From:
EveDeCuir@aol.com
Date sent: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 18:00:40 EDT
Subject: Harmonet Report
Chorus Finals Sweet Adelines, International
To:
BBSHOP@ADMIN.HUMBERC.ON.CA
And the winners are:
1. North Metro
2. Sunlight
3. San Diego
4 Mountain Jubilee
5. Kansas City
6. Pride of Baltimore
7. Mission Valley
8. OK City
9. Greater Nassau
10. Pride of Toledo
Chorus Finals Report
To a standing ovation, Kathy Carmody presented Joni Bescos with
a lifetime achievement award.
Mic Testers:
Alamo Metro took the stage as mike testers wearing a purple
ensemble and sporting red cowboy hats. A southerwestern combination
on the top of the dress with red, turquoise, and yellow with a spray of
western beads.
Directors: Marcy Scofield & Mary Ann Wydra
The Lone Star is on the Rise Again. A medley of modern country
tunes...Front row makes good use of the red cowboy hats in choreography.
A George Strait Medly, I Should Have Known I'd End Up Like A Fool....They
Call Me The Fire
Man....All My Exes Live in Texas... "San Antonio Texas the land of
big with big heroes like Davy Crocket and big
tastes like spicy hot salsa and big hair like (gestures toward the
chorus for a laugh) .....but you know that San Antonio is just a big small
town from all across this great country...but we all arrived in the promised
land as soon as we could..." Sets up the next song.
Bandstand in Central Park, a ballad about the love of a small
town, and a moving love story. This is an original song, written
by Nancy Bergman, an autobiographical recollection based on a true story.
Intelligent phrasing. Good management of loud to soft at the decrescendo...."all
the children are gone now, but in search for another day
and that young man he's still my one man tho his hair has turned to
gray and I remember how I remember that summer night in central park.....he
stole my heart....." Wonderful crescendo.
"When boy meets girl in any town it can ignite a story to bang the
drums about." Marchin' Down Lover's Lane.
"Music is love, love is music, as we look to the new millennium........may
you always fill your life with music...." Fill My Life
With Music. "...for music fills my life with joy and friends
who sing along..if there'.s no music
how can I give my heart how can I dry the tear inside or sing my
child a lullaby or fill my voice with pride..." I wonder if this
is an original composition by the director...It's lovely as an anthem to
music...beautiful chords with an inspirational build toward the end....!
[Editor's note: The song is indeed an origninal, written and arranged
by co-director, Mary Ann Wydra.]
OK City Chorus
Director: Jim Massey
Attire: Blue dress right above the ankle...a white pattern on
top (shape of Ms. America Sash)..Male director in suit with dark vest and
white shirt.
We're Singing First At Last....A big laugh since it contrast
the fact that they had sung last in the chorus contest and teased about
it ....this short intro might have been whipped up in the rehearsal room
just for comedic effect...funny.
The first real song of the set I Never Meant to Fall In Love..."but
here I am again, who am I to toss the glove...." Probably one of
Massey's arrangements...touching and sensitive to the BBS sounds...great
echo effect in the Dome at the crescendo....
A cute spoof about the parent who admonishes a child You Never Had
it So Good..."when I was your age I had to walk to school, eighteen
miles a day, in the snow with holes in my shoes and it was up hill both
ways...." Help! I'm Turning Into My Parents came next an hilarious
spoof, "three times a day I say, what's with these kids today," "I've been
listening to rock n roll since I was twelve years old but when I first
hear Pearl Jam I said Hey kids turn it down." Adorable when two teen
agers did a bit about how their parents always were away singing bbs and
now they love it too...help I'm
turning into my parents...!
Rhythm of Life...a four/four beat accompanied with tambourines
and clackers to bring percussion to this interesting song....very fluid
chords over this percussive sound.
Sunlight Chorus
Director: Ase Hagerman
Attire: Silky paint ensemble, base color is royal purple. A tunic
has striped purple, orange, and green...very sheik. The director
is in solid purple
Treat Her Like a Lady...a rap rhythm over the basses...a dance
rock tune, no doubt...introduces the set and medley....and then they segue
into To Really Love A Woman, a song that was on the charts in recent
years....out of the ballad and instantly jumping back into a dance method
...percussion is amazing with hic cups over a thumping bass...Treat Her
Like a Lady...Hoo/stomp!
"Play it hot or it don't seem right I want some Jazz Tonight!"
A swing tempo to this bbs favorite...these ladies have fun with the whole
performance experience....Jazz Man...rhythmic motives chage up as the entire
front row bounces out several time steps from the Charleston..Great unity
in sound and moves....stomp and vamp section spike tourchy....hot.
Last Night Was the End of the World. A nice solid job
on this square barbershop piece....ringing and flowing.
"Behind every great man there had to be a great woman, but times are
changing, so hey mothers, hey daughters, hey sisters, stand on your own
two feet and do it for yourself..." Sisters, Are Doin' it For Themselves.
Electrifing Rock Song....These ladies are knockin' on a medal....standing
ovation from this appreciative crowd. Actually, two standing ovations
when the group entered the auditorium the audience rose to their feet a
second time and continued their applause until the next chorus was nearly
loaded on stage....
San Diego
Director: Kim Hulbert
Attire: Black pants with a white Miltary/Band cut jacket with
black fasteners. The director's outfit is in all black. The
sleeves of the jackets are stitched at three places to create a braided
effect.
Alexander's Ragtime Band Medley...a tremendous opening line....crisp,
sharp moves...and a Alexander's Band is back in Dixieland. Great
BBS.
Rockabye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody, a ballad done slowly
and each phrase savored until the tempo accelerates to stomping/vamp chorus,
complete with front row on their knees, a real Jolson move...in a surprise
move, the tag
ends as soft as any ballad.
How Do You Keep The Music Playing...a modern pop hit from a
few years ago. Solo by Connie Noble and a nice job by the chorus
backing her up.
Do You Hear the Beat...South Rampart Street Parade...a challenging
tempo at the start...and a wonderful choreography plan.
North Metro Chorus
Director: June Dale
Attire: Popeye without the arms...attractive sailor ensemble
Anchors Aweigh! Big resonant sound, in sync, crisp military
moves....smooth bass solo for an entire verse... tempo/rhythm impeccable....the
members created an anchor using themselves....the audience loved it and
responded in the middle of the song. A building tag on this first
song brought the audience to their feet. The chorus quietly recovers
from their last song by singing softly a reprise of Anchors...emcee cover
leads into For All We Know...a nice compliment ballad to this sailor
motif. Wonderfully in sync on this ballad...bass post on the ballad
tag and very quiet...well done.
Floatin' Down To Cotton Town with spectacular choreography...these
ladies sure LOVE their up tunes!!!!!!
What Will You Do With A Drunken Sailor a fun comedy play with
great broadway level teams of dancers to help craft the details.
Strong BASS melody throughout is a thrill with minor major toggles.
A KISS COVER...Come Sail Away With Me ..."There's no other place
we'd rather be..." emcee speaks over the chorus, " a life at sea is what
we seek.....our star ship is waiting for you and for me." A ballad
intro from Gene Simmons, the musical ingénue of 70s Glitter Rock.....2nd
chorus risers to a rock tempo and a glorious tag. Another Standing
ovation for this tremendous group!
Pride of Toledo Chorus
Director: Jim Shisler
Attire: Black and white ensemble split down the center.
Male director in a black tuxedo
Oh Susannah! Barbershop favorite. Foursomes from
the front row do sharp looking time steps separately and then come together....slick.
Bass solo line in a counter melody...the costume being split in color adds
and enhances
to the performance each time the chorus changes sides. Flash
white and then flash black....neato!
I Miss Mother Most of All. Good phrasing...and good management
of louds and softs on the interiors of phrases.
Very Crafty use of costumes with the black and white costume as they
do a spoof of chopsticks with lyrics about contest, coaching etc...shoulda
been here...this group has comedy instincts to envy.
Ragtime Medley ended the set and the director did an on stage
costume change.
Kansas City Chorus
Director: Jo Kraut
Attire: Black Street length full skirt dress, white feathers
poofy short sleeve, white fingertip glove on right, black satin sleeve
and glove on left
Mr. Piano Man, play me some Razz a ma tazz...Good, clean sync
for this sparkling group.
From the First Hello to the Last Goodbye... lovely volume contrasts...
great control...Dynamic tag... gorgeous! A favorite bbs ballad
and this group shows great intuition to the emotional message.
Kansas City, Kansas City here I Come.... Solo with doot
doo wah background...Then duet... very jazzy, scat from soloists
gives an authenticity to the jazz roots of this group.
Handful of Keys...nice use of dresses in choreography...white
to black...like piano keys... Charleston rhythms...
Greater Nassau
Director: Harriette Walters
Attire: Black (or navy?) double breasted suits w/ white buttons
and white
shirts silver trim
Chorus facing back of stage, one member holding up flame of Statue of
Liberty...
New York, New York, what a wonderful town...
The Old Songs and My Old Friends... pretty ballad...
Plenty of Money and You / We're In the Money...medley
a little filthy lucre buys a lot of things! Show me the money,
right now!
"On Broadway..."Off with suit coats...all different colors...sequined
vests. They say the neon lights are bright on broadway....
Soloist... Three back up singers on other side of stage...
Cool!
Pride of Baltimore
Director: Janet Ashford
Attire: Same as semis...black shiny top, bronze and gold
fringy swingy skirt.
Runnin Wild...great sustain on the opening with building sound....soft,
quick tempo on the chorus...Sharp and crisp moves, Sync impeccable for
this 68 voice chorus ...a vamp and accelerating tempo in the 2nd chorus....driving
tempo to the tag with perfect use of spikes to ignite the tag.
To the tune of Jeopardy Theme song..."We're the Pride of Baltimore...."
Cute
lyrics..."we are being timed..." and they double the tempo....for a laugh.
This chorus sparkles on stage.
"Barbershop Jeopardy, Alexa Trebecka...Barbi the baritone, Tina the
tenor, and Betty the bass...
I'll take Here comes the judge for $100...and the answer
"Often seen with a seeing eye dog."
What is a blind person?...Wrong....
What is a showmanship judge....correct..!"
"I'll take instruments of torture for $100...and the answer is
"Often feared by many SA as a form of inhumane treatment"
"What is bass switched to a baritone."
Tina - "What are dyed to match chorus shoes...correct!
Pause for a BBS moment....to remember that special someone you left
home this week...that dear old pal..." Velvet voices on this ballad, I
Wish I Had My Old Pal Back Again, with tremendously sensitive and intelligent
execution of an expert emotive plan.....! Bravo.
Conventional Wisdom for $100....
"One bass, one bass, one baritone, and two tenors"
"What is a fifth wheel?" Wrong...
"What is a Quad with a roll away"....Correct!
I'll take conventional wisdom for ..."Baubles bangles and beads"
"What is the watch selection from Harmony Bazaar...wrong.
"What is a Sweet Adeline from QVC". Correct!
Final Jeopardy...put up your dukes...name a famous duke who left his
mark....Who was Duke of Earl?....wrong....who was John Wayne, Pilgrim?...wrong...Barbi
who was the king of swing, Duke Ellington...? Cute set up for a Duke
Ellington medley.
Don't Get Around Much Anymore...this chorus has a great sense
of the rhythm not just on the strong beats, but the all important back
beats...toe tappin....It Don't Mean A Thing If It Don't Got That Swing.
Thirteenth chord on the tag...
Mission Valley
Director: Shirley Kout
Attire: Black dress, chiffon (appears to be) skirt with crushed
velvet top, trimmed in wide white around the neck. Front row has
a red sash from the waist.
An eerie beginning with stage props of long waves made of cloth to imitate
waves and then red cloth used to create the shape of the Golden Gate Bridge...Audience
loved it! Chorus humming while emcee talks of San Franscisco...
This intro is a running showpiece with a variety of different sounds,
sights, emcee directions all tied to San Francisco...
Medley: California, Here I Come emerges from the running show
introduction, San Francisco, Open Your Golden Gates... Great song selection
on bbs ballad, Who'll Take My Place When I'm Gone...good management
of loud and soft. Bell Chords at tag spectacular...well done.
"There's only one song that takes us home again." I Left My
Heart In San Francisco...the audience gives applause in recognition...this
chorus takes this song and makes it their own...A Jazzy arrangement with
a slow, lazy tempo, and tight jazz chords.
Count Basie dancing with front row doing a jazz tune...Do the Sandman...front
row doing jazz steps and time steps...close 40s jazz chords. What
a great song...very sophisticated.
Mountain Jubilee
Director: Tori Postma
Attire: Long pant suit long sleeved teal and purple...top is
long tunic over the pants...see the pictures...very attractive.
Finger snapping starts this set...Darktown Strutters Ball...a
slow long tempo...front row does a group time step out front...double time
on tempo in center section...and a great turn around to slow the time by
half....a vampy effect...remarkable tag.
I'm Dancing This Dance in the Wrong Romance...innovative emotive
plan ...decrescendo long..over several measures...dramatic. Restful
ballad.
This Joint is Jumpin...Wow...lots of dancing...they were on
the floor...A bit a comic relief....emcee talks about "what is a SA dancer?
the front row is dead on the floor and other members are doing CPR while
the emcee talks about how durable they have to be...check out the pictures...you
ain't gonna believe this!
Halleluiah I Ain't Got No Shoes..."I can really keep the beat
singing in my stocking feet"....two garbage cans and the chorus is dumping
their shoes, hair pieces, and UNDERWEAR in to the garbage cans....a riot....check
out the
pictures, I don't believe what I saw with my own eyes....! Great
comedy!
We were entertained by Signature Sound...Blue Skies...Jazzy
and fresh....and they're going to Disney World.
Here Am I Broken Hearted. What a velvety voice from these
four...lift, fall, subtle...dey da Queens!
Cry Baby. One of their contest tunes played for the entire
audience...many competitors don't have a chance to see the tunes of quartets
due to their demanding schedule at competition time. Famous "Oh,
shut-up" spoke in mid-song....and a wave for four...