Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, March 11

The fifteenth annual Missouri State Sacred Harp Singing Convention was called to order at 10:15 a.m. at St. John’s United Church of Christ by Chairman Bill Ellason leading song on page 59. Charlie Derleth offered the morning prayer.

Convention officers were: Chairman—Bill Ellason; Vice Chairperson—Barbara Uhlemann; Secretary—Rebecca Browne; Memorial Committee—Teenie Moody, Dean Slaton, and Karen Isbell.

Leaders: Barbara Uhlemann 474; Charlie Derleth 348b; Pattie Doss 171; Presley Barker 324; Jo Dell Albi 32 (t? b?); Dave Ressler 203; Karen Isbell 313t; Peggy Brayfield 344; Charles Scudder 163b; Don Bowen 99; Jeanette Lowry 270b; Jon Giles 298; Felton Denney 73t; Syd Caldwell 475; James Page 505; Jenny Willard 318; Dan Gibbons “Wings of Song”.

RECESS

Bill Ellason called the class to order leading song on page 82 (t? b?). Leaders: Ted Johnson 89; Susan Green 523; Jimmie Denney 186; Jim Solheim “Dragon”; Jerry Enright 16 (MH); Judy Hauff 20 (MH); Lou Cotney 218; John Bayer 53; Jan Ketelle 304; Karen Freund 278t. Bill Ellason asked the blessing.

LUNCH

Bill Ellason brought the afternoon session to order leading song on page 40. Leaders: Gary Gronau 222; Floy Wilder 430; Dennis Corcoran 40 (MH); Teenie Moody and Tom McGraw 268; Dean Slaton 38 (MH); Sandra Jordan 59; Val Dunagan 472; Connie Karduck 498; Regina Bayer 454; Marcia Johnson 196; William Shetter 441; Everette Denney 347; Ted Mercer 419; Julie Vea 315; Mike Veech 277; Tommy McGraw 383; Matt Wells 389; Melanie Hauff 216; Pearl Guier 448b; John Bailey 137.

RECESS

Rebecca Browne brought the class to order leading song on page 299. Leaders: Lorraine Bayer, Hans Bayer, and Jubal Bayer 179; Dan Brittain 399 (t? b?); Mary Smith 434; Charles Wells 47b; Nate Green and Norma Green 120; Betty Wright 569b; Dick Dunagan 271t; Philip Denney 155; Jacob Affolter 436; Syd Caldwell, Dan Brittain, Bill Caldwell, and Mary Ellen Wilkerson 146; Susan Green 217; Bob Borcherding 300.

RECESS

Jon Giles called the class back to order leading song on page 108t. Leaders: Everette Denney 405; Matt Wells 29t; Charles Scudder 286; Jerry Enright 542; Peggy Brayfield 385t; JoDell Albi 214; Jan Ketelle 13 (MH); John Bayer 417; Connie Karduck 385b; Dennis Corcoran 66; Jenny Willard 36b; Julie Vea 327. The class was dismissed with prayer.

Sunday, March 12

Chairman Bill Ellason brought the convention to order at 9:30 a.m. leading song on page 68b. Charles Wells led the morning prayer.

Leaders: Karen Isbell 142; Pattie Doss 411; Charles Derleth 36b; Barbara Uhlemann 40; Dave Ressler 440; Jim Solheim 372; Presley Barker 54; Luke Barker 324; Dan Gibbons 466; Peggy Brayfield 556; Felton Denney 503; Loraine Bayer 133; Mary Smith 276; Ted Mercer 240; Lila Leyland 479; John Ramsey 288; Dan Brittain 355; Marcia Johnson 283.

RECESS

Bill Ellason brought the class to order leading song on page 63. Leaders: Mike Veech 497; John Bailey 145b; Mary Ellen Wilkerson, Syd Caldwell, and Bill Caldwell 124; John Shetter 195; Penny Kujawinski 313b; Melanie Hauff 52 (MH); Betty Wright 323b; Philip Denney 120; Wendy Hofmann 86; Teenie Moody 430; Ted Johnson 447.

RECESS

Bill Ellason led song on page 37b to call the class together. Leaders: Syd Caldwell 442 (for Amanda Dean and Mary Gardner); Regina Bayer 197; Charles Wells 386; Connie Karduck 548; John Bayer 567; Karen Freund 566; Don Bowen 34 (MH) (for Judy Mincey); Pearl Guier 49t; Jimmie Denney 101t; Dean Slaton 362; Tommy McGraw 317; Judy Hauff 481; Josephine Denney 147t; Jerry Enright and Felton Denney 77t.

LUNCH

Chairman Bill Ellason called the afternoon session together leading song on page 346. Leaders: Matt Wells 480; Jan Ketelle 297; Nate Green and Norma Green 99; Philip Denney 120; Lou Cotney 189; James Page 27 (MH); Floy Wilder 183; Jon Giles 404; Everette Denney 335; Julie Vea 444.

Teenie Moody conducted the memorial lesson. “We remember ancestors, those who started the tradition. There are several empty chairs each year, and each deserves our sadness and respect. There is a time for all things. Fifty years ago, we sang all the time. We had no choice, we sang because our parents did. We didn’t always enjoy it before, because as children you had to. I said if I ever get away from Sacred Harp, I’d never come back. When I married, I realized Sacred Harp was what I wanted. I gave my children a choice, but the older you get, the more you realize how precious Sacred Harp is, and appreciate the gift that was given. All the others are gone, and how can we fill their shoes?”

Dean Slaton commented on how he had been singing for fifteen years for the sick and shut-ins, and that he knows that a lot of people have been helped because we have remembered them through our songs. Those remembered today include: Art Berg, Patty Weiss, and Bob Scorgie—Wisconsin; Beau Caldwell and Myrtis Smith- Arkansas; Jack Corley, Mozelle Sheppard, Verdie Touchstone, and I.V. McWhorter—Georgia; Alcie Craig—Texas; Daniel Davis—Nebraska; Lorene Fraembs and Karen Hojnacki—Illinois; Maxine Gilbert—Nevada; Laura Hearne and George Rock—Missouri; Rosa Hughes, Lawrence Underwood, Lula Underwood, and Virgil Phillips—Alabama; Dolores Kaatz—New York; Philip Page, Jr.—New Jersey. Dean Slaton led song on page 216 for the sick.

Karen Isbell read the deceased list, and then led song on page 348b for the following deceased: Roy Avery—Alabama; Ed Craig and Jack Page—Texas; Dolores Doss, Fred Potrue, and Bob Moran—Illinois; Lannis Groft—Nebraska; Margaret Hensley, Esther Rottmann, Marie Stone, Barbara Scudder, and Helen Kelly—Missouri; Dollie Hudgins—Georgia; Don Jolly and Patrick Waddell—California; Lonnie Napier—Florida; Cindy Shely—Kansas. Mary Smith closed the memorial lesson with prayer.

Leaders: Rebecca Browne 74b; Jenny Willard 302; Wendy Hoffman 360; Jim Solheim 56 (MH).

RECESS

Bill Ellason called the class to order leading song on page 47t. Leaders: Karen Isbell 20 (MH); Jeanette Lowry 475; Tommy McGraw and Mary Smith 373; Karen Freund 42; Gary Gronau 269; Philip Denney 358; Marcia Johnson 434; Mike Veech 228; Judy Hauff 504; Teenie Moody 391; Ted Johnson 485; Melanie Hauff 536; Ruth Brown 63.

Rebecca Browne closed the convention with prayer, and all who wished took the parting hand.

Chairman—Bill Ellason; Vice Chairperson—Barbara Uhlemann; Secretary—Rebecca Browne.