Quartet Finals - The Winners!

   The 2000 Queens of Harmony
1st Place
  Signature Sound - Glen Burnie, MD
   Christine Cook/Leslie Taylor/Janet Ashford/Lloyd-Ellen Thomas

2nd Place
   Swinglish Mix - Huddinge, Sweden
   Eleanor Hawkins/Suzanne Harrington/Patty Hawley/Naima Meyer
3rd Place
   Accapella Gold - Oceanside, CA
   Bette Gorton/Kim Hulbert/Toni McEvoy/Susan Lamb
4th Place
   Fanatix - Diamond Bar, CA
   Connie Noble/Darcy Newell/Sandy Shelver/Gerry Papageorge
5th Place
   Surround Sound - Hanover Park, IL
   Joan Boutilier/Deborah Miller/Amy Brinkman/Bonnie Fedyski
6th Place
   Night Magic - Wallingford, PA
   Shirley Eckert/Barbara Carfolite/Renee Walsh/Kathy Martin
7th Place
   Razzcals - Roseville, CA
   Dana Gibbs/Martha Segura/Cheri Jump/Julie Starr
8th  Place
   Alliance - Wheaton, IL
   Shelly Sweet Rubenic/Carol Ster/Debra Peters/Pat Rotunno
9th Place
   Innovation - London, Ontario
   Karen Romanson/Julia Beadle/Deb Martin/Patti Britz
10th  Place
   ConTempo - Tucson, AZ
   Monique Manifold/Dayle Cook/Debbie Lewis/Karen Meade

Harmonet Report

Quartet Finals

Another Opening, Another Show...a Cole Porter standard...lots of unison flowering into chords in the chorus and a very well done verse.  Next, the group entertained us with a piece that fits them very well with their image of dreaming youth from The Wizard Oz.... Somewhere Over the Rainbow.... with the original intro...This permanent picture of Judy Garland singing dreamily to her pet, Toto, is etched into our minds...and this youthful group stirs that image....Let's hope they continue their path to International competition.

Excellent emcee segment with terrific comedic timing playing on the tenor's blonde persona of not quite having it "all there."  This led into "Cause She's a Blonde." A wonderful comedy piece.  The young group ended their set with "Hot, Hot, Hot," that included a fun rap section in the middle....they ended their visit with us to a standing ovation.
Please support the Young Singers Foundation!

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Mike Testers -
Crescendo
Attire: Elegant glittering purple two-piece skirt...beige hose and silver shoes.
Pal of My Cradle Days - This moving ballad pays tribute to "you wonderful Mother of mine, The Pal of My Cradle Days."  Intelligent interpretive crafting.
Emcee:  Good sense of comedic timing with mike testing...Vickie Dennis let the audience get some things out of their systems (raised their shoulders, grimaces, etc....) since the audience can easily be seen by the
competitors...the point was made that everyone was putting on happy faces...:)
Medley of Fascinating Rhythm/I got Rhythm....with lyrics that poked fun at the competitive experience...the audience was responsive to the comedy "Who can ask for anything more....A Better Score?"
Next, Scotch and Soda, a sultry jazz tune with a 40s feel...A Mood Indigo feel, with a lazy, closely chorded tune and a girl singer sound of a swing band.  Good internal rhythms demonstrate this groups musical astuteness.

"Do You Hear the Beat, A Way Down the Street..."  South Rampart Street Parade, wonderful counter melody done by the bass...and a killer tag.

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Razzcals - Region 12, Roseville, California
Attire: Sexy Halter dress with black and gold.  Hem above the knee with a solid black lower dress
When the Midnight Choo Choo Leaves for Alabam'.  A punchy fun rhythm in the
first letter A section...a choo choo tempo accelerating back to a tempo.  A
high moving crescendo and a powerful tag.
"What a GPT...Great Party Town" comedy routine with a play on a blonde persona.  "The waiter didn't know what a TC was...a Tom Collins....Duhhh..." The bass asks what is a 15? "It's a seven and seven...duh...."
Next song was I Wish I Had My Old Pal Back Again...a ballad about the one that got away.  Ballad was pleading at the end with genuine emotion.
"There are three kinds of people in this world...those who can count and those who can't"  "What do you call a brunette between two blondes...an interpreter."
"Good Vibrations," a Beach Boys/Brian Wilson composition...and with the percussive bass and hooty and swooping tenor, managed to capture the sound of this classic rock soon.. then on to Help Me Rhonda, to I Get Around,  Gonna Shut You Down, Surfin' Safari, Barbara Ann, She'll have fun til her Daddy Takes her T-Bird Away, a fantastic trip through the beach genre of the sixties.

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Night Magic
Attire: Hobo outfits and makeup...entrance is pantomime
Side By Side, a happy tempo and rhythm "we ain't got a bundle of money....sharin' our load, side by side..."  Bell chords used innovatively.  A rapid tempo that brought to mind a player piano gone a bit haywire...brought a response from the audience...and then the tempo back to a serious, expressive, mood..and then, bell chords leap back into a tempo to the tag.  Emcee Renee Walsh played in character...glad to be at the Hobo Convention.
   "When your wandering years have filled you with tears, there is one fact to bear in mind...If the rest of the world don't want you, If the rest of the world don't care."  Nice ballad with advice that if the rest of the world don't want you, then go back to your Mother and Dad.
    Still in character, they made a joke about the judges writing on their sheets....
"When the train pulled in the station I ran for information and looked for my love in vain tho he promised he would meet me he wasn't there to greet me...No Body Met The Train." Good comedy tune.
"If They Could See Me Now," with words about being in the finals in SA closed the set for this talented group.

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Alliance
Attire: Black, Gold, and silver ensemble...long dress to the floor with slit up the side...a swirl of gold snakes down the front.
A funny tune that intros the quartet...each member gets to sing who she is.."I'm Shelly, I Debra, I'm Pat....she's Carol...." And some smoking tags with a lead post that held forever.
"I Wouldn't Trade the Silver in My Mother's Hair, For All the Gold in the World" Another heartrending Mother song...a very tender and moving tag...ending softly.
Emcee breaks the fourth wall and are themselves.
A Gerswin medley...Strike Up the Band first with great tempos and rhythms..."Hey, leader strike up the band..."  and a voice over about Gerswin...segue into " Fascinatin' Rhythm..." many young couples fell in love to Gerswin," the way you sip your tea...the memory of all that...no, They can't take that away from me..." and back to "Fascinatin' Rhythm..."  and the whole package was a professional presentation.
It's A Sin To Tell A Lie concluded the package for this talented foursome.  Good tag for an appreciative audience.

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Surround Sound
Attire: A black print jacket a glittery black and white pattern (what looks like a fire stitch) over a black solid skirt that falls at the knee line.
One Step Dixieland Band done well with a few effects used to create percussion in the rhythm.
Tenor steps out to answer all the questions she's been asked since she fell in the first round..."I'm just a klutz, I'm fine, October 10th" referencing when she is expecting!
May I Never Love Again....teary tune and had me tearing up...
A short emcee bit about the quartets former name, Mixed Nuts and off to a tenor solo on "Tonight." "Somewhere"  Not exactly BBS on the intro, two duets swooping until the chorus, flowers into four square.  After this beautiful segment, the group returned to "Tonight."

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Fanatix
Attire: Each member has her own elegant black ensemble...all long hemlines, neck lines, cuts....
Toot Toot Tootsie first out of the box....standard and poplular Barbershop tempo song...Keeps it Barbershop Square...this tempo is wounderous!  And an A tag with the bass swiping down from high octane to low octave.
Darci, the lead comes out to share that the "Mike testers are getting shorter"...a play on Darci's height
Darci says, "My name is Darci and you probably know my back up singers." (Note all former Queens of Harmony from different quartets.)
Last Night Was the End of the World...riveting... "that song could seriously make you not want to date for a while....but only if you had actually been dating to begin with...I think there are hundreds, maybe thousands of sons of yours I haven't met."  Acute comic wit...great timing.
"Why Did I Choose You,"  a challenge to compare with Streisand's cover....rich, close chords.  Evocative and inspiring. Never heard this snappy tune "Some Lucky Day," with scat moments, and Manhatten Transfer flavor, def mod hap....translated Definate Modern Happening!  Standing ovation for this experienced and talented group!

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Signature Sound
Attire: Sleek Black with v neckline, floor length chiffon skirts, with long sleeved sequined bodice.
Intro to Somewhere the Rainbow picks up middle verse...Still a very big sound and good management of transitions from loud to softs...Lead post on the tag and the group seemed to hold power back for a set up to come.
"So long big boy, mama's gone bye, bye...Mama's Gone, Good-bye"...choreography with the hands add style to this swingy, sassy tune..."I Use to Love You But It's All Over," transition "I might change my mind if you buy me a car, beep, beep," and back to Mama's Gone, Goodbye....strong, pulsing, rhythmic to the tag and a whopper of a tag hit right on center.  Tis the power we were set up for from before...man oh man...
Emcee sets up Barry Manilow tune, "Even Now."  Bass range solo from J. Ashford....a melodious, quiet solo...a high tight chord meets the tenor post....on center.  "How do you find a low voiced woman,"  A comedy bit in search of a low voiced woman..."I am bass I am the chosen, we are basses, we are chosen..At three a.m. when their throats are frozen we'll be singing on...."  "Many baritones masquerade as a bass...nice try....so beware, beware....(we don't care!)"

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Innovation
Attire: black and velvet  solid black dress with gold and black overlay at the top.  Hemline floor length with a slit to the thigh.
"I will stand and shout so there's no doubt, that he's my favorite guy..." Redhead, a BBS standard....a bass with a rich resonant sound creates a ringing floor for this talented group.  Rhythm and tempo are steady and impeccable...invisible transition into a key change...no interruption in tempo....Nice job on the tag.
"There's nothing in my fireplace but broken dreams of you." this is a ballad with which I am not familiar.  Rich chords and great baritone show off runs...nice song.  "I've got a Crush On You," solo for the lead.  Ninth chord on the tag.
Emcee: "Its time to diet again...there's 13 children among us and there' always junk food around..."
A cute song about dieting and committing to organic cooking.  A Genuine Junk Food High.

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ConTempo
Attire: Black floor length with a Quaker width huge bow around the top of the
dress with a vee design.
If You Knew Susie Like I Knew Susie with altered lyrics that aren't too flattering for Susie...bell chords on oooo and a strong tag.
I'm Crying Myself to Sleep...quaint ballad, "I try to close my eyes and make believe we've never been apart...and in my dream it seems you're holding me and love is in your heart...: to the key change..."wondering where you can be I hear the clock striking three...and I'm crying myself to sleep."  Good management of louds and softs in this expressive interpretation.
Character chases off "Susie" in the audience...
They then don Nun's habits which are built into their dresses and do a four part bel canto Latin choral with complete vibrato and soprano on top....
A cell phone call for "Monique" and she reports "he dumped her."  The others question, "He dumped her?"  and then...
"Alleluia, Alleluia, come you sinners gather round..."...for a big laugh.
"Forget your troubles and just Get Happy."  Bass post and swipe up to a high tight chord.

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Swinglish Mix
Attire: Black sleeveless floor length.
"Swing, swing, swing," with their own words, teasing about being from the south...so those "judges, keep us in line we sing sweet and clear so judges please be kind..." to the tune of Georgia.  Patty posts on an incredible lead note for an incredible tag to Georgia...
Great comic timing with a play on a southern ignoramorsousssss to complain about the www..."you know, the World Wide Waste of time."
"When my baby smiles at me", a swingy tempo love tune with a high tight chord ....well done.
"There Was a Girl, a Little Girl"...a song that I haven't heard in full for over a decade...Poignant lyrics and an arrangement that has surprises...
"We won't sing another Dixie Song."  A parady about NOT singing any songs about Dixie to a Dixie tune, "We won't sing about Mammy to a Mammy tune...best thing to come out of Dixie is BAR BEE......(pause) Que" ...Scuttlebutt in the audience:  The group had a bigger presence and more relaxed presentation today.  It was easy to see how much fun they were having!

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Acappella Gold
Attire: Deep Royal Blue, Crushed Velvet, floor length
"Are You From Dixie" Big opening and then a challenging tempo....and then into "How's Every Little Thing in Dixie."  A good tag
Somehow they got four top hats on stage...a running gag is that Kim Hulbert's hat will not fit (much too big) while singing "Carolina"  She went through all four hats....she tries to do the choreography but is WAY off and finally throws her hat at the judges in frustration...a riot....
"If You Love Me, Really Love Me"  a powerful message here and crafted well to enhance the inherent emotive quality of this moving song.
A funny song "I'm just a Renaissance Woman, Living in a diet coke world." Pays tribute to the full figured woman.  Hire this quartet for this song only....A riot.!!!!

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In song,
Janice E. DeCuir

PS: Be on the look out for pictures and scores from Jen...and LOTs of pictures from our Harmonet Gathering where we desperately missing Debbie Warwick....we didn't have any fun at all!!!! WE DIDN'T HAVE NO FUN, CAUSE DEBBIE'S ON THE RUN, DOWN IN SAN ANTONE !     (We'll be putting this to music for a tag tonight!)