Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, October 18

The 33rd annual Oregon session of the Pacific Northwest Sacred Harp Convention was held at the Laurelhurst Club in Portland, Oregon, on the third Sunday and Saturday before in October. Ruth Linehan called the class to order leading 448b. Thom Fahrbach offered the morning prayer.

A business meeting was held and the following officers were elected: Chairperson—Ruth Linehan; Treasurer—Dorothy Mitchell; Secretary—Nancy Novotny. The 2025 Edition of The Sacred Harp was adopted as the book used for this Convention.

Leaders: Tamara Wallace 171; Jamie Dawson 183; Dorothy Mitchell 265; Kate Fine 318; Nell Whitman 230; Kate-Laurel Agnew 55; Laura McMurray 70b; Tyan Cherepuschak and Thom Fahrbach 133; Judah Dale 319; Dorothy Robinson 575.

RECESS

Julius Pasay led 32t to bring the class back together. Leaders: Mark Miller 463; Jeff Kellem and Kevin Barrans 452t; Hannah Thompson 59; Mischa Skeeter 448t; Troy Sherman 196; Juanita Heyerman 65; Jennifer Jones 381; Pat Coghlan 218; Greg Saue 497b; Ben Brown 142; Kate Fortin 300; Betsy Jeronen 531; Steve Tarr 324; Katie Mahoney 33b; Steve Cackley 124; Sarah McIntush 454.

RECESS

Kristofer Ilex led 29t to bring the class back together. Leaders: Jenna Tompkins 189; Michael Wan Lu 159; Silas Huckaby 328; Eric Byrd 282; Emma Swartz 478; Edouard Beaudry 562; Kate Coxon and Kate Kirwan 349; Kevin Barrans 523; Linda Selph 524; Ian Suchon 334; Sara Ng 198; Sam Ellenberger 57; Nancy Novotny 330b; David Wright 513; Katherine Manning 530; Peter Abrahamsen 163b; Kaia Wing 574; Paul Chamberlain 461 (for Noah Brubaker); Carolyn Deacy 257; Bob Schinske and Wren Hyde 475. Thom Fahrbach offered the noon prayer.

LUNCH

Sarah Berry led 30t to bring the class back together. Leaders: Dan Thoma 30b (in memory of Priscilla Strayer); Mark Godfrey 483; Pippa Stoddard 516; Jonas Powell 99; Deidra Montgomery 255; Irene Gilb 242; Andy Ditzler 476; Teresa Maguire 500; Bridge Hill Kennedy 546; Leigh Cooper 570; Peter Schinske 514; Kate Kirwan 411: Nadia Bolz-Weber 277; Kristofer Ilex 39b; David Brodeur 356; Julia Zaffarano 115; Julius Pasay 366; Wren Hyde 130; Gerry Hoffman 484t; Shawn Taylor 118; Porter Lontz-Underhill 264; Lindy Groening 184; Mike Chaffin 48b; Carrie Walker 544.

RECESS

Marie Brandis led 72b to bring the class back together. Leaders: Anne Huckins 27b; Deb Koch 148; Leah Coffin 332; Barbara Lehr 312b; Maggie Gammons 82t; Spencer Stuart, Edouard Beaudry, and Sarah Ng 308; Dorothy Mitchell 258; Brian How 114; Karen Willard 36t; Lucinda Larsen Saue 178t; Susan Helf and Manuel Lopez 313b; Eleanor Stevens 268; Ruth Linehan 367; Leland Ross and Peter Schinske 338; Douglas Hill 337.

Following closing remarks for the day, Chairperson Ruth Linehan led 36b as the closing song. Thom Fahrbach offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, October 19

The Sunday session of the Pacific Northwest Sacred Harp Convention was called to order by Ruth Linehan leading 171. Carrie Walker offered the morning prayer.

Leaders: Dorothy Robinson 33b; Emma Swartz 101t; Steve Tarr 539; Ian Kesling 35; Nancy Novotny 263; Steve Cackley 111b; Lucinda Larsen Saue 504; Mischa Skeeter 478; Betsy Jeronen 256; Jamie Dawson 275t; Dolan Dolan-Wolfe 222; Kate-Laurel Agnew 223; Nell Whitman 99 (for Cornelia Stanton); Peter Abrahamsen 159; Thom Fahrbach 323b; Juanita Heyerman 46.

RECESS

Edouard Beaudry led 59 to bring the class back together. Leaders: Jennifer Jones 527; Paul Chamberlain 468; Tamara Wallace 130; Deb Koch 354b; Spencer Stuart 547; Carrie Walker 520; Hannah Thompson 499b; Dan Thoma 78; Katie Mahoney 406; Helen Cepero 472; Bob Schinske 526; Leah Coffin 132; Dorothy Mitchell 515; Karen Willard 542 (for Kate Fine); Maggie Luthin 122.

RECESS

Anna Yuan and Kristofer Ilex led 32t to bring the class back together. Leaders: Ian Suchon 344; Linda Selph and David Wright 231; Gary Plouff 318; Carolyn Deacy 471; Pat Coghlan 272; Nadia Bolz Weber and Liz Gilbert 203; Peter Schinske 213b; Sarah McIntush and Silas Huckaby 58; Mark Godfrey 541; Julia Zaffarano 215.

Tamara Wallace spoke for the sick and housebound. She reflected on the symbolism of the hollow square and noted that we hold the sick and housebound within its space. Tamara and Mischa Skeeter then led 381 for the following sick and housebound: Jasper Kennedy, Greg Newby, B.R. Black, Katy Black, Graham Parman, Marc Walter, David Livingstone, Rebecca Winnick, Ann Bogard, Kelsey Taylor, Nate Green, Ed Thacker, Margaret Thacker, Margaret Keeton, Betty Shepherd, Joyce Walton, Noah Brubaker, Emilia Adams, Kate Fine, Mary Chaffin, Cornelia Stanton, Steve Read, Darrell Parker, Ernestine Parker, Rachel McClain, and Susan Helf.

Mischa Skeeter offered the memorial lesson. He spoke of the loss of members of his own family and noted that the anniversary of his mother’s death coincided with his being asked to do the memorial lesson. Mischa expressed his belief that when those we love pass away, although we don’t see them, they are not gone. He observed that the memorial lesson serves as a way to help us carry on. He recited the poetry of a hymn in the indigenous Creek language and noted how it fit the meter as well as the spirit of the shape note hymn, Idumea. Mischa and Tamara Wallace then led 47b in memory of the following: Priscilla Strayer, Corey Pearson, and Susan Smith—Oregon; Meleta Hoffstadt, Franz Wassermann, and Jabbara Edwards—Washington; Buell Cobb and Brian Thompson—Alabama; Mike Hinton—Texas; Peter Amidon—Vermont; Dan Phemayotin—New Jersey; Corrone Bryant—Maine and Florida. Carrie Walker offered a prayer for those who were named during the memorial lesson.

Leaders: Lindy Groening 216; Kate Fine 532; Troy Sherman 38b; Jenna Tompkins 420t. Carrie Walker offered the noon prayer.

LUNCH

Peter Schinske led 45t to bring the class back together. Leaders: Pippa Stoddard 157; David Brodeur 419; Marie Brandis 168; Deidra Montgomery 508; Kate Kirwan 377; Julius Pasay 500; Irene Gilb 367; Bridge Hill Kennedy 110; Andy Ditzler 161; Teresa Maguire 453; David Wright 442; Silas Huckaby and Sarah McIntush 129; Sam Ellenberger 536; Leigh Cooper 254; Kristofer Ilex 309; Katharine Manning 43; Mike Chaffin 487; Jonas Powell 395; Kaia Wing 433; Shawn Taylor 294; Gerry Hoffman and Brian How 315; Edouard Beaudry 320; Eric Byrd 445.

RECESS

Kate Kirwan led 345b to bring the class back together. Leaders: Wren Hyde 134; Porter Lontz-Underhill 516; Douglas Hill 329; Kate Fortin 384; Tyan Cherepuschak and Paul Chamberlain 79; Tom Hallaran 324; Sara Ng 436; Barbara Lehr 34b; Ruth Linehan 378b; Sarah Berry 86; Jeff Kellem and Emma Swartz 31t; Michael Wan Lu 288; Kevin Barrans 491; Greg Saue 531; Laura McMurray 73t; Walden Marcus and Ian Suchon 413; Gabriel Kastelle 484t; Hazel Briar 335.

The business meeting was reopened. A gift was presented to David Wright to thank him for his singing school presentation on Friday evening. Nancy Novotny, as Secretary, announced one hundred sixty registered singers from sixteen U.S. states, Canada, and the United Kingdom, as well as ninety-six leaders and one hundred eighty-five songs sung. Dorothy Mitchell, as Treasurer, announced that expenses had been met. The Resolutions Committee (Deidra Montgomery and Pippa Stoddard) offered thanks to all who contributed to a successful convention and resolved to meet again next year. The business meeting was closed. Announcements of upcoming singings were made.

Ruth Linehan led 62 as the closing song. Carrie Walker offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairperson—Ruth Linehan; Secretary—Nancy Novotny