ORANGE SQUEEZIN'S 
February, 2004
MEETING EVERY MONDAY 7:15 P.M.- COME SING WITH US UNTIL 10 P.M. AT THE FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH, 1130 E. WALNUT ST., ORANGE, CALIF. President's Message
by Dave Gryvnak
WOW, just got back from the Pioneers. What a blast. I walked in and saw an old buddy of mine, Dan Durfey, and sang a tag with him immediately and that was just the start of a great woodshedding weekend. Did not stop singing until we left Sunday morning. As a matter of a fact, on Friday evening at about 12:15 AM, the Grand Tradition staff politely asked Martinez, Tillmanns, Werner and me to please leave and come back in the morning. We were the last ones there and closed the place. And what an Evening Show on Saturday night. The Westminster Chorus, OC Times, Late Night Barbershop, as well as the Perfect Gentlemen entertained us. Our hats off to Marcheta Pletcher for bringing us this outstanding show. The Orange chapter was well represented with at best count, 18 members in attendance in addition to some spouses. And the winning quartet of the Friday Night Pickup Quartet Contest contained Dan Gonzales, Dan Wipple and Marcheta Pletcher. Orange sure showed them what it is all about.
Coming up, get ready for the Valentines. Rich Lewis has done a fantastic job of organizing this whole process. I take my hat off to that guy. I don’t know how he does it. But this has to be the best organized program in the society. If you’re not in a quartet yet, see Rich and let him know when you would be available to perform. He will be thrilled to have too many men ready to sing. And if you have not ever done the singing valentines, you are in for a treat. You’ll never regret it and you’ll want to do it again next year.
Hold on to your hats. Upcoming, a visitation by the Fullerton Chapter. Fred Robirds asked if we would be willing to do a visitation exchange. I told him it sounds like a great idea. So we agreed on them coming to Orange on Monday the 16th of February and we would visit them on Tuesday the 17th of February. So hold those dates open. I don’t know the address of the Fullerton Chapter, but we will have maps out shortly.
Also, don’t forget, we will be going to the South Bay chapter for their St. Patrick’s Day bash. Start learning some Irish songs and get some green garb to wear.
Don’t forget, bring a good singer to the chapter and you’ll have another good singer with which to sing. If you’re too busy to sing, you’re too busy.
Most of the Singing Valentines that our quartets will deliver in February will be to a spouse or a sweetheart. The buyer usually wants the moment to have maximum impact on the recipient, so he or she has us deliver it at the work site. To make it a double whammy, it tends to come as a surprise.
Consider for a moment the shock this must wreak on a young lady’s nervous system. At work she wears a different persona than her manner while relaxing with friends, family or fellow partygoers. At work here at Allied Widget, she wants to project executive ability and a serious demeanor. Suddenly she is confronted by four men in formal dress with red bowties, and surrounded by her grinning coworkers. Then they sing two songs, not just any two songs, but two overt statements of intense and undying love. Her two worlds come crashing together, and she breaks into tears. You will love it.
Valentines can be powerful stuff. Like a billboard beside a thoroughfare, which shouts: "MARIE! WILL YOU MARRY ME? TED," it strips away her anonymity. As a means of causing a woman to assess her most tender emotions, it’s about as gentle as fishing with a stick of dynamite. It would be a cruel trick if it weren’t so much fun for all concerned.
Perhaps a third of our Singing Valentines are dedicated to a friend or family member. They may be the most sincere and unselfish of all. I have seen the song "Heart of My Heart" lift the veil of confusion from the face of an old person, who then proceeds to mouth the words. This time it is the sender of the Valentine who cries.
We do have a lot of repeat customers, and we had better be on our toes to satisfy them. The first time around, the recipient is shocked and befuddled. But the second time, he or she is evaluating our performance. We’ll do fine if we rehearse a few times in advance.
Americans must like our product. On Google I typed in Singing Valentines and found 27,100 websites. If we follow Rich Lewis’ directions, we’ll give them (and the person who sent the Valentine) an unforgettable experience. My only advice is to keep it short and sweet, with two songs, well delivered. Encores tend to be unrehearsed, and by stretching out the visit, they dilute its impact.
Above all, be sure to project the fact that singing is fun. And if you want a special experience, send a Valentine to your wife, and be there when a quartet delivers it to her. You won’t regret it!
The Pitch From Rich
We're over half way on gig assignments necessary to hit our $4000 target. Please review your prospects and find some more interested in our chapter quartets providing a Valentine for their sweetheart, ma or pa, grandma or grandpa, sister, daughter.....and get them to our coordinator, Rich Lewis, so he can maximize the $$ return for the assigned quartets' time.
I have to tell you about one of our chapter members dedicated to getting the word out on our singing Valentines program. Dick Nuttelman, in attempting to place one of our 'promotion tents' in a store, had to sing a song to the dozen-or-so people in the store to convince the store manager that our quartetters could charm a lady with a "singing Valentine." He sang, in his best voice with expression, "My Wild Irish Rose". After the applause, the manager said, "Put that tent right up front by the cash register"...........that's dedication! Thank you, Dick.
Rich Lewis would like to have all singing Valentines registrations by the weekend of Feb.6th to present quartet assignments on Monday, Feb.9th with rose boutineres, Valentine's cards, cameras, film, maps and schedules for the gigs. Please help in reaching our $$ goals by then.
Yours in Harmony,
Special Member News
We have some good news. Phil Wortman has made great improvement. We so appreciate the miracle that has put him back on the list of 'healthy' members.
Sadly, we have some bad news:
Barbara, Rich Martinez' wife, passed away this weekend of cancer. Memorial service on Thursday to be announced at the Monday night, Feb. 2nd meeting.
Orange Town Four Photo Shoot
I must say this editor job has some perks. When Orange Town Four (Virgil Pletcher, Don Engel, Paul Kelley, Rich Lewis) asked me to shoot a digital photo they could use for Valentine advertising, I was treated to two songs by a great quartet in full regalia. Best of all, one of the songs was "Cecilia," which is my middle name (named after a lovely grandma who died too young and I never knew her, except by old photos and great stories). We downloaded the photos on the spot and the quartet chose one.
Hey! Visit our "Photos" on the Web at http://www.harmonize.com/Orange/photos.html. New photos will be added as we get them. Come on quartets! Let's see some more photos. If you don't have one, come to my house for a "shoot." But ya gotta sing!
Mail & Email
Dorothy:
I received the emailed Squeezin's today. Please don't go to the expense of snail mailing me a copy. I will do well with the email copy.
I would like to send the site to the OK Chorale and our Music Central email people. I think that the Squeezin's subjects and its objective are about as good as it gets. I would like to share this with the members of the Oklahoma City and the Central Cities group.
Any objections?
Jack Jungroth
P. S. I watched the TV pictures of the sing out at the hospital. I sang in that one year. I saw Rich Lewis, John Majzler Nuttelman, Werner and a bunch of guys that I sang with. Good pictures. Tell them all hello for me.
We're happy to have everybody interested in barbershop singing go visit our website. Thank you for passing on the word. I'll print your email in the Feb. issue, so your "hello" to the guys will be there for all of them to read. Keep singing!
Dorothy
Jack
Dick Girvin
Your history of songs is impressive!
Please consider contributing to aids for editors at the PROBE web site, www.harmonize.com/PROBE/.
I must admit I was the one who posted the incorrect history of
"Greensleeves."
I've been educated.
Grant Carson
Thank you for the compliment.
Dorothy Acton
PS. I enjoyed BOTH versions of the "Greensleeves" tale.
I Love You Truly
by Casey Parker
Carrie Jacobs was born in Janesville, Wisconsin, in 1862 and experienced a number of misfortunes in her early life. Her father died when she was twelve.
Her husband, Dr. Frank Bond, died prematurely. A serious fall in 1895 left her an invalid with a young son. After a career attempt as an artist, she turned to songwriting to survive. Popular music publishers turned down her "art" songs, but she had early success with children's songs. To succeed as a songwriter she started her own publishing business, in a bedroom, financed by a song recital. Her first book, "Seven Songs," contained "I Love You Truly," a standard at weddings for many years, which survives today as a Valentine's Day ballad. Her most popular song was a huge hit in 1909, "A Perfect Day," selling five million copies. Carrie Jacobs-Bond received many awards and is recognized as an outstanding American woman composer. She retired to Hollywood and was interred at Fairlawn Court of Honor in 1946, following notables like the sculptor of Mt. Rushmore.
(Provided for use by PROBE--Public Relations Officers and Bulletin Editors of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of BarberShop Quartet Singing in America.)
Ed. Note:
Valentine Symbolism
RIBBONS, LACES AND FRILLS have been associated with romance since the days of knighthood when
a knight rode into battle with a ribbon or scarf given him by his lady fair. The dictionary states that the
word "Lace" comes from a Latin word meaning to "snare" or "noose."
CUPID was one of the gods of mythology. In Latin, the word Cupid means "desire." Cupid is typically
represented as a chubby, naked, winged boy with a mischievous smile. He possessed a bow with a
quiver of arrows by which he transfixed the hearts of youths and maidens.
THE ROSE, which is undoubtedly the most popular flower in the world, speaks of love and has been the
choice of lovers in every century. If you rearrange the letters of the word rose you get Eros, god of Love.
A LADY'S HAND was a favorite decoration that depicted "femininity." Its beauty was enhanced by adding
a frilly cuff and a jeweled ring on the third finger.
TURTLE DOVES AND LOVE BIRDS. It was thought that birds began to choose their mate for the year on
February 14. Doves and pigeons mate for life and therefore were used as a symbol of "fidelity."
A VALENTINE'S DAY GROANER, just for good measure:
Two lovers who had been apart for some time were reunited on
a foggy day. One whispered to the other "I mist you."
Target publication date for the next Squeezins' bulletin is March 1, March 8, or whenever we get enough articles. Send your articles to Editor at acton17@adelphia.net or bring to the Monday meeting.
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