Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, March 12

The 13th annual Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Convention was called to order by Linda Shea leading 101t. Tim Eriksen offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Christine Andrews 131b; Caitlin Caulfield 312b; Kelsey Wessels 47t; Cheri Hardy 159; Allison Steele 30b; Matthew Small 198; Gwen Gethner 113; Mary Andrews 300; Larry Bingham 47b; Emily Hale-Sills 148; Jer Galvagni 168; Aubrey Hawke 146; Mary Skidmore 448t; Michael Kaye 501; Martha Rogers 270; Pat Callahan 413; George Pomfret 183; Sheila Kelley 216; Ben Sachs-Hamilton 344; Carol Hwang 457; Ian Smiley 129.

RECESS

Emma Rose Brown called the class back to order leading 56t. Leaders: Sally Langendorf 106; Charles Cofone 35; Al McCready 178; Joanne Fuller 179; Laura Keeler 481; Ian Quinn 542; Gabriel Kastelle 573; Bill Holt 172; Charlotte Ehrman 365; Bethany Towne 433; Amy Finlay 440; Bill Schultz 66; Becky Wright, Mel Novner, and Sam Kleinman 500; Ines Lüttgen 419; Riley Skinner, Leah Dagan, and Lauren Hamilton 86; Myles Dakan 271t; Deidra Montgomery and Alvaro Duarte 276; Christoph Wesolowski 143; Elizabeth Stoddard and Robert Stoddard 522; Susan Loucks 497; John Redman 236.

The following officers and committee members were elected or appointed to serve: Chairman—Linda Shea; Vice Chairman—Christine Andrews; Secretary—Caitlin Caulfield; Finance Committee—John Holbrook; Resolutions Committee—Emma Rose Brown and Alvaro Duarte; Memorial Committee—Jean Seiler and Kara Morin.

RECESS

Magdalena Zapedowska Eriksen called the class back together leading 72b. Leaders: Peter Golden 436; Margaret Bornick 486; Emily Hancock 556; Kathy Collett 84; Nora Dunn and Carly Goss 207; Sarah Galper 454; Daniel Hunter 104; Sheldon Finlay 112; Gillie Campbell 99; Guy Bankes 193; Jon Giles 512; Betsy Maislen 268; John Holbrook and the Finance Committee 475; Ames Bielenberg 452; Will Rowan 504; Leland Kusmer 56b; Natalie Jablonski 411; Sonia Chin 187; James Ulriek 551; Jeff Gauthier 536; Suzan Greenberg 442; Leonard Spencer 254. Anna Maria Irvine and Peter Irvine led 335 for the Children’s Lesson. Tim Eriksen offered the blessing for the noon meal.

LUNCH

Jan Erik Steele brought the class to order for the afternoon session leading 274t. Leaders: Jennie Brown 426b; Scott Ivey 215; Cathy Tucker 192; Richard Ivey and Kelsey Sunderland 298; Laura Clawson 224; Jonathon Smith 189; Kevin Griffin Moreno and Harry Scott 228; Claire Singleton 273; Tom Malone 550; Henry Johnson 96; Jean Seiler 472; Rachel Speer and Dean Jens 174; Blake Sisemore 528; Anne Heider 384; Paul Setford 40; Chase Arevalo 492; Barbara Swetman 217; Gaston White 155; Kate Richardson and Paula Picton 383; Chris Holley 160b; Justin Levi 558; Lucy O’Leary 329; James Baumgartner 29t; Leon Pulsinelle 182; Laura Borrelli 67; Ryan Young 372.

RECESS

Laura Timmerman led 111t to call the class back together. Leaders: Joanna Lampert 353; Kelly House and Dana Borrelli 503; Eli Hetko 82t; Jerusha Wheeler 107; Tim Eriksen and Eliza Cavanaugh 328; Liz Cantrell and Yael Tarshish 203; Corey Walters 31t; Anne Kazlauskas 453; Terry Ryan 142; Cristin McMurray 299; Ron Bornick 313b; Kshama Ananthapura and Kelly Taylor 76b; Brian Collett 474; Maggie Shar and Molly Merrett 95; Corrone Bryant 73b; Dan Adams 73t; Paul Butler and Dan Hertzler 480; Andy Jonathan Johnston 294; Ben Vincent 456; Mary Gowins and Michael Nord 205.

Matt Wojcik, Rosie Wojcik, and Caroline Wojcik led 532 as the closing song. Tim Eriksen offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Sunday, March 13

The Sunday session of the Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Convention was called to order by Linda Shea leading 448b. The morning prayer was offered by Blake Sisemore.

Leaders: Christine Andrews and Caitlin Caulfield 108b; Maggie Shar 276; Don Herrold 49t; Jennie Brown 36b; Cassia Hawke 440; Kshama Ananthapura 421; Dan Adams 89; Michael Nord 111b; Anne Krikorian and Nicole Singer 53; Paul Butler 28t; Emma Rose Brown 300; Mary Andrews 457; Lucy O’Leary and Rachel O’Leary 39t; Gwen Gethner and Emily Hale-Sills 84; Sylvia Martin 480; Ian Quinn 149; Mary Gowins 228; Kelly Taylor 142; Paula Picton 148.

RECESS

Matthew Small called the class back to order leading 81t. Leaders: Kate Richardson 361; Bill Dunn 339; Leland Kusmer and Ames Bielenberg 245; Cristin McMurray 284; Laura Borrelli 67; Rachel Speer 466; Eli Hetko 186; Kitty Kagay 180; Chase Arevalo 493; Cathy Tucker 350; Jim Bean 178; Mary Jo Shafer 335; John Holbrook and the Finance Committee 38t; Cheri Hardy 472; Kevin Griffin Moreno 218; Liz Cantrell 318; Alvaro Duarte 296; Stephanie Fida 179; Sam Kleinman 230; Jerusha Wheeler 269; Kelsey Sunderland 569t; Leonard Spencer 260.

RECESS

Sheila Kelley brought the class back together leading 49b. Leaders: Anne Heider 455; Leon Pulsinelle 506; Liz Meitzler 55; Molly Merrett 410t; Andy Jonathan Johnston 285t; Jer Galvagni 547; Gillie Campbell 66; Charlotte Ehrman 157.

Jean Seiler spoke about how the hollow square gives us the community in which we can keep our loved ones alive through song and memory. She led 499 in honor of the following deceased: Myrtle Wootten—Alabama; Joseph Albert Tennes, Sandra Ogren, Paul Ogren—California; Jeanette McCready, Phyllis Bruce—Connecticut; Jerry Enright—Illinois; Iswar Ananthapura—India; Bob Meek—Kentucky; Barbara Swain—Maryland; Joanne Bowman, Peter Gomes, Jill Mercer, George McGray, Avery Anderson, Robert Seydel, Linda Fuller Bedard, Paul Emmanuell, Bob Saline, Anthony Brescia-Conley, Betty Williams, Elizabeth Sandra Parriot, Victoria Bolles—Massachusetts; Clifford Eriksen—New Hampshire; Margoleath Berman—New Jersey; Judith Socolon, David Bornick, Robert Bielenberg, George Seiler, Ted Smith, Maier Lloyd, Hazard Gillespie—New York; Jeff Wokoun—Ohio; Margaret Fatula, Caroline Cosline, Wilma Kilian—Pennsylvania; Leon Slatko—Texas; Margaret Wheeler—United Kingdom; Travis Richmond, Jeff Galper—Vermont.

Kara Morin led 418 in honor of the following sick and shut-ins: Bud Oliver, John Grant, Sheila Fosdick, Lonnie Rogers, Terri Morris, Tom Babbin, Wallen Bean, Julie Holbrook, Bernie LaForrest, Marina Winquist, Gina Balestracci, Pearl Klappert, Shirley Basch, Jessy, Corbin, Greg Twain, Cecile Cyr, Joanne DeVoe, Nancy Davis, and Dan Hertzler. Blake Sisemore closed the memorial lesson with a prayer.

Leaders: Allison Steele and Jan Erik Steele 347; Elizabeth Stoddard 283; Margaret Bornick and Ron Bornick 454; Lynne deBenedette and Kelsey Wessels 77t; Henry Johnson 326. Blake Sisemore offered the blessing for the noon meal.

LUNCH

Deidra Montgomery led 145t to call the class back to order for the afternoon session. Leaders: Dana Borrelli 87; Sonia Chin 220; Robert Stoddard 422; Rachel Stevens 385t; Becky Wright 397; Willis McCumber 444; Susan Setford and Matthew Wojcik 384; Dan Hunter and Bethany Towne 188; Terry Ryan 240; Nora Dunn 564; Eliza Cavanaugh 277; Tim Eriksen 236; Richard Ivey, Scott Ivey, and Blake Sisemore 411; Peter Golden 310; Anne Kazlauskas 447; Carol Hwang 272; Yael Tarshish and Suzan Greenberg 505; Ines Lüttgen 286; Paul Gauthier 428; Emily Hancock and Chris Holley 99; Laura Timmerman 323t; Peter Irvine and Anna Maria Irvine 460; Kelly House 68b; Corrone Bryant 479.

RECESS

Allison Steele and Sally Langendorf brought the class back to order leading 274t. Leaders: Carly Goss 57; Susan Williams 282; Claire Singleton 63; Jenny Wright 191; Lydia Vernon-Jones and Barbara Swetman 125; Eitan Prouser 268; Ben Sachs-Hamilton 71; Cindy Bean and Nate Bean 163b; Mason Gohl 500; Mel Novner and Rhys McGovern 163t; Al McCready 452; Myles Dakan and Guy Bankes 147b; Ian Smiley 33b; Jeff Gauthier 124; John Redman 532; Paul Setford 105; Dean Jens 225t; Lynne deBenedette and Laura Clawson 426b.

A business meeting was held to hear reports from the various committees. John Holbrook submitted the Finance Committee report, declaring that all expenses had been met. Caitlin Caulfield submitted the Secretary’s Report, announcing that 220 songs had been led and that 390 singers had registered from sixteen states and two foreign countries. Emma Rose Brown and Alvaro Duarte submitted the Resolutions Committee Report, thanking God for the weekend of singing and fellowship, the Northampton Center for the Arts, WMSHC, the officers, committees, and everyone who made the convention possible. The committee resolved to reconvene for the 14th annual session in March, 2012. The business meeting was concluded.

Linda Shea, Christine Andrews, and Caitlin Caulfield led 62 as the closing song. Blake Sisemore offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Linda Shea; Vice Chairman—Christine Andrews; Secretary—Caitlin Caulfield