Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

The 25th Oxford All-Day Singing was held on Saturday before the fourth Sunday in June. Chairman Sheila Girling Macadam called the class to order at 10:30 a.m. leading 34b. David Garman offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Edwin Macadam 84; Mandy Townsend 441; David Garman 146; Toby Goss 228; Sue Bird 86; Dave Townsend 112; Duane Nasis 32t; Maggie Eiseman-Renyard 288; Arthur Swindells 191; Mary Hodgkins 350; Rowan Simms 283; Teresa Maguire 284; Al Williams 67; Helen Brown 411; Derek Buckland 134; Pete Eiseman-Renyard 135; Rachel Jordan 503; Ted Brown 119; Will Spendlove 445; Nick Hall 231; Inga Buckland 47b.

RECESS

Sheila Girling Macadam brought the class back to order leading 39t. Leaders: Steve Welch 77b; Lee Dunleavy 72b; Ted Simonds 31t; Margaret Jones and Lee Dunleavy 178; Wail Kasim 276; Dave Townsend 457; Edwin Macadam 71.

Duane Nasis conducted a combined sick and housebound and memorial lesson, comparing the Filipino house-moving practice of ‘Bayanihan’ and its ability to foster happiness and co-operation, to that of the collective unity of Sacred Harp singers. We were asked to think of the following people still with us: Stephanie Ramamurthy, Ram Ramamurthy, Clive Woolf, Helen Bushell, Beverly Thompson, Kostas Mavreas, Sylvia Biges, Lesley Holloway, Elspeth Hannen, Brenda Bowley, Nigel Bowley, Terry Sexton, Nicola Macadam, and Jack Charles.

Thoughts were also addressed to those no longer with us: Ernest Preston and John White—London; Mick Barlow—Eynsham; Paulette Eeley—Oxford; Peter Blackburn—Lewes; Emily Webster—Cambridge; Rose Feather—Harrogate; Thomas Wunderlin—Switzerland; Eva Striebeck and Uschi Nolte—Germany; P. Dan Brittain—Arkansas, USA; Dorothy Landskroener—Ohio, USA; Richard Mauldin—Alabama, USA; Dan Burk and Jeff Begley—California, USA; Melanie Hauff—Illinois, USA. Duane led 235 for all those named. Lee Dunleavy closed the memorial service with prayer.

Leaders: Rachel Jordan 452; Mandy Townsend 318; Rowan Simms 436; Sue Bird 344; Al Williams 378t; Mary Hodgkins 30t; Arthur Swindells 270; Maggie Eiseman-Renyard 294; Duane Nasis 170; Teresa Maguire 129. Sue Bird offered thanks for the mid-day meal.

LUNCH

The first afternoon session commenced with Edwin Macadam leading 29t. Leaders: Sheila Girling Macadam 142; Pete Eiseman-Renyard 143; Maggie Eiseman-Renyard 121; Will Spendlove 435; Ted Simonds 70t; Steve Welch 569t; Wail Kasim 89; Lee Dunleavy 40; Inga Buckland 82t; Ted Brown 187; Nick Hall 475; Helen Brown 234; Derek Buckland 376; Mandy Townsend 490; Dave Townsend 551; Arthur Swindells 456. At the conclusion of this session, a cake, celebrating the 25th Oxford All-Day singing was cut by Sheila Girling Macadam and Edwin Macadam, and was consumed by the class.

RECESS

The final session commenced with Sheila Girling Macadam leading 274t. Leaders: Edwin Macadam 528; Al Williams 57; Teresa Maguire 390; Will Spendlove 159; Ted Simonds 504; Arthur Swindells 432; Lee Dunleavy 282; Sue Bird 535; Wail Kasim 49t; Steve Welch 73b; Pete Eiseman-Renyard 300; Rowan Simms 353; Duane Nasis 172; Ted Brown 113; Nick Hall 171; Inga Buckland 225t; Helen Brown 373; Derek Buckland 122; Rachel Jordan 474.

The Secretary reported thirty-seven singers had registered from the UK and Germany, and seventy-eight songs had been led by twenty-seven leaders. The Treasurer reported all the day’s expenses had been met. Sheila Girling Macadam and Edwin Macadam thanked everyone who helped in any way to make this singing a success, particularly Sally Dunleavy and Rachel Jordan who had taken over the food arrangements at very short notice. They reflected on the past twenty-five years of singing in Oxford and thanked the greater Sacred Harp community for the support they had received since 1999. It was agreed the 26th Oxford All-Day Singing should be held at the Botley Women’s Institute Hall on Saturday 21 June, 2025.

Sheila Girling Macadam and Edwin Macadam led 347 as the closing song. Helen Brown offered the closing prayer, after which the class was dismissed.

Chairperson—Sheila Girling Macadam; Vice Chairman—Edwin Macadam; Secretary—Mary Welch