Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

The 13th 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 Chairman Sheila Girling Macadam leading 34b. Mary Welch offered the opening prayer.

Officers and committee members who served for the day are as follows: Chairman—Sheila Girling Macadam; Vice Chairman—Edwin Macadam; Treasurer—Werner Ullah; Secretaries—Mary Welch and Nick Hall; Pitchers—Rachel Jordan, Steve Brett, and Toby Goss; Arranging Committee—Bridget McVennon-Morgan, Al Williams and Constance Des Marais; Chaplains—Mary Welch, Kerry Cullinan, Victoria Timberlake and Derek Buckland.

Leaders: Edwin Macadam 150; Toby Goss 147t; Rowan Simms 212; Machna Nowak 59; Teresa Maguire 72b; Rachel Jordan 171; Jo-anne Carlyle 29t; Nick Hall 517; Victoria Timberlake 102; Steve Brett 421; Chris Coombs 314; Steve Welch 569t; Al Williams 35; William Cleary 106; Bridget McVennon-Morgan 348b; Derek Buckland 267; John Bealle 385t; Kerry Cullinan (for Donna Carlson), 378b; Inga Buckland 60; Werner Ullah 49b.

RECESS

The class resumed singing with Toby Goss leading 497. Leaders: Constance Des Marais 348t; Johannes Sauer 385b; David Garman 141; Rowan Simms 67; Rachel Jordan 278t; Steve Welch 147b; Jo-anne Carlyle 547; Steve Brett 192; Teresa Maguire 485; Machna Nowak 168.

Kerry Cullinan conducted a combined memorial and sick and housebound lesson on our interconnectivity with each other in the Universe, and the thought that those not present today through ill health were still close to us. Loved ones who have passed are also still with us, just a little further away, but connected to us with song. Everyone is a song. He led 70t for all on the minds of those present. For the following sick and housebound: Julie Heptinstall, Ann Landsbury, P. Dan Brittain, Susan C., Susanne Rolli, Mandy Rose, Uschi Nolte, Elspeth Hannen, and Anna Eggers.

The following were entered on the memorial list: John Heptinstall, Brigid Hurn, Keith Pigott, David Akhurst, Mike Cooper, Doreen Carlyle, Emily Webster, Anne Maguire, Maxwell Gordon, Nigel Eagle, Michael Keane, Richard Drane, Ernest Preston, and Helen Dent—United Kingdom; Anna Zamboni—Italy; David Adler—Scotland; Eva Striebeck and Irmtraut Fessen-Henjes—Germany; Juanita Beasley, Hubert Nall, Walter Graff, Melanie Hauff, Ted Mercer, Lydia Lewallen, Dorothy Landskroener, Larry Gordon, and Pete Sutherland—United States. Kerry closed the memorial with a short silence for reflection.

Leaders: Al Williams 163b; Inga Buckland 68t; Nick Hall 534; John Bealle 442; Joyce Smith 276; Chris Coombs 217; Teresa Maguire 445; Werner Ullah 410t. Victoria Timberlake offered thanks for the midday meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session commenced with Nick Hall leading 350. Leaders: David Garman 477; Johannes Sauer 151; Bridget McVennon-Morgan 456; Sheila Girling Macadam 461 (for Robin Bisson and family); Johanna Vogelsanger 70b; William Cleary 206; Derek Buckland 145b; Constance Des Marais and David Garman 436 (for David’s birthday that day); Edwin Macadam 444; Inga Buckland 227; Machna Nowak 510; Morgan Kist 324; Kerry Cullinan 472 (for Dan Brittain); John Bealle 220; Rachel Jordan 475; Steve Brett 186; Toby Goss 273; Joyce Smith 358 (in memory of Lydia Lewallen); Chris Coombs 128.

RECESS

The final session commenced with Edwin Macadam leading 288. Leaders: Rowan Simms 225b; Johanna Vogelsanger 277; Bridget McVennon-Morgan 568; Al Williams 365; Sheila Girling Macadam 208; David Garman 133; Derek Buckland 566; Morgan Kist 148; Johannes Sauer 572; Jo-anne Carlyle 287; William Cleary 428; Constance Des Marais 341; Werner Ullah 503 (for Dan Brittain); Morgan Kist and Johanna Vogelsanger 49t; all American singers present 122; all singers who had helped in the kitchen 504.

Thanks were extended to all those who had helped in any way to make the day’s singing a success. The 2023 Jordans singing should have been chaired by Robin Bisson, but as he had welcomed his second child only three weeks earlier, Sheila Girling Macadam and Edwin Macadam had been happy to extend their tenure as Chairman and Vice Chairman for a further year. Robin had assured them of his willingness to assume his new role at Jordans in 2024.

Announcements were made and invitations extended to other Sacred Harp singing events around the country and abroad. The Secretary reported thirty-three singers had registered from the UK, France, Germany, and USA. Twenty-eight leaders had led eighty 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 and Edwin Macadam led 347, and Derek Buckland offered the closing prayer. The class was dismissed.

Chairman—Sheila Girling Macadam; Vice Chairman—Edwin Macadam; Secretaries—Mary Welch and Nick Hall