Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, January 20

The 36th annual All-California Sacred Harp Singing Convention met in the William Davies Memorial Building at Farnsworth Park in Altadena, California, on the third Sunday and Saturday before in January. The class was called to order by Leigh Cooper leading 171. Al Grindon welcomed the class, and led 99. Jim Freidrich offered the opening prayer.

A business meeting was held and the following officers and committee members were appointed to serve: Chairman—Al Grindon; Vice Chairman—Carolyn Deacy; Treasurer—Rachel O’Leary; Secretary—Alison Fisher; Chaplains—Jim Friedrich and Jamie Ross. The business meeting was closed.

Leaders: Jamie Ross 376; David Olsen 472; Linnea Sablosky 378b; Sarah Hill 155; David Eisenbroich 37b; Carri Grindon 47b; John Giles 511; Michael Hagerty 290; Peter Stenshoel 388; Jeff Begley 68t; Susan Caflisch 111b; Luc Kleiner 76b; Alison Fisher 162; Jeff Laub 333; Stuart Wheeler 285b; Amy Ludwig 117; Shawn Kirchner 454; Judy Nahman-Stouffer and Gerry Hoffman 455.

RECESS

Lisa Bennett led 166 to recall the class. Leaders: Fred Wilkey 34b; Bruce Teter 97; Laurie Burk 503; Lizzie Sanders 131t; Maggie Taylor and Rowan Taylor 178; Edward Ricemeyer 272; Betsy Jeronen 564; Jennifer Jones 527; Julia Zaffarano 271t; Rachael Geary 426t; Carol Crawford 215; Catherine Van Duzer 68b; Ray Rechenberg 277; Brian How 183; David Schmitt 122; Pat Coghlan 492; Ellen Lueck 145t; Alexander Cotton 350. Al Grindon announced that expenses for facility rental had already been met, but singers were still welcome to contribute funds.

RECESS

Jen Rymut led 32t to bring the class together. Leaders: Porter Lorentz-Underhill 198; Jim Crawford 287; Gerry Hoffman 501 (in memory of Stephen O’Leary and Ted Mercer); Irene Gilb 196; Midge Harder 61; Elizabeth Poss 42; Paul Kostka 528; Sumie Arnold 207; Leah Coffin 448t; Tyler Ruy 30t; Janet Plattner 65; Bob Schinske 546; Emma Swartz 500; Paul Landskroener 77t (dedicated to Arthur Joseph Landskroener); Rachel O’Leary, Lucy O’Leary, and Sean McElhenney 101t; Katie Eichenlaub White 547 (in memory of Melanie Hauff); Lisa Bennett 353 (in memory of Dan Brittain); Lisa Grayson 436; Dami Osoba 260. Jim Friedrich led a prayer before the meal.

LUNCH

Afternoon session began with Jeff McLeod and Taylor Sullivan leading 135. Leaders: Al Grindon 49b; Carol Huang 522; Sean Francis Conway 228; Rosie Sokolov 542; Andy Ditzler 30b; Chris Noren 263; Jenny Solheim 372; David Smead 380; Mitchell Gustin 299; David Brodeur 216 Susan Fetcho and Titilayomi Osoba 460 (in memory of David Fetcho); Stephanie Fida 442; Alex Forsyth 411; Jim Friedrich 347 (in memory of Stephen O’Leary and David Fetcho); Lindy Groening 269; Mary Rose O’Leary 112; Jeff McLeod 100; Leigh Cooper 35; Nadia Bolz-Weber and Diane Gohl 300; Judy Van Duzer 128 (in memory of John Van Duzer); Mingjia Chen and Stuart Wheeler 146.

RECESS

Lizzie Sanders, Jeff Laub, and Jamie Ross led 33b to begin the last session. Leaders: Carolyn Deacy 480; Ben Rempel 482; Chris Thorman and Mayrie Bates 384; Jamie Dawson 423; Anton Popov 217; Julie Johnson 383; Paula O’Dowd 340; Alayna Liebman 220; Julia Zaffarano and Emma Swartz 278t. Al Grindon led 168 as the closing song, and invited singers to the evening social.

Sunday, January 21

The Sunday session of the All-California Sacred Harp Singing Convention began with Al Grindon leading 46. Jamie Ross offered prayer, and led 102.

Leaders: David Elsenbroich 475; Peter Stenshoel 339; Kyle Hiskey Adams 465; Stuart Wheeler 294; Jeff Laub 378t; Alison Fisher 532; Fred Wilkey 474; Jeff McLeod 40; Ben Rempel 390; Suzanne Caflisch 141; Brian McKee 99; Lizzie Sanders 227; Michael Hagerty 270; Andrea Tzvetkov 235; Alayna Leibman 268; Laura Stephenson 404; Elizabeth Poss 48b; Brian How 114.

RECESS

Mary Rose O’Leary called the class back together by leading 213t. Leaders: Janet Plattner 119; Catherine Van Duzer 202; Leigh Cooper and Byron Burchard 283; David Schmitt 481; Pat Coghlan 214; Rachel O’Leary, Shana Lourey, and Samara Lourey 73t; Jamie Dawson 354t; Julie Johnson 31t; Nadia Bolz-Weber 142; Midge Harder 163t; Leah Coffin 160b; Mary Crawford and Carol Crawford 535; Paul Koska 334; Judy Van Duzer 312b; Sean Frances Conway, Kelley Martin, and Porter Lontz-Underhill 352; Anton Popov 288; Paul Landskroener 218; Susan Fetcho and Jim Friedrich 181; Irene Gilb 165; Luc Kleiner 345b; Dami Osoba 504.

RECESS

Lindy Groening and Carolyn Deacy led 430 to call the class together. Leaders: Jim Crawford 107; Jenny Solheim 222; Ray Rechenberg and Stephanie Fida 29t; Julia Zaffarano 106; Chris Noren 236.

The memorial lesson was conducted by Fred Wilkey and Amy Ludwig. Amy read the following names of singers that were sick or shut-in: Lori Crawford, Dan Phemayotin, Karen Mathews, Phil Shapiro, Michael McKernon, Ed Walton, Eleanor Solor, Lynne Koss, Brenda Rechenberg, Carla Smith, Steve Warner, Anne Heider, Laura Boyd, Rick Russell, Ted Johnson, Marcia Johnson, Mary Owen, Marilyn Murata, Kevin Barrans, Mimi Wright, and Dan Burk. She led 72b.

Fred read the following names of the deceased: Trinity Jennings, David Herman, Lois Herrin, and Miles Walbrecht—California; Cheryl Foreman—Texas; Chris Dronen, Paul Peterson, and Frank H. Wood—Minnesota; Eva Streibeck—Germany; Lydia Lewallen—North Carolina; Charlotte Ehrman—New York; Melanie Hauff and Ted Mercer—Illinois; Marlon Wootten and Norma Green—Alabama; George Burnette—Georgia; Alfred Sausotle, John Van Duzer, and Pete Mathewson—Colorado; Linda Shropshire—Tennessee; Anita Sanders—New Mexico; Becky Browne—Missouri; P. Dan Brittain and Lloyd Caldwall—Arkansas; Dorothy Landskroener—Ohio. He led 285t, and then offered prayer.

Lisa Grayson led a memorial for Ted Mercer, recognizing his contributions to Sacred Harp singing in California. Lisa, Mary Rose O’Leary, and Carolyn Deacy led 278b.

Leaders: John Giles 298; Sarah Hill 122; Chris Thorman 56t; Erin Schneider and Jamie Ross 58; Mitchell Gustin 344; Rena Sunshine 47t. Jamie Ross asked for a blessing before lunch.

LUNCH

David Elsenbroich led 82t to reassemble the class. Leaders: Emma Swartz 383; David Brodeur 189; Jennifer Jones 377; Carol Huang 419; Bob Schinske 542 (in memory of Steve Helwig); Rachael Geary 445; Edward Ricemeyer 203; David Smead 464; Betsy Jeronen 392; Andy Ditzler 556; Rosie Sokolov 400; Alex Forsyth 507; Stephanie Fida 491; Jeff Begley 330b; Lisa Grayson 536; Lisa Bennett 313b (in memory of Dan Brittain); Katie Eichenlaub White, Brian How, and Gerry Hoffman 86.

RECESS

John Giles led 32t to recall the class. Leaders: Laurie Burk 245; Lucy O’Leary, Ronnie Carrillo, Eileen Hatrick, Eitan Sadeh, and Sarah Patterson 550; Bruce Teter 441; Liza Pattison 163b; Carri Grindon and Nathan Schraeder 497; Gerry Hoffman 297; Sean Francis Conway 48t.

A business meeting was held to hear reports from the committees. Lucy O’Leary of the Resolutions Committee offered thanks to the Tongva Tribe, on whose land the singing was held, and announced that a donation would be sent to the local Tongva Taraxat Paxava Conservancy in appreciation. Mitchell Gustin offered the resolution that the All-California Sacred Harp Singing Convention would convene again in the Bay Area on the third Sunday and Saturday before in January, 2025. The resolutions committee recognized those who helped for their work. They thanked the LA Department of Parks and Recreation for their support with facilities, and the Bay Area Sacred Harp group for their organizational assistance. Alison Fisher gave the Secretary’s report stating that ninety-two songs were sung on Saturday and eighty-four songs on Sunday, for a total of one hundred seventy-six songs led by one hundred one unique leaders, representing thirteen states and four countries in addition to the US. The meeting was closed. Announcements were made.

Al Grindon led 62 as the closing song. Jamie Ross offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Al Grindon; Vice Chairperson—Carolyn Deacy; Secretary—Alison Fisher