Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, September 17

The 25th session of the United Kingdom Sacred Harp Convention was held at Blackburn Hall in Rothwell, United Kingdom, on the third Sunday and Saturday before in September. Richard Mayers called the class to order, leading 102.

Leaders: Emily Verrier 171; Hannah Land 63; Helen Brown 492; Joe Vickers 31b; Vicki Elliot 29t; Tom Sprackland 173; Sarah West 65; Ted Brown 35; Sam Carter 37b; Karen Turner 36b; Mick Verrier 163t; Jacoba Bruneel 274t; Ian West 28b; Eimear O’Donovan 129; Toby Goss 472; Anne Altringham 546; Bridget McVennon-Morgan 376; Derek Buckland 131t; Samuel Turner 70b; Claire Welford 217.

RECESS

Ed Johnson-Williams called the class back to order by leading 326. Leaders: Inga Huebner 359; Barry Parsons 172; Edwin Macadam 288. The Chaplain, Hannah Land, offered a moment of reflection on the two years since the previous convention and led 48t for the late Queen Elizabeth. Leaders: Seth Dickens 77t; Cath Saunt 155; Rowan Simms 110; David Garman 133; Cäcilia Mann 89; Joshua Lant 436; Joyce Smith 384; Gerben Vos 182; Richard Mayers 149; Phil Tyler 430; Anne Royappa 86; Nick Hall 192; Aislinn Ahern 512. Ted Brown gave thanks for the shared meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was called to order by Joe Jones leading 76b. Leaders: Kerry Cullinan 71; Sinead Hanrahan 142; Al Williams 271t; Rachel Jordan 522; Tim Royappa 107; Erin Johnson-Williams 460; David Brodeur 272; Steve Brett 269; Lauren Bock 187 (in memory of J. L. Hopper); Jan Geerts 506; Sheila Girling-Macadam 564; Katie Ahern 422; Andy Ditzler 377; Claire Welford 362; Yuka Oiwa 312b; Jessica Beer 480; Gerben Vos 163b; Cäcilia Mann 183; Sam Carter 353; Aislinn Ahern 532; Seth Dickens 236; Anne Royappa 39t; Inga Huebner 361.

RECESS

Toby Goss called the class back to order by leading 547. Leaders: Eimear O’Donovan 548; Bridget McVennon-Morgan 411; Joe Jones 280; Ian West 447; Rosalind Woods 344; Matthew Parkinson 505; Ed Johnson-Williams 539; Helen Brown 475; Edwin Macadam 538; Karen Turner 105; Barry Parsons 439; Vicki Elliot 32b; Derek Buckland 296; Cath Saunt 270; Samuel Turner 196; Mick Verrier 383; Tom Sprackland 177. Richard Mayers led 515 as the closing song, and Joe Vickers offered the closing prayer.

Sunday, September 18

The Sunday session of the United Kingdom Sacred Harp Convention was called to order by Emily Verrier leading 47t. Joe Jones offered an opening prayer.

Leaders: Hannah Land 97; Joe Vickers 43; Jacoba Bruneel 30t; Nick Hall 455; Joshua Lant 428; Margaret Bradshaw 150; Mark Wardlaw 545; David Garman 146; Rachel Jordan 351; Chris Brown 392; Joyce Smith 322; Richard Mayers 85; Phil Tyler 69b; Leilai Immel-Parkinson 56b; Benny Ross 421; Martel Reynolds 162; Helen Brown 349; Matthew Parkinson 128; Lloy Cook 178.

RECESS

Eimear O’Donovan called the class back to order by leading 101t. Leaders: Sarah West 214; Ted Brown 176b; Alec Williams 268; Sinead Hanrahan 446; Steve Brett 531; Jessica Beer 176t; Toby Goss 300; Jan Geerts 38t.

The memorial lesson was conducted by Seth Dickens and Karen Turner. Seth Dickens spoke for the sick and housebound and read the following list of names: Alex Anderson, Cath Tyler, Corrone Bryant, Ruth Ann Bryant, Mike Cooper, Jan Saunt, Louise Holden, Pete Dickens, Sean Twine, Virginia Dyer, Cecil Roberts, Ed Thacker, Margaret Thacker, and Margaret Gillanders. For the sick and housebound, Seth led 159.

Karen Turner spoke for the following deceased: Glynne Martin Williams, Sally Beaumont, Julia Bryan, Paul Sartin, Mary Milne, Brian Mitchell, Giles Huw Cooper-Hall, Elizabeth Garret, Ian Wallace, Peter Grant, Pat Sexton, Sylvia Delaney, James Neame, Gill Peake, Queen Elizabeth, Betty James, Havard Lunn, Pauline Hoyland, Norma Waterson, Bob McKitterick-United Kingdom; Cindy Dijmond—Canada; Joe Murray—Ireland; Rüdigar Forster and Werner Giebermann—Germany; J.L. Hopper and Bill Windom—Alabama, USA; Larry Gordon, Tony Barrand, and Elke Schumann—Vermont, USA; Peter Golden—Maine, USA; Ted Mercer—Illinois, USA; Mary Jane Ceresa—Michigan, USA; Landis Powell—Texas, USA. To remember them Karen led 475.

Leaders: Mark Wardlaw 572; Katie Ahern 212; David Brodeur 365; Sheila Girling Macadam 562. Janet Steggles gave thanks for the shared meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was called to order by Vicki Elliot leading 113. Leaders: Joe Vickers 433; Lauren Bock 542; Andy Ditzler 195; Yuka Oiwa 406; Kerry Cullinan 501; Cäcilia Mann 240; Joe Jones 123t; Erin Johnson-Williams 112; Edwin Macadam 444; Derek Buckland 52b; Jacoba Bruneel 197; Barry Parsons 200; Inga Huebner 141; David Brodeur and Andy Ditzler 558; Leilai Immel-Parkinson 460; Emily Verrier and Luke Hollway 63; Gerben Vos 270; Bridget McVennon-Morgan 45b; Matthew Parkinson 434; Eimear O’Donovan 222; Alec Williams 348t.

RECESS

Mick Verrier brought the class back to order by leading 504. Leaders: Tom Sprackland 302; Aislinn Ahern 263; Samuel Turner 189; Claire Welford 372; Nick Hall 454; Jessica Beer 208; Joshua Lant 227; Katie Ahern 528 (for Helen Peake); Ed Johnson-Williams 201; Cath Saunt 111b; Benny Ross 318; Rosalind Woods 163t; Sinead Hanrahan 228; Seth Dickens 551; Lloy Cook 503; Martel Reynolds 378b; Rachel Jordan 474; Steve Brett 388; Hannah Land 448t.

Emily Verrier and Richard Mayers asked for committee reports and notices from the class. Penny Verrier reported that one hundred sixty songs were sung over the weekend by ninety registered attendees, sixty-two of whom were leaders. Nine countries were represented. Emily Verrier and Richard Mayers thanked everyone involved with the convention and led 347. Matthew Parkinson offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Co-Chairpersons—Emily Verrier and Richard Mayers; Chaplain—Hannah Land; Secretary—Penny Verrier