Eric Gu 328; Maura Burns 198; Owen Stoddard 30b; Rachel Field 30t; Bradford West 300; Elsa Phemayotin 383.

RECESS

Myles Louis Dakan called the class to order leading 176b. Leaders: Becky Wright 374; Joel Rosen 178; Wendy Sibbison and Margaret Youngberg 558; Allison Langston and Magdalena Zapedowska 209; Micah John Walter 522; Molly Bledsoe Ellis 220; Lorelei Erisis and Becky Wright 35; Dana Borrelli-Murray, Scout Borrelli-Murray, and Bess Borrelli-Murray 146; Max Kelly and Debora Siegel 528; Charles Biada 110; Joan Nagy 162; Rick Johnston 294; Keillor Mose 39b; Heather Schramm 276; Linda Coppock 344.

RECESS

Tarik Wareh called the class to order leading 467. Leaders: Cheri Haire 111b; MB Gowans 283; Clay Zeller-Townson 33b; Dan Coppock 227; Tom Evers and Anne Evers 489; Emma Rose Brown 498.

Yael Tarshish remembered the sick and homebound leading 384. Margaret Youngberg gave the memorial lesson leading 392. Dan Coppock closed the memorial lesson with a prayer.

Leaders: Matthew Wojcik 319; Nic Tuff and Tim Eriksen 385t; George Sigut 448t; Oona Coy 230; Jason Jack 177. Dan Coppock offered the blessing before the midday meal.

LUNCH

Robert Stoddard called the class to order leading 145t. Leaders: Allison Steel 542; Elizabeth Stoddard and Indigo 278t; Patrick DeDauw 512; Ryan Nash 189; Joanne Fuller 460; Sigrid Patterson 410t; Hayden Arp 434; Barbara Swetman and Joan Passay 454; Taylor Ward 89; Esther Wade 500; Matthew Kaufmann 406; David Brodeur 336; David Schmitt and Julia Zaffarano 133; Quinn Ross 112; John Wiens 361; Maggie Zhou 88t; Miriam Delirium 313b; Bridge Kennedy 212; Sunny Lawrence 107; Tim Gregg 375; Julius Pasay 419; Stina Soderling 269; Jacob Stebly 270; Ben Fenton 360; Sadhbh O’Flynn 131t.

RECESS

Sam Kleinman called the class to order leading 129. Leaders: Laura Clampitt, Becca Hawkins, and Susanna Hoffman 274t; Lilly Israel 127; Kelly House 456; Nicole Collins, Em Ekelund, Heather Schramm, and Frank Griggs 503; Emma Pepe-Winshell and Micah John Walter 290; Tim Eriksen 47b; Allana Goodman, Rebecca Rohrer, and Angela Ruggiero 142; Ian Davis 472; David Brodeur, Phillip Langley, Shawn Taylor, and Andy Ditzler 517; Larry Bingham 501; Kit Walsh 495; Sigrid Patterson, Léandre Coupal, Jack Tremblay, and Aube Larouche 348t; Clarke Williams 92; Liora O’Donnell Goldensher 225t; Maddy Mullany 329; Névé Dumas and Ariane Roberge 83t; Tristan Gordon and Paul Vidick 73t.

A business meeting was held to hear reports from the various committees. Lorelei Erisis gave the Finance Committee report, declaring that all expenses had been met. John Davis gave the Secretary’s Report, announcing that one hundred eighty-three songs had been led by two hundred twenty-two leaders. Two hundred ninety-three singers registered from twenty-three states and two Canadian provinces. John Holbrook and Anna Bowen gave the Resolutions Committee Report, thanking the officers, committees, and everyone who made the singing possible. The Committee resolved to reconvene for the 24th convention in 2024. The business meeting was concluded.

Ben Sachs-Hamilton, Christine Andrews, and John Davis led 62 as the closing song. Allison Steel offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Ben Sachs-Hamilton; Vice Chairman—Christine Andrews; Secretary—John Davis