Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, April 5

The Saturday session of the 34th annual Potomac River Convention met at Church of the Ascension, Silver Spring, Maryland, on the first Saturday in April. Song selections were from The Sacred Harp, 1991 Edition, and The Shenandoah Harmony. The class was called to order by Alexa Silverman leading 315. In a business meeting, the following officers were elected or appointed to serve: Chair—David Shulman; Vice Chair—Jonathan Een Newton; Treasurer—Lucas Husted; Secretary—Nina Burris; Chaplain—Thomas Ward. Thomas Ward offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: David Shulman 34b; Nina Burris 106; Lucas Husted 227; Don Fahey 228; Kelly Hughes 503; Jim Glaser 160b; Clare Chapin 86; Topher Lawton 172; Minh Nguyen 118; Julia Seidenstein 59; Jim Strube 236; Emily Hancock 47b; Joni Seidenstein 203; Frank McBride and David Shulman 117; Kevin Isaac Slaughter and River Irons 347; Brenda Dunlap 411; Sadhbh O’Flynn 272; Richard Green 198.

RECESS

Kyle Johnston led 65t (ShH) to bring the class back together. Leaders: Kelly Macklin 172 (ShH); Thomas Ward 326t (ShH); Barbara Barry 76b (ShH); Tom Ivey 348b (ShH); Mary Helen Dupree 266 (ShH); Adrian Mariano 402 (ShH); Corinne Ducey 3b (ShH); Landon Peer 45 (ShH); Nora Miller 330b (ShH); John del Re 7t (ShH); Abby Beavin 292 (ShH); Cheri Neilson 322 (ShH); Bridget Jamison 96b (ShH); Sonja Reid and Alexa Silverman 12b (ShH); Liz Meitzler Guevara 243 (ShH); Josh Barnett 241t (ShH). Thomas Ward offered the lunch blessing.

LUNCH

Tom Ivey led 425 to bring the class back together. Leaders: Matt Ference 335; Adrienne Robertson 196; John Alexander 317; Rivon Shaneyfelt and Lucas Husted 344; Alice Noyes 114; Meaghan Kachadoorian 385b; Richard Vinson 183; Judy Getrich 312b; Kathy Manning 43; Robin Betz 178; Jonathan Een Newton 274t; Liz Meitzler-Guevara 77t; Kyle Johnston 454; Cheri Neilson 444; Nora Miller 440; Bridget Jamison 105; Landon Peer 426t; Leyland del Re 280; Abby Beavin 337.

RECESS

Niamh Ducey and Julia Seidenstein led 147 (ShH) to bring the class back together. Leaders: David Shulman 107 (ShH); Joshua Barnett 184 (ShH); Kelly Macklin 358 (ShH); Joni Seidenstein 242 (ShH); Emily Hancock 235 (ShH); John del Re 93 (ShH); Clare Chapin 5t (ShH); Don Fahey 260b (ShH); Meaghan Kachadoorian 278 (ShH); Alice Noyes 80 (ShH); Barbara Barry 254 (ShH); River Irons and Thomas Ward 101 (ShH); John Alexander 404t (ShH); Adrienne Robertson 60b (ShH); Richard Vinson 124 (ShH); Matt Ference 118 (ShH); Jim Glaser 420b (ShH); Kevin Isaac Slaughter, Kelly Hughes, and Topher Lawton 129t (ShH); Richard Green, Kathy Manning, and Adrian Mariano 423 (ShH); Peter Pate 352 (ShH). Announcements were made. The DC Singers (Brenda Dunlap, Mary Helen Dupree, Lucas Husted, Alexa Silverman, Frank McBride, Sonja Reid, and Nina Burris) led 105 (ShH) as the closing song. Thomas Ward offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, April 6

The Sunday session of the 34th annual Potomac River Convention met at Lacey Woods Park, Arlington, Virginia, on Sunday after the first Saturday in April. Song selections were from The Sacred Harp, 1991 Edition, and The Shenandoah Harmony. The class was called to order by David Shulman leading 49t. Thomas Ward offered the opening prayer. Leaders: Don Fahey 89; Nora Miller 545; Jonathan Een Newton 82t; Matt Ference 209; Kelly Macklin 82b; Kathy Manning 309; Thomas Ward 100; Nina Burris 362; Minh Nguyen 179; Susan Green 35; John Morriberón 63; Emily Altman 479; Kevin Isaac Slaughter 340; Bridget Jamison 378b; Jim Strube 34b; Kelly Hughes 276; John Alexander 102; Tom Ivey 368.

RECESS

Alexa Silverman led 420t (ShH) to bring the class back together. Leaders: John del Re 431 (ShH); Debbie Barford 313 (ShH); Steven Sabol 15 (ShH); Brenda Dunlap 61 (ShH); Richard Vinson 140b (ShH); Liz Meitzler Guevara 326b (ShH); Sadhbh O’Flynn 4t (ShH); Cheri Neilson 17 (ShH); Adrian Mariano 414b (ShH); Mary Helen Dupree 285 (ShH); Julia Seidenstein 125 (ShH); Richard Green 424t (ShH); Miriam Delirium 270 (ShH); Jim Glaser 316b (ShH); Joni Seidenstein 254 (ShH); Lucas Husted 416 (ShH); Emily Altman 276t (ShH); Jim Strube 1b (ShH); Bridget Jamison 231 (ShH); Matt Ference 2 (ShH); Julia Seidenstein 417 (ShH). Kelly Macklin conducted the memorial lesson, connecting our practice of speaking the names of the deceased to thousands of years of tradition. Kelly Macklin led 364t (ShH). Thomas Ward offered the lunch blessing.

LUNCH

John Morriberón led 373 to bring the class back together. Leaders: David Shulman 501; Jim Brady and Mary Brady 77t; Mona Lewandowski 122; Sadhbh O’Flynn 394; Abby Beavin 123t; Lucas Husted 543; Liz Meitzler Guevara 512; David Barford 168; Mary Helen Dupree 232; Steven Sabol 297; Adrian Mariano 296; Kathy Manning 189; Samuel Singleton Freeman 299; Joni Seidenstein 269; John Morriberón 178; Debbie Bamford 142; Richard Green and Susan Green 99; Miriam Delirium 70b; Jonathan Een Newton 176t; Nora Miller 312t; Jim Strube 155; Nina Burris 151; Tom Ivey 349; John del Re 230.

RECESS

Abby Beavin led 152 (ShH) to bring the class back together. Leaders: Cheri Neilson 151 (ShH); Kevin Isaac Slaughter 79 (ShH); Meaghan Kachadoorian 218t (ShH); Richard Vinson 105 (ShH); Thomas Ward 408t (ShH); Sadhbh O’Flynn 76t (ShH); Emily Altman 300t (ShH); Kelly Macklin 167 (ShH); Kelly Hughes 424t (ShH); Singers from Virginia-Outside Beltway (Joni Seidenstein, Julia Seidenstein, Adrian Mariano, and Richard Vinson) 132 (ShH); Singers from Maryland (Kevin Isaac Slaughter, David Shulman, Thomas Ward, Nora Miller, Jonathan Een Newton, and Kelly Hughes) 422 (ShH); Tom Ivey, Meaghan Kachadoorian, and Miriam Delirium 112 (ShH); Singers from Virginia (Kelly Macklin, John del Re, Abby Beavin, Liz Meitzler Guevara, and Cheri Neilson) and Singers from Virginia-Inside Beltway (Kathy Manning, Richard Green, Susan Green, Gillie Campbell, Jim Strube) 48 (ShH); Minh Nguyen and Sadhbh O’Flynn 403 (ShH); Singers from DC 260t (ShH).

A business meeting was held in order to hear reports from various committees. Lucas Husted reported for the Finance Committee that expenses were met. David Shulman reported that the Potomac River Convention would meet again on the second Saturday of April and the Sunday after in 2026. The meeting was closed. Announcements were made.

David Shulman invited Potomac River Convention officers and volunteers to join him in leading 296 (ShH) as the closing song. Thomas Ward offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chair—David Shulman; Vice Chair—Jonathan Een Newton; Treasurer—Lucas Husted; Chaplain—Thomas Ward; Secretary—Nina Burris