The 42nd Kentucky State Sacred Harp Singing (with Southern Harmony)

Pisgah Presbyterian Church
Versailles, Woodford County, Kentucky
Saturday, May 18, 2024

Ron Pen offered a morning prayer and then called the singing to order by leading 73b (SH), Arlington.
The Sacred Harp, 1991 edition and The Southern Harmony, 1854 facsimile, 1987 UofK reprint were used throughout the day.

159b (SoH), New Haven - Raphael Finkel
68b (SH), Ortonville - Tim Gregg
39t (SoH), Bozrah - Don Waggener
145 (SoH), Rhode Island - Jubal Bayer
146 (SH), Hallelujah - Mike Grimes
144 (SH), Jubilee - Derek Buckland
148 (SH), Jefferson - Ray Rechenberg
38 (SoH), Resignation - Randy Webber
135 (SoH), Whitestown - Alana Boltz
178 (SH), Africa - Donna Kwon
84 (SH), Amsterdam - Joy R. Dunn
209 (SH), Evening Shade - Tom Morton
313b (SH), Cobb - Mary Brinkman
117 (SH), Babylon is Fallen - Amy Pemberton

RECESS

186 (SH), Sherburne - Judy Taylor and Fr. Jonah Campbell
448t (SH), Consecration - Delainey Bowers
354t (SH), Lebanon - Inga Buckland
147t (SH), Boylston - Ron Pen and Michelle Raine and Michelle's mother (name not recorded)
164 (SH), Duane Street - Steven Pham
86 (SH), Poland - Susan Liddle
236 (SH), Easter Anthem - Mike Grimes and JoAnn Grimes

RECESS

Randy Webber conducted a lesson for the sick and shut-in and for the recently deceased. On the sick and shut-in list this year were Robert Pemberton and Ed Walton. Amy Pemberton, daughter of Robert, shared that he had to be moved to a nursing home last summer. His Parkinson's disease and dementia had progressed to a point that her mother could no longer care for him safely in their home. Ed Walton, a friend of Ray Rechenberg, had been in a car wreck and had probably had a stroke. Ed's son moved him to Cincinnati to live with him but later decided to move Ed to assisted living. Ed is lonely but getting regular visits. He is involved in southern gospel as well as shape-note singing.

Individual memorial lessons were led by those close to the deceased. Ray Rechenberg made remarks about Eva Striebeck, who died in 2023. Eva was from Germany but sang all over the place, often traveling long distances to sometimes stay only for a weekend singing. Eva had her own business and lived an intentionally simple life to be able to travel and sing. Ray led 285t (SH), Arnold, in Eva's honor.

Randy Webber made remarks about P. Dan Brittain of Arkansas, who died in November, 2023 of a brain bleed. Dan composed a number of songs in The Sacred Harp. Dan and Randy would regularly meet at singings, sharing their new compositions. Randy led 481 (SH), Novakoski, one of Dan's compositions.
Randy noted that Dan heard it sung very slowly at a convention and commented that he “didn't write it that way, but he liked it.”

Derek Buckland memorialized several people but elected not to lead songs for them: Walter Graf from Minnesota; Melanie Hauff from Illinois; Dorothy Landskroener from Ohio; Richard Mauldin from Alabama; and Dan Burk and Jeff Beckley, both from California who died in 2024. He remarked Melanie Hauff was the sister of Judy Hauff, who has several compositions in The Sacred Harp. Melanie started coming to singings only when she was older. Randy led 547 (SH), Granville, a composition of Judy's, for Melanie.

Dr. John Ramsay, a Missourian and former Berean, had died in 2024. Laura Earles signed him onto a separate memorial list due to her schedule while getting to the singing; as a result, he was not publicly memorialized during the session.

Rafi Finkel chanted the lunch blessing in Hebrew and then translated it into English.

DINNER

Raphael Finkel called the afternoon session to order by leading    “Lansdowne”, a Sephardic melody that he had arranged in shapes in 1994.
455 (SH), Soar Away - Raphael Finkel
142 (SH), Stratfield - Jubal Bayer
59 (SoH), Sweet Harmony - Tim Gregg
16 (SoH), Star in the East - Don Waggener and Elizabeth Campbell and Alexis Campbell and Finn Duncan and Dasha Simpkins and Laura Lee Earles
277 (SH), Antioch - Alana Boltz
410t (SH), The Dying Californian - Donna Kwon
267 (SH), Parting Friends (First) - Derek Buckland
496 (SH), The Rock That is Higher Than I - Mike Grimes
   “Nall” - Randy Webber (his own composition)
276 (SH), Bridgewater - Ray Rechenberg
543 (SH), Thou Art God - Joy R. Dunn
49b (SH), Mear - Tom Morton
335 (SH), Return Again - Amy Pemberton
344 (SH), Rainbow - Charles Coulston

RECESS

(The rest of the singing was from the Sacred Harp.)

532, Peace and Joy - Judy Taylor
454, The Better Land - Pearl Marshall
284, Garden Hymn - Delainey Bowers
400, Struggle On - Inga Buckland
49t, Old Hundred - Steven Pham
40, Lenox - Susan Liddle
63, Coronation - JoAnn Grimes
278t, Love Shall Never Die - Laura Lee Earles
504, Wood Street - Kelly Toon
538, Hampton - Steven Krueger
47b, Idumea - Fr. Jonah Campbell
269, Bear Creek - Raphael Finkel
497, Natick - Charles Coulston
122, All Is Well - Derek Buckland
155, Northfield - Raphael Finkel
268, David's Lamentation - Mike Grimes

Ron Pen led 267, Parting Friends (First), while the singers took the parting hand; Tim Gregg offered a beautiful final prayer.

Convener—Rafi Finkel; Chairman and Treasurer—Charles Coulston; Secretary—Mary Brinkman.