Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, May 24

The 10th annual Germany Convention was held in the building of the Anthroposophische Gesellschaft, Freiligrathstraße, Bremen, Germany, on the fourth Sunday and Saturday before in May. The class was called to order by Fynn Titford-Mock leading 47t. Peter Kocher offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Ulla Schlobohm 171; Corinna Peters 37b; Paul Kolenbrander 39t; Marcos Sullivan 272; Chloe Spreadborough 38t; Jaro Spörhase 268; Daniel Wippermann 278t; Elmar Wigand 82t; Walburga Ruhl 405; Jasmina Graf 332; Constantin Dorsch 123b; Victor Maria Diderich 163t; Nathan Bontrager 42; Ursula Diderich 148; David Marnuse 430.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Ulrike Tietjen leading 29t. Leaders: Johannes Sauer 390; Eleni Melis 300; Hauke Grünefeld 106; Johannes Kunst 142; Elze Hamilton 501; Luis Aue 56b; Baker Wardlaw 186; Juliet McFadden 284; Susanne Rolli 235; Sebastian Borckenhagen 38b; James Roche 556; Mara McPartland 528; Graham Ball 102; Sara Hellström 187; George Harvey 201; Melanie Tönnies 183.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Harald Grundner leading 73t. Leaders: Werner Ullah 49t; Ellen Kennedy 338; James McNeill and Hauke Grünefeld 47b; Richard Ogden 472; Machna Nowak 497; Elisabeth Schallwig 228; Gerben Vos 182; Jasmina Graf and Rike Fischer 68b; Petra Ertl 189; Ewa Lichnerowicz 475; Tina Cramer 89; Peter Kocher 377; Laura Eisen 103; Caro Stamm-Reusch 225t; Chris Geissler 500. Dominik Fraune offered the prayer before the lunchtime meal.

LUNCH

The class was called back to order by Dominik Fraune leading 74b. Leaders: Eloise Clarke 422; Kristofer Ilex 426t; Joshua Lant 517; Sheila Girling Macadam 564; Chris Noren and Hannah Land 534; Michael Walker 170; Esther Morgan-Ellis 198; John Bealle 543; Edwin Macadam 550; Fynn Titford-Mock 327; Lily Hammond 455; Hannah Land 532; Caro Stamm-Reusch 548; Chris Geissler 297; Peter Kocher 196; Laura Eisen 101b; Gerben Vos 40; Elisabeth Schallwig 411.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Anne Eringa leading 32t. Leaders: Chloe Spreadborough 372; Hyke Sakaras 551; Nathan Bontrager 59; Werner Ullah 448b; Johannes Sauer 344; Edwin Macadam and Sheila Macadam 236; Michael Walker 213t; Kristofer Ilex 83b; Esther Morgan-Ellis 313b; Lily Hammond 547; Joshua Lant 30b. Fynn Titford-Mock led 308 as the closing song. Mara McPartland offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, May 25

The Sunday session of the Germany Convention met again in the building of the Anthroposophische Gesellschaft, Bremen. The class was called to order by Fynn Titford-Mock leading 33b. Wail Qasim offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Ulla Schlobohm 77b; Rike Fischer 74b; Jasmina Graf 181; Corinna Peters 277; James McNeill and Hauke Grünefeld 209; Rahel Hunter 89; Elmar Wigand 159; Melanie Tönnies 504; Victor Maria Diderich 38t; Paul Kolenbrander 299; George Harvey 538; Elisabeth Schallwig 176t; Walburga Ruhl 476; Daniel Wippermann 365; Hauke Grünefeld 282.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Corinna Peters leading 29t. Leaders: Ursula and Victor Maria Diderich 168; Graham Ball 376; Sebastian Borckenhagen 81t; Juliet McFadden 335; Kostas Mavreas 312b; Luis Aue 410t; Sara Hellström 224; Baker Wardlaw 114; Melanie Prescott and Jasmina Graf 56b; David Marnuse 448t; Ellen Kennedy 30t; Petra Ertl 110; Kristofer Ilex 406; Caro Stamm-Reusch 459; Tina Cramer 426b; Richard Ogden and Hannah Land 131b; Ewa Lichnerowicz 191.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Dominik Fraune leading 319. Leaders: Johannnes Sauer 192; Magdalena Osthaus 121; Susanne Rolli 318; Machna Nowak 481; Werner Ullah 503; John Bealle 536; Laura Eisen 425; Fynn Titford-Mock 531.

Caro Stamm-Reusch gave the lesson for the sick and housebound. The following names were read: Ulla Köster, Cäcilia Mann, Rojana Wings, Tobias Saalmann, Seth Dickens, Adam Barnes, Eddie Roche, Mike Lenine, Thomas Krebs, Dan Phemayotin, Eva Puhm. Caro led 313t in honor of the sick and housebound.

Graham Ball gave the memorial lesson for the deceased. The following list of names was read aloud: Buell Cobb, Volker Tietjen, Bernard Collard, Steve Biggs, Rob Mahoney, Chloe Webb, Jabbara Edwards, Reed Schilbach, Corrone Bryant, Ruthanne Bryant, Lorene Jackson, Lian Spaninks-Postelmans, Zareer Mabani, Peter Polish, Dinos Nearchov, Peter Child, Dingo Dinkleman, Olive Gibson, Neill Thompson, Lothar Ruhl. Graham led 122 in memory of the deceased.

Leaders: Eloise Clarke 48t; Chris Noren 523; Michael Walker 131t; Esther Morgan-Ellis 377; Hannah Land 436. Gerben Vos offered the prayer before the lunchtime meal.

LUNCH

The class was called back to order by Ulrike Tietjen leading 108b. Leaders: Gerben Vos 383; Chris Geissler 280; John Bealle 34t; Ewa Lichnerowicz 180; Joshua Lant 424; Hannah Land 454; Michael Walker 460; Eloise Clarke 569t; Chris Noren 263; Machna Nowak 48b; Lily Hammond 53; Susanne Rolli 99; Richard Ogden and Chris Noren 49b; Rahel Hunter 162; Fynn Titford-Mock 396; Jasmina Graf 522; Tina Cramer 444.

RECESS

The class was called back to order by Jasmina Graf leading 133. Leaders: Petra Ertl 426t; Kostas Mavreas 71; Sebastian May and Rike Fischer 29b; Walburga Ruhl 404; Melanie Tönnies 480; Hauke Grünefeld 457; Ursula Diderich 143; David Marnuse 210; Magdalena Osthaus 101b; Peter Kocher 35; Ellen Kennedy 101t; Sara Hellström 141; Juliet McFadden 28t; Dominik Fraune 445; Graham Ball 203; Corinna Peters 505.

Fynn Titford-Mock 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. Rike Fischer 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 ninety registered singers coming from eleven different countries, singing one hundred and sixty seven songs in total. The 11th Germany Convention will be held in 2026 in Berlin, Germany.

Fynn Titford-Mock and Petra Ertl led 521 as the closing song. Peter Kocher offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chair—Fynn Titford-Mock; Vice Chair—Jasmina Graf; Secretary—Paul Kolenbrander