Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, May 25

The 9th annual Germany Convention was held in the Friedrich-Wilhelm Gymnasium, Cologne, Germany, on the fourth Sunday and Saturday before in May. The class was called to order by Dominik Fraune leading 171. Chloe Spreadborough offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Uschi Diderich 49t; Stefan Swat 324; Daniel Wippermann 32b; Eloise Clark 569t; Elisabeth Schallwig 448b; Aislinn Ahern 35; Ruby Foster 89; Caitlin Jay 51; Jaro Spörhase 268; Maria Neumann-Fraune 47t; Gerben Vos 31b; Monika Godtmann 146; Werner Ullah 49b; Hanka Faerber 142; Calum Parker 383.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Petra Ertl leading 133. Leaders: Laura Eisen 121; Graham Ball 56b; Richard Mayers 449; Susanne Rolli 277; Tina Cramer 348t; Molly McCracken 288; Sam Carter 406; Thomas MacDonald 195; Paul Kolenbrander 442; Chloe Spreadborough 349; Edwin Macadam 444; Joshua Lant 392; Caro Stamm-Reusch 67 (for Christopher Schuller and the men & women of the Sanitätsregiment 1, stationed in Pabradė, Lithuania); Jacoba Bruneel 542; Katie Ahern 335; Chris Affolter 76b; Gwendal Geleoc 53.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Joanna Bennett leading 448t. Leaders: Elmar Wigand 457; Sara Hellström 504; Emily Spademan 59; Morgan Kist 535; Mali Dray 547; James Roche 354t; Sheila Girling Macadam 564; Erika Wilson 77t; John Bealle 434; Julia Sievert 505; Oskar Kvasnes 119; Leif Simer 28b; Petra Ertl 110; Jasmina Graf 377; Camilla Marie Widholm 328; Anne Eringa 148. Chloe Spreadborough offered the prayer before the lunchtime meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session began with Stefan Swat leading 159. Leaders: Chris Affolter 228; Jacoba Bruneel 197; Richard Mayers 189; Joshua Lant 419; Joanna Bennett 532; Caro Stamm-Reusch 528; Aislinn Ahern 500; Katie Ahern 426b; Edward Ricemeyer 240; Gerben Vos 388; Gabriel Kyne 227; Sheila Girling Macadam 440; Anne Eringa 430; Camilla Marie Widholm 298; John Bealle 217; Erika Wilson 560; Sam Carter 546; Ruby Foster 553; Thomas MacDonald 236; Calum Parker 198.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Daniel Wippermann leading 34b. Leaders: Maria Neumann-Fraune 551; Tobias Kanngiesser 344; Sebastian Borckenhagen 117; Emily Spademan 282; Edward Ricemeyer 111b; Eloise Clark 481; Werner Ullah 313b; James Roche 549; Gwendal Geleoc 39t; Laura Eisen 125; Edwin Macadam 466; Jasmina Graf 423; Elisabeth Schallwig 330t; Chloe Spreadborough 372; Caitlin Jay 267; Molly McCracken 47b; Petra Ertl 472.

Dominik Fraune led 347 as the closing song. Chloe Spreadborough offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, May 26

The Sunday session of the 9th Germany Convention met again in the Friedrich-Wilhelm Gymnasium, Cologne. The class was called to order by Dominik Fraune leading 48t. Chloe Spreadborough offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Uschi Diderich 523; Hanka Faerber 183; Tobias Kanngiesser 284; Ulla Schlobohm 29b; Graham Ball 70b; Paul Kolenbrander 28t; Maria Neumann-Fraune 114; Jaro Spörhase 268; Petra Ertl 300; Molly McCracken 276; Stefan Swat 567; Ulrike Tietjen 512; Tina Cramer 101t; Chloe Spreadborough 147t; Daniel Wippermann 231; Monika Godtmann 57; Julia Sievert 102.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Jasmina Graf leading 146. Leaders: Edward Ricemeyer 73t; Werner Ullah 70t; Emily Spademan 507; Caitlin Jay 495; Sara Hellström 105; Mali Dray 556; Elmar Wigand 277; Gwendal Geleoc 42; Leif Simer 547; Elisabeth Schallwig 475; Jasmina Graf 522; Gerben Vos 332; Morgan Kist 125; Calum Parker 270; Paul Kolenbrander 203.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Joanna Bennett leading 99. Leaders: Chris Affolter 436; Leif Simer 83t; Thomas MacDonald 550; James Roche 391; Edwin Macadam 352; Dominik Fraune 74b; Camilla Marie Widholm 536; John Bealle 250.

Sheila Girling Macadam gave the lesson for the sick and housebound. Maria Neumann-Fraune read the following names: Elizabeth Roche, Melanie Tönnies, Jim Coppock, Linda Coppock, MM Wagner, Tim Wagner Jamison, Andy Ditzler, David Brodeur, Dianne Schiffer, John Carty and Peter Poush.

Sheila Girling Macadam gave the memorial lesson for the deceased, followed by leading 534. Maria Neumann-Fraune read the following names: Betty Walsh, Ernest Preston, Helen Dent, Emily Webster, Jeffrey Dawn, Eva Striebeck, Dan Brittain, Michael Ryan, Jeff Begley, Melanie Donhauser-Kuhn, Diego (el Alfa) Ogando Wilkes, Elisabeth Spiegel, Els Theunissen, Karin Wilson, Norman Wilson, Uschi Nolte, David Akhurst, Keith Pigott, David Jones, Sean Roche and Thomas Wunderlin.

Leaders: Chloe Spreadborough 38b; Tina Cramer 390; Aislinn Ahern 474; Anne Eringa “Mount Hope” (composed by Daniel Hertzler) (in memory of Michael Ryan); Gabriel Kyne 202; Caro Stamm-Reusch 454; Richard Mayers 254. Chloe Spreadborough offered the prayer before the lunchtime meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session began with Ulrike Tietjen leading 29t. Leaders: John Bealle 543; Erika Wilson 378b; Katie Ahern 517; Eloise Clark 234; Laura Eisen 173; Sam Carter 506; Jacoba Bruneel 216; Ruby Foster 524; Joanna Bennett 272; Joshua Lant 224; Camilla Marie Widholm 196; Gabriel Kyne 383; Richard Mayers 174; Sheila Girling Macadam 103; Jasmina Graf 542; Thomas MacDonald 263; Calum Parker 318; Elisabeth Schallwig 274t; Chris Affolter 353; James Roche 350.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Stefan Swat leading 163t. Leaders: Silvia Fledderus 45t (assisted by Paul Kolenbrander); Edward Ricemeyer 311; Emily Spademan 319; Werner Ullah 410t; Sheila Girling Macadam 480; Gerben Vos 569b; Joshua Lant 69b; Edwin Macadam 499; Jacoba Bruneel 106; Laura Eisen 230; Aislinn Ahern 112; Sam Carter 160b; Ruby Foster 179; Gwendal Geleoc 345b; Katie Ahern 446; Erika Wilson 73b; Anne Eringa 191; Uschi Diderich and Hanna van der Wal 209.

Dominik Fraune thanked the Officers and Committee Members for their hard work both before and during the Convention and everyone else who had helped. He thanked the keyers and the cooks who had fed so many singers so well. Leif Simer gave the Treasurer’s report saying that all expenses had been met and thanking everyone for their generosity. Paul Kolenbrander gave the Secretary’s report saying that there were eighty-six registered singers on Saturday and fifty-three registered singers on Sunday, singing one hundred eighty-four songs in total. Announcements were made. The 10th Germany Convention will be held in 2025 in Bremen, Germany.

Dominik Fraune led 278t as the closing song. Edwin Macadam offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Dominik Fraune; Vice Chairman—Uschi Diderich; Secretary—Paul Kolenbrander