Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, March 4

The 7th session of the Ireland Sacred Harp Singing Convention was called to order by Bryan Seale leading 171. Michael Walker offered the morning prayer.

Leaders: Kevin Kennedy 138t; Katie Ahern 39t; Ailish McMahon 39b; Joanna Bennett 512; Declan Barron 84; Lisa O’Grady 144; Ruth Clinton 37b; Michael Walker 207; Lily Power 31t; Brian Flanagan 57; Werner Ullah 49t; Cath Saunt 272; Catherine Roberts 203; Ella Cumber 492; Karen Turner 273; Florent Decherf 330t; Sarah West 215; Jill Thompson 504.

RECESS

Rob Wedgbury brought the class to order leading 89. Leaders: Vicki Elliott 29t; Stephanie Copenhaver 129; Nancy Novotny 182; Florine Vieilly-Éymard 122; Rebecca Over 192; Cornelia van den Doel 148; Camilla Marie Widholm 328; Geoff Grainger 503; Kate Kirwan 172; Julius Pasay 406; Eimear O’Donovan 488; Luke Sivertson 565; Midge Olsen 454; Dominik Fraune 296; Sinéad Hanrahan 68b; Cheri Neilson 33t; William Price 32t; Kevin Beirne 222; Ruth Linehan and Nick Fagerlund 440; Megan Holm 178.

RECESS

Dara Desmond called the class to order leading 30b. Leaders: Jon Giles 392; Dick Patterson and Barb Patterson 538; Gillie Campbell 66; Sophie Sawicka Sykes 335; Andy Ditzler and Anne Altringham 391; Frédéric Éymard 361; Jake Kiakahi 430; Eleanor Haase 352; Faiz Wareh 466; Alison Brown and Marjorie Brown 344; Elisabeth Schallwig 481; Aaron Kahn 95; Sam Kleinman 302; Caro Stamm-Reusch 367; Alex Dixon 77t; Ronan O’Donovan 276; Teresa Maguire 313t; Christina Schumann 228; Steve Brett 513; Evelyn Lamb 390; John Hughes 155; Sheila Girling Macadam 377; Elizabeth Stoddard 124; Ben Fink 240. Cath Saunt asked a blessing before the noon meal.

LUNCH

Sadhbh O’Flynn called the afternoon session to order leading 106. Leaders: Al McCready 227; Ted Mercer 216; Jen Coddrington 268; Fynn Titford-Mock 459; Elise delMas 532; Aldo Ceresa 475 (for Lucey Rose Karlsberg, Lauren Bock, and Jesse P. Karlsberg); Stephanie Fida 500; Eamonn O’Neill 250; Corrie Van Duzer 280 (for Catie Van Duzer); Janelle Draper and Kevin Bullock 324; Léopoldine Guillaume 128; Pattie Wareh 299; Joel Menk 149; Sam Carter 439; Karen Swenson 528; Rachel Jordan 318; Margaret Bradshaw 168; Alec Jenkins-White 269.

RECESS

Colleen Jones called the class to order leading 282. Leaders: Marco Wessnigk 289; Dorothy Robinson 456; David Schmitt 81t; Jessica Sligter 214; Tina Cramer 535; Jan Geerts 49b; Crispin Walker 567; Nancy Price 86; Boyan Pohl 314; Evelyn Saylor 70b; Steve Biggs 288; Ben Shirley 133; Emma Rock 372; Saara Pakarinen 351; Ellen Kennedy and Monique Mathieu 42; Jude O’Neill 107; Stefan Swat 271t, Áine Uí Cheallaigh 196.

Bryan Seale led 176t as the closing song. Chris Lyons dismissed the class with prayer.

Sunday, March 5

The Sunday session of the Ireland Sacred Harp Singing Convention was brought to order by Bryan Seale leading 28b. Emma Rock offered the morning prayer.

Leaders: Kevin Kennedy 283; Helen Peake 36b; Kate Kirwan and Michael Walker 138b; Áine Uí Cheallaigh and Katie Ahern 201; Hillevi Lasen and Camilla Marie Widholm 102; Joanna Bennett and Declan Barron 569b; Dara Desmond 501; Alison Brown and Marjorie Brown 566; Rebecca Over 225t; Mike Morrisroe 187; Vicki Elliott and Sarah West 76b; Caro Stamm-Reusch 114; Inga Hübner 193; Tom Greig 315; Emma Rock and Fynn Titford-Mock 131b; Barb Patterson and Dick Patterson 399t; Florent Decherf 460.

RECESS

Lisa O’Grady led 512 to call the class to order. Leaders: Steve Brett 343; Richard Mayers 294; Eimear Cradock 455; Cath Saunt and Cora Wareh 63 (for April Selley); Edwin Macadam 444; Ben Fink and Ben Shirley 191; Seth Dickens 287; Sandy Semeonoff 319; Margaret Bradshaw and Karen Turner 339; Piers Blewett 113; Ellen Kennedy 108b; Eimear O’Donovan and Mary Ryder 105; Theresa Hofmann 284; Gwendal Geleoc 421; Teresa Maguire 72b; Margo Lanagan 195; Sinéad Hanrahan 276.

RECESS

Colleen Jones brought the class to order leading 89. Leaders: Gideon Dresdner 335; Gordon Olsen and Paul Kolenbrander 547; Judy Van Duzer 173; Kate Coxon 548; Noëlle Copeland and Eamonn O’Neill 236; Kirk Boyes 313b; Monique Mathieu 209; David Brodeur and Peg Dunn 545; Eli Petzold 480; William Cleary and Paul Wyatt 30t; Nick Hall 515; Amanda Jokerst and Luke Sivertson 97; Joe Jones 48b.

Chris Lyons read the following names of the sick and housebound: Vera Parkes, Franz-Josef Fraune, Gravis Ballinger, John Helen, Allan Jones, Roy McGregor, David Sillito, Liliana Sillito, Eddie Francis, Ray Cotte-Meissel, Blake Weston, Cath Ingham, Toby Boyes, Mick O’Rorke, Gosia Perycz, Éinín McIlhenny, Chris Brown, Catriona Keogh, Armand Guillaume, Nigel Cumber, Silke Kunow-Koch, Winfred Kerr, June Eames, Brian Morrisroe, Peter Evans, David Gasi, Tanya Adamson, Sebastian Roskosch, Paula Mogensen, Kay Baumgartner, and Deborah.

He then read the following list of names of the deceased: Mary Kennedy, V Rev Victor Griffen, Robert Peel, Ruth Ridgeway, Aggie Houlihan, and Michael Goulding, Jr.—Ireland; Jack Lanagan—Australia; Mijo Divary—France; Ola Konecka—Poland; Kirsty Grainger—New Zealand; Terry Messner—Canada; Mary-Louise Lacombe, Doris Hammond, Jane Davies, Freda Chittock, Ruth Steggles, and Alex Elliott—England; Don Klein, Toney Smith, Lavoy Smith, Stephanie Wolf, Collette Miller, Herman Drews, David Muniz, April Selley, Janelle Davis, B.M. Smith, John Schaeffer, Earlis McGraw, Geneva Pritchard, Les Sontag, Johnny Lee, Delorese Lee, Dick Ray, Harry Lyn Huff, and Jeff Mitchell—USA.

Chris Lyons discussed the references to grief in the Bible, focusing on John 11:35, and offered his thoughts on the support and protection offered to those grieving. He led 448b.

Leaders: Tarik Wareh 534; Laura Hodges 292; Steve Luttinen 445; Carol Huang 419; Robert Stoddard 179.

Grace before lunch was offered by Marjorie Brown.

LUNCH

Amanda Parkes and Thomas Parkes called the class to order leading 217. Leaders: Jonathon Smith 426b; Nathan Berry 345b; Ben Copenhaver 572; New York City Singers and Al McCready 192; David Brodeur and Andy Ditzler 383; Eleanor Haase 142; Ted Mercer 353; Sheila Girling Macadam and Edwin Macadam 198; Nancy Price and William Price 300; Evelyn Lamb 368; Kevin Beirne 428; Midge Olsen 218; Colorado Singers 522; Janelle Draper and Kevin Bullock 362; Alex Dixon, Beth Dixon, and Sebastian Dixon 274t; Karen Swenson 200; Alec Jenkins-White and Miriam Delirium 505; Wareh family 80t; Rachel Jordan and Nick Hall 474; Joel Menk 123t; Megan Holm and Elise delMas 270; Jake Kiakahi 401.

RECESS

Rob Wedgbury led 82t to bring the class back together. Leaders: Ben Copenhaver and Stephanie Copenhaver 408; Elizabeth Stoddard and Robert Stoddard 556; Kate Coxon and Chris Lyons 146; Amanda Jokerst 447; Ruth Linehan 564; Evelyn Saylor and Marco Wessnigk 495; Al McCready 153; Corrie Van Duzer and Judy Van Duzer 112; Dorothy Robinson and Nancy Novotny 396; Sadhbh O’Flynn and Nathan Berry 425; Aaron Kahn and Alexia Yver 448t; Saara Pakarinen 68t; Steve Luttinen and Paul Wyatt 330b; Jessica Sligter 285t; Laura Hodges 477; Melissa Kelley 336; Noëlle Copeland 528; Jonathon Smith 472.

Bryan Seale made closing announcements, during which he thanked all those involved in organizing the weekend, and gave special thanks to the many singers who had travelled for the singing. Katie Ahern gave the Secretary’s report and stated 202 songs had been sung in total (103 on Saturday, and 99 on Sunday) by 244 (?) registered singers. Seventeen countries were represented (Australia, Cambodia, Canada, England, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States of America). Twenty US States were represented (Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and Washington). Sinéad Hanrahan gave the Treasurer’s report during which she stated that all expenses had been met, and thanked everyone for their generosity.

Bryan Seale led 62 as the closing song. Kevin Bullock offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Bryan Seale; Vice Chairman—Kevin Kennedy; Secretary—Katie Ahern