Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, March 8

The 25th annual Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Convention was held on the second Sunday and Saturday before in March at the Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity in Florence, Massachusetts. The class was called to order by Kate Bergren leading 59. Micah John Walter offered the morning prayer.

Leaders: Kit Walsh 171; Angela Ruggiero-Corliss 73t; Linda Shea 475; Rick Johnson 530; Matthew Léger-Small 71; Charles Biada 133; Jana Yeaton 77t; Sophie Jean Ledden 345b; Sam Kleinman 187; Anabel Gravel Chabot 125; Jasmine Mendoza 351; Isabel Linhares 76b; Owen Stoddard 35; Don Youngberg, Clarissa Youngberg, Margaret Youngberg, and Crispin Youngberg 39t; Michaela Natal 63; Alison Forster 198.

RECESS

Micah John Walter called the class back to order by leading 74b. Leaders: Wendy Sibbison 99; Chris Geissler 300; Bill Holt 532; Jack Tremblay and Léon Coupal-Soutiére 288; Noah Mease and Ryan Courtney 38t; Joel Newberger 33b; Laura Clawson 224; Davenport Herrick-Walace 47b; Lily Hammond 383; Stuart Jackson 404; Joan Frankel 284; Mary Skidmore 222; Grant Cook 410b; Lael Birch 384; Cora Wareh 95; Taylor Ward 179.

RECESS

Myles Louis Dakan led 67 to bring the class to order. Leaders: Kate Richardson 361; Guy Bankes 481; Justin Squizzero 536; John Holbrook 146; Robert Stoddard 500; Calvin Robertson and Rob Arbelo 178; Jennie Brown 460; Anayis Wright 189; Joseph Dunn 457; Robin Luckwaldt 312b; Ru Perry-Mize and friend 480; Linda Coppock 377; George Howe 34b; Jean Seiler 472; Lynette Combs 107; Margaret Hughes 385t; Christopher Kain 381; Carole Crompton 193. A blessing for the meal was offered by Rebecca Hawkins.

LUNCH

The afternoon session began with Rebecca Hawkins and Susanna Hoffmann leading 282. Leaders: Becky Wright 216; Peter Irvine 183; Lisa Bennett 432; Em Ekelund 302; Lauren Bock 428; Philou 272; Anna Hinton 430; Andy Ditzler 218; Tom Ivey 236; Juliet McFadden 335; Bridge Hill Kennedy 228; Philippe Doyle-Gosselin 512; Anne Altringham 546; Kshama Ananthapura 270; Clara Potter-Sweet 328; Esther Morgan-Ellis 456; Elsa Phemayotin 376; David Smead 97; Sunny Doyle 49b; Rachel Hall 429; Névé Dumas 320; Randy Neufeld 504; Quasar Phoenix 112.

RECESS

Ian Quinn called the class back to order by leading 84. Leaders: Crispin Youngberg 53; Elizabeth Stoddard 423; Daniel Zaloum 426b; Samantha Adioetomo 528; David Brodeur 368; Sharon Strong 254; Jason Jack 567; Korey Guerrieri 340; Ryan Courtney 425; Ariana Roberge 209; Kobi Bordoley 354t; Rachel Field 30t; Tarik Wareh 203; Jocelyn Kurtze 142; Joan Nagy 162; Gwen Gethner 52b; Eléa Regembal 168; Elias Neuman Donihue 141; Nicandra Galper 344; Annie Reynolds 277; Martin Hamilton 372; Alex Van Sant 274b; Andal Sundaramurthi 522; Penny Henzel 417; Evan Landon 378t; Sam Dembling 569b; Sarah Maika 182; Kate Bergren and Kit Walsh 129. Jana Yeaton dismissed the class with prayer.

Sunday, March 9

The Sunday session of the Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Convention met again at the Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity in Florence, Massachusetts. The class was called to order by Kate Bergren leading 276. Tim Eriksen offered the morning prayer.

Leaders: Kit Walsh 30t; Becky Wright 33t; Joel Rosen 315; Peter Irvine 441; Rebecca Hawkins 131b; Kshama Anathapura 37b; R. Anuhea Sebstad 111b; Myles Louis Dakan 101b; Robin Luckwaldt 163t; Joseph Dunn 114; Yael Tarshish and Suzan Greenberg 440; Robert Stoddard 70b; Elsa Phemayotin 229; Margaret Youngberg 324; Rob Arbelo 313b.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Matthew Leger-Small leading 68b. Leaders: Rowan Lupton 448t; Will Harron 106; David DiLorenzo 47b; Samantha Adioetomo and Margaret Deutch 58; Esther Wade 365; Nathan Aldrich 344; Anabel Gravel-Chabot 474; David Smead 174; Mel Novner 564; Michael Nord 196; Michael Ipsen 417; Christine Andrews 34t; Guy Bankes 391; Philou 40; Sophie Jean Ledden 288; Lauren Bock 396; Molly Merrett, Michael Nord, and Freya 81t; Dan Coppock 477; Clara Potter-Sweet 378b; George Sigut 455.

RECESS

Michaela Natal called the class together leading 87. Leaders: Gwen Gethner 411; Jeremy Galvagni 100; Elizabeth Stoddard 77b; Philippe Doyle-Gosselin 208;

A memorial lesson was given by John Holbrook. Tim Eriksen and Angela Ruggiero-Corliss read the following list of names of the deceased: Heather Wood, John Roberts, Norman MacAfee, Rima Nickel—New York; Carlene Raper, Bill Fellinger, Rob Eley, Evelyn Sorenson—Vermont; Joan Morris, Gregory Marsh, Steve Biggs, Rob Mahoney—United Kingdom; Chloe Webb—Texas; Corrone and Ruth Anne Bryant—Maine; Mallory Lipton, Ann Hudson, Bob Goodman, Martha Ann Stregar—Georgia; Tom Tucker, Daniel Wert, Gary Broughton—Pennsylvania; Grace Chappell—New Jersey; Leah Kunkel—Massachusetts; Tom and Mary MacIllwraith, Cécile Emond, Sam Nordquist, Jory—Canada; Louise Godfrey, Susan Fetcho—California; William Ralph Parris—Kentucky; Mary Zikos; Haley Ratemaker; John Bennett—Germany; Julia Poston, Henry Guthery, Earl Ballinger—Alabama; Reid Schilbach, Dana Peugh—Washington; James Van Sant—New Mexico. John, Tim, and Angela led 503.

Matthew Wojcik gave the lesson remembering the sick and homebound. Matthew read the following names: Dan Hertzler, David Singer, Perrin Scott, Peter Amidon, Pat Walker, Indigo Micciche, Greta Holbrook, Pat Callahan, Bobbie Goodell, James Baumgartner, Shawn Taylor, Barrie Jane Kintner, Anna Bowen, Joanne Cooke, Darrell and Ernestine Parker, Susie McIntosh, Hernan and Benilda Serrano, Mrs. A.C. Anderson, Lynn Fulton Pfannestiel, Lance Fulton, Melissa Fulton, John Ryden Nelson, Martina Robertson, Jonathan Daube, Debbie Hall, Jim Hall, Lael Birch, Betty Shepherd, Joyce Walton, Reba Windom, Margaret Thacker, Pleasance Crawford, Ferne Cristal, Edwin Macadam, Odessa Flores-Vasquez, Bart Wright, Virginia Black, Patti Davis, Dan Phemayotin, Walter Wojcik, Lilybob Isham, Ben Eley. Matthew led 32b. Tim Eriksen offered a prayer following the lessons.

Leaders: Lilly Israel 127; Agnes-Dardana Ymeraga 489; Em Ekelund 498; Bridge Hill Kennedy 400; Anne Altringham 287; Andy Ditzler 454; Rachel Hall 436; Sebastian Beaghen 217; Sunny Doyle 410t; Tom Ivey 380. Tim Eriksen said a blessing for the meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session began with Grant Cook leading 102. Leaders: Sam Kleinman 187; Eléa Regembal 442; Ron Trial 497; Colleen Hayes 177; Allison Steel 542; Ariane Roberge 318; Charles Biada and Jasmine Mendoza 373; Emma Rose Brown 145t; Clara Griffin 186; Harry Bernholz 227; Molly B. Ellis 496; Laura Borrelli 142; Erin Fulton 158; David Brodeur 336; Laurence Vezina 269; Kobi Bordoley and Sam Dembling 148; Deidra Montgomery 316; Wyn Batson 426b; William Schuller 274t; Léon Coupal-Soutiére 68t; Lizzy Dunn 384; Tim Eriksen 435; Ryan Courtney and Elias Neuman-Donihue 445; Liora O’Donnell Goldensher 138b; Larry Bingham 193; Korey Guerrieri 313t; Sharon Strong 524.

RECESS

The last session of the day was called to order by Matthew Wojcik leading 105. Leaders: Ben Sachs-Hamilton 371; Jocelyn Kurtze 72b; Jacob Hamidi 155; Lium Myce and Robin Luckwaldt 42; Owen Stoddard 30b; Lisa Bennett 214; Micah John Walter and Rebecca Jones 76b; Anna Hinton 419; Hannah Kaya 86; Randy Neufeld 501; Penny Henzel 348t; Taylor Ward 69t; Laura Clampitt and Susanna Hoffmann 570; Marie Brandis 212; Jamie Dye 390; Alex Van Sant 268; Gerald Clark 225t; Névé Dumas 99; Wendy Sibbison, Linda Shea, and Deidra Montgomery 558.

A business meeting was called to order. The treasurer reported that all expenses were met. The secretary reported that three hundred and twenty five singers from sixteen states and five countries were registered. One hundred seventeen leaders directed two hundred and ten songs. The resolutions committee thanked the Bombyx Center for Arts and Equity for their hospitality, thanked all who made the space work for our convention, thanked all who contributed to the convention and noted the dedication and work of the chairperson. The class resolved, God willing, to meet again in 2026 in Florence, Massachusetts, on the second Sunday and Saturday before in March. The business meeting was closed, and announcements were made.

Kate Bergren, Kit Walsh, and Angela Ruggiero-Corliss led 62 as the closing song. Tim Eriksen offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairperson—Kate Bergren; Vice Chairperson—Kit Walsh; Secretary—Angela Ruggiero-Corliss