Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, September 23

The 33rd annual Minnesota State Sacred Harp Singing Convention, held at Olivet Congregational Church in Saint Paul, on the fourth weekend in September. The class was brought to order by Doug Donley and Cathy Lutz leading 276. Chaplain Samuel Sommers offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Paul Wyatt 569t; Claudia Egelhoff 466; Stacey Berkheimer 89; Ben Copenhaver 81b; Joel Menk 77t; Karen Swenson 32t; Alison Eiesland 457; Jim Goetz 277; Angie Payne 31t; C.J. McFate 159; John Wiens 34t; Christine Stevens 532; Devin Scherck 348b; Kat Kohorst 378b.

RECESS

Ben Copenhaver recalled the class by leading 335. Leaders: Matt Wells 500; Chris Geissler 444; Ann Heider 528; Gordon Olsen, Midge Olsen, Tyler Herndon, Mikaela Herndon, and Mina Payne 547; Suzanne McFate 458; Sophia Schinske 112; Michael Moore 99; Eleanor Haase 352; Steve Warner 34b; Jeanette Nelson 504; Ivy Hauser 546; Shana Wenger and Haley Walsh 228; Hans Guttmann 37b; David Schmitt 565; Steve Luttinen 426t.

RECESS

Joel Menk recalled the class by leading 108b. Paul Wyatt gave a finance committee report and led 399b. Leaders: Tamara Shewmaker 548; Martha Henderson 374; Samuel Sommers 280; Katharine Manning 507; Carol Buche 178; Stephanie Fida 214; Midge Olsen 362; Steven Levine 373.

The convention voted unanimously that a rising chairperson for the 2024 convention will be elected at the upcoming October 8 business meeting. Sam Sommers offered grace before the noon meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session began with Shana Wenger leading 274b. Leaders: Leslie Williamson White and Kelli Smith 535; Jim Crawford 260; Lisa Grayson 340; Julia Zaffarano and Dario Zaffarano 421; Karen Clark 534; Carol Crawford 333; Marisha Chamberlain and Shana Wenger 47b; Michael Shewmaker 171; Alec Jenkins-White 383; Devin Scherck 33b; Sophia Schinske 564; Claudia Egelhoff 464; Ivy Hauser 168; Cathy Lutz 441; David Schmitt 274t; Stacey Berkheimer 202; Steve Warner 86; Karen Swenson 269.

RECESS

Tamara Shewmaker recalled the class by leading 47t. Leaders: Christine Stevens 318; Carol Buche 503; John Wiens 496; Katharine Manning 506; Sam Sommers 386; Alec Jenkins-White 448t; Chris Geissler 474; Michael Moore 299; Julia Zaffarano 475; Kat Kohorst 320; Steve Luttinen 32b; Lisa Grayson 419; Suzanne McFate 142; Karen Clark 234; Carol Crawford 165, and Eleanor Haase 272.

After announcements, Cathy Lutz and Doug Donley led 347 as the closing song.

Sunday, September 24

The Sunday session of the 2023 Minnesota State Sacred Harp Singing Convention met in the outdoor picnic pavilion at The Landing in Shakopee, Minnesota. Val Stoehr and Dick Patterson brought the class to order by leading 70t. Chaplain Samuel Sommers led the class in prayer.

Leaders: Denise Kania 34b; Cathy Jordan 40; Barb Patterson 155; Elise DelMas 89; Ben Copenhaver 223; Karen Swenson 287; Angie Payne 421; Midge Olsen 218; Nathan Berry 111t; Hannah Lutz 112; Suzanne McFate 30t; Martha Henderson 396; Gordon Olsen 313b; Shana Wenger 455; Jim Pfau 475; Steve Warner 171.

RECESS

Ben Copenhaver recalled the class leading 133. Leaders: Noelle Copeland 411; John Wiens 500; Luke Sivertson 565; Carol Buche 143; Steven Schmidgall 369; Stephanie Fida 60; Leslie Williamson White 53; Karen Clark 501; Julia Zaffarano 48b; Dick Patterson 70b; Devin Scherck 82t; Lisa Grayson 377; Cathy Lutz 368; Katharine Manning 170; Tamara Shewmaker 438.

RECESS

Nathan Berry brought the class back together by leading 81t. Leaders: Stacey Berkheimer 417; Ivy Hauser 160b; Jim Goetz 52t.

The memorial lesson was conducted by Kat Kohorst, who read the sick and shut-ins and deceased lists and led 547 for all those on the lists. The sick and shut-ins listed were Kim Bahmer-Rada, Jeff Bell, Donna Gunderson-Rogers, Stephen Parker, Samuel Butler, Joanna Fabke, Mary Owen, Gary Gronau, Kelsey Taylor, and Enid Thomas.

The deceased listed were Willa Mae Cott-Meissel, Walter Graff, Rose Gregoire, Robert Stevens, and Leonard Tuma—Minnesota; Melanie Hauff, Ted Mercer, Robert Sussman, and Jonathan Hurst—Illinois; Graham DeZarn, Alice Eddy, and Mary Wright—Virginia; Pearl Guier, Jason Sanders, and Marlon Wootten—Alabama; Cheryl Foreman and Joshua Martin—Texas; Becky Browne—Missouri; Lydia Lewallen—North Carolina; Pete Mathewson—Colorado; Eva Striebeck—Germany; Beatrice Rech—New York; and Linda Wells—Vermont. Samuel Sommers closed the memorial lesson with prayer.

Leaders: Barb Patterson 383; David Schmitt 442; Carol Crawford 34t; Hans Guttmann 66; Anne Heider 192. Samuel Sommers offered prayer before dinner.

LUNCH

John Wiens reconvened the class by leading 111t. Leaders: Jim Crawford 313t; Eleanor Haase 454; Chris Geissler 84; Paul Wyatt 195; Claudia Egelhoff 485; Alec Jenkins-White 542; Mike Mullin and Shana Wenger 210; Christine Stevens 216; Matt Wells 456; Samuel Sommers 426b; Steven Levine 497; Denise Kania 384; Steve Luttinen 198; Jeanette Nelson 348b; Michael Shewmaker 472; Michael Moore 183; Cathy Jordan 300; Joel Setterholm 106; Nathan Berry 229; Stephanie Fida 222.

RECESS

Alec Jenkins-White led 312b to reconvene the class. Leaders: Amanda Jokerst 172; Dick Patterson 492; Hanna Peterson and Stacey Berkheimer 536; Pippa Gowdy Jaehnig 268, the Coloradoans (Julia Zaffarano, David Schmitt, Amanda Jokerst, Stephanie Fida, and Luke Sivertson) 301 (in memory of Luke’s grandfather Leonard), Hannah Lutz 504, the Copenhaver family (Ben, Stephanie, and Eli) 95; Jim Pfau and Denise Kania 217; Anne Heider 236; Katharine Manning 429; Karen Clark 174; Samuel Sommers 54; Steve Warner 46; Carol Crawford 539; Devin Scherck 101t; Chris Geissler 31t.

After thanking everyone who worked to make the convention happen, and inviting announcements of upcoming singings, Val Stoehr and Dick Patterson led 146 as the closing song. The class was dismissed with prayer offered by Samuel Sommers.

Chairpersons—Kit Canright and Val Stoehr (assisted by Doug Donley, Cathy Lutz, and Dick Patterson) Recording Secretary—Karen Swenson