Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, January 18

The 37th session of the All-California Sacred Harp Singing Convention met in Alameda, California. It was especially poignant to gather as the Los Angeles wildfires were still burning, with many in the class worried or grieving for homes, friends, family and community.

The class was called to order by Al Grindon leading 49t. He gave the sad news that the beautiful venue where we sang together in 2024, in his home town of Altadena, has been completely destroyed in the Eaton Fire.

Jim Friedrich offered the opening prayer. Chairperson Carolyn Deacy was ill and unable to attend. Acting chairperson J.T. Harechmak chaired a business meeting, with the following officers appointed to serve: Vice Chairperson—David Elsenbroich; Chaplain—Jim Friedrich; Treasurer—Chris Thorman; Secretary—Hannah Blair.

Leaders: J.T. Harechmak 276; David Elsenbroich 37b; Hannah Blair 384; Jim Friedrich 547; Zenon MacKinnon 178; Helen Cepero 282; Dami Osoba 50t; Sumie Arnold 472; Wren Hyde 102; Taylor Sullivan 125; Mary Rose O’Leary 528; Midge Harder 35; Fred Wilkey 474; Brian How 114; Linnea Sablosky 290.

RECESS

Mark Godfrey led 317 to call the class back to order. Leaders: Jonas Powell 216; Elizabeth Poss 148; Pat Coghlan 214; Yarrow Syskine 133; Stuart Wheeler 285b; Jeff McLeod 271b; Laurie Burk 131t; Peter Stenshoel 235; Aida Veliz 551; Ben Rempel 404; Jerry Schreiber and Mairye Bates 362; Suzanne Caflisch 111b; David Olson and Paul Hsi 30t; Chris Thorman 475; Sarah Rose Hill 142; Gerry Hoffman 232.

RECESS

Rebecca Edwards and Celestine Ratsch-Rivera led 105 to call the class back to order. Leaders: Sean Francis Conway 445; Bob Schinske 328; Kate Fine 454 (in honor of Cornelia Stanton); Kathy Manning 436; Kevin Barrans 203; Ruth Linehan 352; Evelyn Lamb 76b; Abigail Cannon 234; Carrie Walker 532; Pippa Stoddard 197; Ian Suchon 522; David Wright 193; Thom Fahrbach 388; Stephanie Fida 302; Sam Thomas 481; Jennifer Jones 377; Derek Buckland 160b; Andy Ditzler 269. Jim Friedrich offered a prayer before dinner on the grounds.

RECESS

David Schmitt led 81t to call the class back to order. Leaders: Judy Van Duzer 29t; Jenna Tompkins 143; Elizabeth Stoddard 57; Betsy Jeronen 499 (in memory of her sister); Blake Sisemore 411; David Brodeur 383; Jamie Ross 162; Nicholas Thompson 304 (in memory of his great uncle); Rosie Sokolov 213t; Kelsey Ivey 536; Inga Buckland 146; Mitchell Gustin 123b; Julia Zaffarano 500; Rachael Geary 30b; Robert Stoddard 179; Paul Landskroener 485; Richard Ivey 546; Catherine Van Duzer 182.

RECESS

Michael Hagerty led 414 to call the class back to order. Leaders: Nadia Bolz-Weber 171; R. Anuhea Sebstad 82t; Jim Solheim 270; Carol V. Crawford 354t; Deb Koch 84; Myles Alexander 53; Paul Chamberlain 195; Nell Whitman 99; Mike Chaffin 370; Lucy O’Leary 299; Andrea Tzvetkov 48t; Esteban Veliz and Annalise Veliz 306; Ian Philips 268; Mary O’Brien 95.

J.T. Harechmak led 400 as the closing song. Jim Friedrich asked a blessing. Members of the Revision Committee led those of the class who wished to stay in a short session of songs under consideration for the forthcoming new edition of The Sacred Harp.

Sunday, January 19

Jim Friedrich led 163t to call the class to order, and offered the opening prayer. Leaders: J.T. Harechmak 196; Heather Purdy 38b; Paul Kostka 273; Ellen Lueck 204; Joseph Coghlan 494; Lindy Groening 422; Gerry Hoffman 430; Julia MacMillan and James Welsch 282; Jeremy Knight 448t; Rachel O’Leary 448b; Inder Khalsa 300; Susan Widule 277; Beatrix Baker and Dave Barber 56b; Lizzie Sanders 227; Hugh McGuire 201; Jenny Solheim 442.

RECESS

Leah Coffin led 29t to call the class back to order. Leaders: Jim Solheim “Schmidgall”; Alexander Cotton 350; Al Grindon 174; Stuart Wheeler and Olivia Babuka Black 29b; Midge Harder and Catherine Baldridge Horne 340; Lucy O’Leary 112; Pippa Stoddard 134; Nadia Bolz-Weber 34b; Chris Thorman 495; Nell Whitman 535; Mike Chaffin 280; Mitchell Gustin 543; Judy Van Duzer 48t (in honor of Claire Singleton’s birthday); Robert Stoddard 283; Betsy Jeronen 392; Michael Hagerty 138t; Jenna Thompkins 228; Deb Koch 175.

RECESS

Leigh Cooper and Leon Godfrey led 32t to call the class back to order. Leaders: Jim Crawford and Mary Crawford 183; Sean Francis Conway and family 101t; Paul Landskroener 213b; Pat Coghlan 492; David Schmitt 564; Derek Buckland 308; Elizabeth Stoddard 534.

The Memorial Committee gave lessons in commemoration of those who could not be with us. Mary Rose O’Leary led 516 for the sick and homebound, talking of those we see regularly at singings but never speak to, and encouraging us all to make that first move toward friendship.

Linda Selph led 70t for the memorial lesson, remembering in particular three much-missed Bay Area singers. We sang in memory of Barbara Adair, Susan Fetcho, Kirston Koths, Dan Burk, Stephen Judge, Jeff Begley, Brandon Jamaal Sampson, Raul Enrique Carter—California; Mary Owen Grayson, Robert Crawford—Wisconsin; Mike Garrett—Arizona; Earl Ballinger, Henry Guthery, Ozella Blackmon, Jack Ivey, Julia Poston, Chris Shepherd, Tommie Spurlock—Alabama; Fable—Louisiana; Richard Van Dyk, Ken Burk, Reed Schilbach—Washington; Susan Smith—Oregon; Brian Alexander—New York; Laverne Lewis, John Van Duzer—Colorado; Frank Fraembs—Illinois; Chloe Webb—Texas; Bob Goodman, Martha Ann Stegar, Beverly Rollins Thompson—Georgia; Greg Raycraft—Michigan; Tom Tucker, Christian Schlegel—Pennsylvania; Frankie Galipeau—Vermont; RuthAnn Bryant, Rob Strayhorn—Florida; Ron Woodland—Massachusetts; Rob Mahoney, David Gee—United Kingdom.

Leaders: Nicholas Thompson 507 (in memory of Darrell Swarrens and Josie Hyde); Julia Zaffarano 440; Richard Ivey and Kelsey Ivey 396; Rachael Geary 542; David Brodeur 192. Jim Friedrich asked a blessing for our dinner on the grounds.

RECESS

Thom Fahrbach led 309 to call the class back to order. Leaders: Carrie Walker 434; Bob Schinske 456; Jennifer Jones 186; David Wright 371; Kathy Manning 168; Abigail Cannon 187; Sam Thomas 189; Andy Ditzler 447; Kevin Barrans 101b; Stephanie Fida and Eric Byrd 372; Jamie Ross 245; Blake Sisemore 373; Ruth Linehan 319; R. Anuhea Sebstad 58; Evelyn Lamb 491; Carol V. Crawford 540; Kate Fine 361; Samantha Adioetomo 151; Myles Alexander 538; Rosie Sokolov 348b; Inga Buckland 449.

RECESS

Elizabeth Poss led 312b to call the class back to order. Leaders: Ian Suchon 269; Catherine Van Duzer 121; Peter Stenshoel 480; Laurie Burk 455; Ben Rempel 229; Jerry Schreiber and Gioia Fonda 473; Chih-Ching (Dill) Ma 24b; Fred Wilkey 236; Joel Chan and Jonathan Scher 133; Paul Chamberlain 438; Suzanne Caflisch 73t; Sumie Arnold and Wren Hyde 505; Sarah Rose Hill 288; Jeff McLeod 145t; Andrea Tzvetkov and David Elsenbroich 335; Linnea Sablosky 419; Peter Ross 344; Brian How 117.

A business meeting was held during which we resolved to meet again in January 2026, on the third Sunday and Saturday before, in the Los Angeles area—may it rise from the ashes, even more vibrant than before. Resolutions committee Inga Buckland and Rachel O’Leary thanked the many people whose hard work and generosity made our gathering sweet. After many invitations to singings near and far, Jim Friedrich offered a prayer to close a fine weekend of radiant bands of music, sympathizing tears, and friendship like a drawing band. J.T. Harechmak, David Elsenbroich and Hannah Blair led 347, and the class was dismissed.

Chairperson—Carolyn Deacy; Acting Chairperson—J.T. Harechmak; Vice Chairperson—David Elsenbroich; Secretary—Hannah Blair