Saturday:
Sweet Adelines International Competition
November 7, 1998
Chorus Finals – 1:00pm – 6:00pm
Noon-fifteen
Bob Briedert takes the podium and starts out, "First, you make her
a queen, so then I have this rhinestone covered crown... in bed!
Then you make her a master director, and she starts trying to control my
every move! Then you make her PRESIDENT, and suddenly every time
I make a suggestion, she asks me to put it into a motion. And I'm
getting really tired of being called Mr. Karen Beidert! This has
got to stop! I need a change. I guess I'm going to have to rebel!"
At this point he puts on a cap with a long blonde pony tail attached to
it. Of course he is only kidding, because he is very proud of Karen,
and fully supports her in her endeavors. Then he introduces his wife,
our emcee for the Chorus Finals.
Karen Breidert - "Thank you, Bob! It is so wonderful to be married to your best friend!"
Karen begins by introducing the new Sweet Adelines promotional video
that is about to be shown on the big video monitors. This is a wonderful
production and publicity tool which will be perfect for attracting new
visitors and for orienting new members. She says that a copy has
been sent to every chorus. In addition any member may purchase it
if they would like their own copy. It is about 15 minutes long and
features shots of North Metro, Houston Horizon, Scottsdale, Rich-tones,
Melodeers, & Mountain Jubilee choruses, as well as quartets, Showtime,
Panache, Weekend Edition, & Classic Edition, and others. Two
featured groups representing Young Women in Harmony are Encore, a girls
quartet in Florida, and well as a young girls chorus in St. Louis, directed
by Sandi Wright. There are also snippets of interviews with several
of the ledgends of Sweet Adelines, whom you are sure to recognize.
The video ends to rousing approval from the audience.
-----
It's been a long, exciting week, but the last competition session is
finally about to begin!
[Editor's Note: I will indicate the contest songs with an asterisk, and include each chorus's final placement at the end of each description.]
Mic Testers: Elkridge Chorus under the direction of Michael Gellert
Their Orphan Annie package is absolutely wonderful, and I'm so glad
they got a chance to perform it. They take the stage, totally in
character as little girls dressed in muted blues and mauve jumpers with
coordinated shirts under them. Some come out exuberant, and playful,
and others are shy, and introverted. One has to be coaxed along,
and another is sucking her thumb.
HARD KNOCK LIFE - a rousing start to a great package. I love the attitudes
they demonstrate and the various personalities among the girls.
MAYBE - a lovely song of hope, by a soloist, that someday she will
find a family to love her.
*OVER THE RAINBOW - Wonderful interpretation of this number.
Then one of the girls starts talking about running away with a couple
of other orphans telling her she would get us in trouble.. etc.etc.etc.
*SO LONG DEARIE - This song fits really well into the context of this
storyline! The singing is supurb, and the girls really do stay in
character throughout.
Meanwhile, our little orphan is looking for a place where there is
no trouble. Another girl says it would be nice to be adopted, but right
now they had to clean this place up before Mrs Hannigan kicks them over
the rainbow!
HARD KNOCK LIFE (reprise)
Well, if the mic tester chorus is any indication of the quality of performances we are about to see, it's going to be an exhausting, but thoroughly exciting day!
1. HOUSTON HORIZON under the direction of Betty Clipman
FINAL PLACEMENT = 6TH with a score of 2649
Wearing "can-can" style dresses in brilliant yellow, red, or blue! There
are also several members dressed as men, in black pants and white shirts
with vests that are coordinated with the ladies' dresses. Really
nice look on stage.
*SHOWBOAT MEDLEY- Snappy, bouncy uptune that even features a flashy
"can-can" style step by the front row, showing off their frilly petticoats.
Great number!
Announcer: "I just LOVE being on the showboat! A new town every
night and so much excitement! It's just wonderful... but there is
one thing that I really miss...
*I WISH I HAD MY OLD PAL BACK AGAIN - supurb demonstration of the singing
levels that got these choruses to this stage. Beautiful song and
a beautiful delivery.
Announcer: "Life on the Showboat isn't all wonderful though.
I have to share a room with TEN other women, and I can never get a share
of the mirror! Then there are the girls who find a boyfriend in every
port. What they haven't realized is that some of the most interesting
fellow are ON the boat!
SIT DOWN YOU'RE ROCKIN' THE BOAT - Great number ending with a shocking
"SIT DOWN!" yelled out as some of the front row kneel and other sit on
their knees.
Announcer: "Now, Betty says were going to take the show to EUROPE!
That's really exciting, except for ONE thing: THE BOAT!"
DON'T TAKE ME OUT ON THE WATER, "I don't wanna sail on the sea.
The sight of a river makes my poor heart quiver, on a lake I go weak
on the knees." The song goes on mentioning several reasons why this
performer is NOT getting on a boat: "Shark! I know he's after me.
Delicious, nutritious little me. (She's Dinner!)" "Don't tell me not to
panic, remember the Titanic." (At this point the front row forms the ship,
and Betty takes her place in Rose's classic "flying" pose on the bow!
Very clever and the crowd applause shows their appreciation of the joke.
"I'm turning green, so very green." Here, the whole chorus starts
to sway... sloowly, sickeningly ... back... and forth... becoming obviously
seasick. Then the two back rows turn around completely and lean over
the back railing. The audience howls! They slowly recover, and turn
around to rejoin the rest of the chorus in the finale. This is really
a cute song! (I learned from one of the chorus members that it was
written for them by Vicky Uhr (author of "How We Sang Today.) What
a wonderfully entertaining package! I love it!
2. PACIFIC SOUND CHORUS - Bellevue WA, under the direction of Carole
Kirkpatrick
FINAL PLACEMENT = 5TH, with a score of 2673
Wearing stunning cobalt blue skirts beaded and sequined dresses.
*MASQUERADE IS OVER - Lovely song, sung straight and from the heart.
This package is about their hometown of Seattle. As The announcer
talked about the city, the chorus created a rainstorm with sound effects,
and then started into
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN/ I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW - They put on shades as
the change from the rain, to sunny weather. Cute choreo!
Announcer: "We in Seattle have learned to use natural remedies, ...
Why we can even sleep in the rain. The state mascot is the slug.
When I see a slug, I get out the salt!"
PUTTIN ON THE RITZ (SLUG PARODY)- "Slimy grimy, oooey gooey, icky sticky
...Saltin down a slug! This is complete with a huge slug on a leash
and a walking Morton Salt shaker chasing it down. Ending in "Oh,
Yuck!"
Announcer: "We also have Microsoft in our area, and maybe if you've
ever used Microsoft you'll appreciate this next number"
THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES parody - "MS-DOS was fine, we loved it at the
time, the modem and the Internet helped us get on line... now we appreciate...
Windows 98. We just got used to 95... and now it's out of date."
IF I WERE A RICH MAN parody "Yes We Know a Rich Man" about how each
wants to marry Bill Gates. "Wouldn’t have to work hard if my
name were Mrs. Billy Gates." "I’m married to a very wealthy man!"
Announcer: "Bill Gates was pretty mean before he got married, but now
hes got a much sweeter disposition. (side note: according to a chorus
husband, this chattiness helped PSC toward a 29 second time penalty and
a slip into 5th place from 4th)
* BIG BAD BILL IS SWEET WILLIAM NOW parody about Bill Gates.
"In a town called Redmond, WA, Big Bad Bill is Sweet William now.
He does windows and he mops the floor."
3. RICH-TONES - From Richardson, TX, under the direction of Dale Syverson
FINAL PLACEMENT = 1ST with a score of 2805
Black pants with a shiny royal blue "cutaway" top, with tails nearly
reaching the floor. The long black sleeves have multi colored long
fringe hanging from the shoulders.
HIT THAT JIVE JACK - Snappy dancing by the front row with a lot of
jitterbugging. The sound was supurb, but I guess I don’t have to
tell you that.
Announcer: "When Mother used to put us to bed, she would sing us her
favorite lullabye. She’d start out real slow, but pretty soon the
whole house was ROCKING!
*ROCK-A-BYE YOUR BABY - Great! A really snazzy bit of choreo,
including the classic Al Jolson kneel. These gals dance as well as
they sing!
*PAL OF MY CRADLE DAYS- I heard this is a new Joni Bescos arrangement,
and it’s really powerful! The softness builds into a tremendous wall
of energy, and then fades back to the softness with little apparent effort.
Dale: "I wanted to get a little advice on this next number, and so
I thought I’d take it to my music team. This was probably a BIG mistake."
"There are the liberals.. and the front row..they want to do all the
fancy dancing and jazzy numbers."
"The Conservative’s want to do the oldies."
Dale again: "I’m in the middle, a moderate from the midwest. Yo...
I’m a baritone. And so we decided to compromise."
Liberal: "We’re going to do it MY way!"
TURN THE BEAT AROUND Turn it up.. Turn it up.. Turn it upside down.
This looks like an aerobics class!
THE BEAT GOES ON - I've never heard this song done quite like this
beofore! "Cher spends money stayin in her prime, and the beat goes
on." ..."love to hear percussion!"
4. RONNINGE SHOW CHORUS, from Ronninge, Sweden, directed by Britte-Helene
Bohnnedahl
FINAL PLACEMENT = 4th, with a score of 2695
Same outfit as the semi-finals - red with black and red sash.
*OH YOU BEAUTIFUL DOLL! - Having sung this one, I recognize the Jay
Giallombardo arrangement. They really know how to turn on the FIRE
in it! During the vamp the front row forms a V and really gets serious
about it! At the cutoff, the basses keep going and the director looks
surprised and then turns around and finishes the long, building tag.
*WILL IT BE ME THIS TIME? - they are almost whispering on "will I be
the one they choose?" Unity and precision abound in this moving ballad.
Announcer: It's great to be here again! I've been practicing
my English since then! We are proud to present for you an arrangement
by the wonderful David Wright!
I LOVE JAZZ - The intro hints at "Land of Jazz" and then later
they briefly move into it and then quickly return to I Love Jazz. (directed
by Britt-Helene's daughter, Anna Ohman)
Announcer: "Since we are a Swedish chorus, we are very happy to have
inherited two American forms of music: Barbershop and Jazz. The next
song is another, you guessed it, David Wright arrangement. It's so
well-known, you'll recognize it as soon as you hear...
AIN'T MISBEHAVING - They start rocking during the "like Jack Horner"
and then abruptly change to choir-like voices with the next lines.
Announcer: "Nice girls go to heaven. The rest go as far as we
want!"
"I never knew the true meaning of this song, until I had to deal with
130 women in Nashville! Then they transfer seamlessly into
LONELY NIGHTS - These ladies do know how to entertain! Flamboyant
seems to be the best word to describe them, but even that is a bit inadequate
at times!
5. SCOTTSDALE, Scottsdale Arizona, directed by Lori Lyford
FINAL PLACEMENT = 3rd, with a score of 2720
The chorus enters in pairs, half of them dressed, VERY realistically,
as men, (for a while some people actually thought there were men on stage)
and all wearing forties style attire, including several in military uniforms.
The director is wearing a royal blue zoot-suit with a watch fob hanging
to his... I mean "her" knees, and black and white shoes.
IT DON'T MEAN A THING - soloist at the mic, backed up by a cluster
of folks doing the "doo-wahs", and one "gentleman" at the mic doing a good
bass fiddle imitation. (I found out later that this "bass player" was a
former chorus mate of mine from the old Heart of Texas chorus! I
hadn't seen her in several years!) Then the chorus absorbs the group and
they are all doing a fancy dance step. Between songs, the dialog
is filled with lots of forties slang and really sets an authentic feel
to the performance.
*ORIGINAL DIXIELAND ONE-STEP - Wonderful choreography to compliment
the snappy tune, including a "kick-line" by six "men" sittin on the floor!
What a tag! It just kept building and building!!
OPUS ONE- accented by a lot of finger snapping and clapping but not
much organized choreo at first. There are two couples dancing and
a jazzy vocalist.
Dialog: "What's happened?" "It's Bobby.... he's gone overseas.
I'm so scared. All I have left are the words of his last letter."
*IF YOU REALLY LOVE ME - wow... what a powerful song, and a gorgeous
ending!
"Beat me Daddy, eight to the bar!..."
JUMP SHOUT BOOGIE - Several couples dance in the center as the chorus
created a "band" and a small group in the center did its own choreo.
There's another well-deserved standing ovation!
6. BAY AREA SHOWCASE, Cupertino, CA, under the direction of Pat LeVezu
FINAL PLACEMENT = 10th, with a score of 2559
They are wearing SILVER lame' dress with a hankerchief hem, and red
glitter flashing down the front.
I'M A WOMAN - featuring several soloists on the verses, and the chorus
doing the choruses! (seems fair!) These girls are HOT!
Dialog: "I can't believe it.. a weekend at a convention with ten thousand
women. ... Women!... And I'm still having fun! I did have to
leave my boyfriend home though. Sharon, did you leave your boyfriend
home, too?"
"Some of us are married, and when you're married, you're not supposed
to have a "boyfriend!" "Bummer!"
*RUNNING WILD - And they were! Nice lively song.
Dialog: "No men! Just think, no men! All year long I'm surrounded
by men. It's so great to be in a city with thousands of women and
no men!"
"Honey.. there's lots of men here!" Look over here... and over
there!"
"Sometimes one man is enough to last a life time... I had that once.
One wonderful man."
*I WISH I HAD MY OLD PAL BACK AGAIN -
Dialog: "You know what I wish... I wish I could be on the front row.
"Why?
"Well, for one thing, I stand behind you! I haven't seen the
director in 18 years!"
"Well, what's stopping you. Maybe you should try to reach your
dream!"
REACH (arranged by Pat LeVezu) - A very moving, and inspiring song,
and really well done!
7. TOAST OF TAMPA, from Tampa, FL, under the direction of Susie Bonds
FINAL PLACEMENT = 8th, with a score of 2621
Wearing various styles of outfits in black with silver enhancements.
*SONNY BOY - A relaxing, smooth ballad is welcome after so many powerhouse
packages! The audience has become almost as energized (and exhausted)
as the competitors.
Dialog: "Someday I'd like to have a child.. a little boy with blue
eyes, or maybe a little girl with rosy cheeks. But I don't have a
husband, or even a boy friend. I don't even have a CAT!"
"Listen, hon, if relationships are a problem you need my help. I can
have any man I want and I've got them all wrapped right around my little
finger."
"My Goodness! (noticing her hand) What beautiful diamonds!"
"Goodness had nothing to do with it!"
*READ HEAD MAMA/ YOU GOTTA SEE MAMA EVERY NIGHT - Half way through
this song and dance number they pulled out long red feather boas and really
got into it!
Dialog: "Girlfriend, you need to pay attention and do something to
correct this problem!" (...etc. Insert lots of suggestions...)
"That's what I like about this group...All this advice... an not one
of them is my mother!"
CAN YOU READ MY MIND - Beautiful!
I had to delete the dialog here because it made no sense without the
visual, and there's no way I could describe it here!! Sorry!
ALL ABOUT LOVE - The chorus is in clusters, with some of them seated
or kneeling. This sets a nice mood for the song.
---
Lori Lyford, director of Scottsdale, stopped by between contestants
to say hello to Kira Prewitt who was sitting next to me. I asked if she
had any words for the Harmonet. She said, "I just want to say that
we had the time of our lives!" I told her it sure looked like it
from here!]
---
8. CITY OF LAKES from Minneapolis, MN under the direction of Mary Dick
FINAL PLACEMENT = 2nd, with a score of 2731
Kira, said, as they started filing onto the stage, "Okay, describe THAT!"
I looked up, pondered a bit and then offered, "Ummm.. a Peter Pan outfit
with a black skirt under it?" Kira said that was good enough!
It did remind her of Mary Martin! If you must have details, it is
a lime and hot pink "tunic" with vertical points hanging from the top and
bottom. Sorry.. that's the best I can come up with!
*PLEASE DON'T TALK ABOUT ME WHEN I'M GONE/GOODBYE MY CONEY ISLAND BABY
- Most creative use of a kick line! It was a segue from one song
to the next in the medley! Great delivery!
WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT MINNESOTA - Mary skips around in glee as they
sing. "...Minnesota, where cornstarch is considered a spice(??) ...
Uf-da ... Minnesota" complete with Viking horns and dancing pigtails!
Announcer: October, 1956. The invention of the indoor shopping
MALL! In Minnesota, it was necessary. Sidewalk sales are tough
when it's 20 below zero! The chorus begins singing as she is ending ...SHOP
SHOP SHOP SHOP.. oh what an enoromous shopping mall! (Dance of the Toy
Soldiers)
Announcer: "When you come to MN, you'll always find a warm welcome."
*FROM THE FIRST HELLO- (altered intro... I like it.) Very well done
song! The subtle visual moves are a perfect way to enhance the touching
moments of the song. Great successive key changes just prior to the
wonderful tag!
MINNESOTA - An irreverent homage to every possible discomfort native
to MN, especially the mosquitoes! After killing a huge one with her
mosquito-swatter, Mary scooped it up and flung it into the pit!
9. RAMAPO VALLEY- directed by Renee Craig
FINAL PLACEMENT = 7th, with a score of 2627
Black Velvet dresses with white and sliver ruffles and lapels with a
thin red highlight on the edge.
*BROADWAY RHYTHM/42ND STREET MEDLEY - Halfway through they brought
out four red boas. The moves in this are very slow and sultry.
Really elegant.
*BACK IN THE OLD ROUTINE - This is the ballad version that I love and
the velvet of their dresses goes well with the velvet in the song.
The pulse is so intense, that you feel it clearly, even without the familiar
uptune pace.
RAGTIME - From who knows where, there appeared a few scattered read
wide brimmed hats throughout the chorus, and then later some red parasols.
The dancing front row is supurb. (You're welcome, Rae!)
CONEY ISLAND MEDLEY - I love this one. They look so elegant in those
dresses, how could they not sing just as elegantly!
10. CHORALAIRES - From Oakwood IL, under the direction of Joan Boutillier.
FINAL PLACEMENT = 9th, with a score of 2571
Wearing white slacks with an interesting black and white jacket.
Very sharp look!
WOOL OVER MY EYES MEDLEY?? - "Read my lips watch them say Bye Bye!"
*FOR THE SAKE OF AULD LANG SYNE - Very clean singing and a warm feel
that soothes.
Louis 16th was the king of France in 1789, he was the worst, since
Louis the 1st.
LOUIS' REVOLUTION? - "that's why the people are revolting, because
King Louis you're pretty revolting yourself." This is an uptune.
I'm not sure what other words could be used to describe it.
They hired a new director, but she wasn't sure if she could take on
this chorus, and they weren't so sure about her either!
UNDECIDED - great interaction between the director and the front row
mob.
SHAPE UP / YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT - I really had a tough time figuring
out the song titles in this package. I did occasionally recognize
a familiar melody in this song, but not enough of to identify it.
That's the end of the competition.
----
BTW - John Bloomquist, from Phoenix just stopped by and said to tell
all the Harmonetters HI! (See? I told you I would put it in!)
----
Karen Breidert said that of all the various awards that are being doled
out this week, there is one more that's being added to the list today.
Sweet Adelines will soon be the recipient of an award from the Nashville
Arena! There are numerous bronze (or some sort of cast metal) plaques
embedded in the floor of the main foyer of the arena, and they informed
us today that a new one will be cast for Sweet Adelines International,
to commemorate the convention and our organization. Cool!
----
RUMORS comes back to entertain us while the scores are being tabulated.
MOONDANCE - as Judy started to get revved up in the jazzy part she
got a "You go, girlfriend!" from Dale!
THE LADY DOWN THE HALL is (IMHO) the most beautiful song of the entire
week. "The lady down the hall doesn't like to hear us fight... she
only wants to know that everything's alright, and she's keeping an eye
on us."
Peggy :"Thank you... Charla's our secret weapon in more ways than one.
We'd like to thank a few of our supporters.... and Believe me, when
it comes to Rumors, it takes a village. (insert list of family, and
a lot of other including Joe Liles, Keith Houts, Darlene Rogers, Sharon
Babb, Michael Gellert, etc., etc.,) and one very special person to all
of us... We finally got smart and hired ourselves a manager, Judy Winters,
our O.C.O. - "Oh Cherished One!"
The one thing we want to leave you with here today, is how tickled we are. You just can't imagine how wonderful it is!
Oh, no... NOT... The GLASSES. Yep, they put on The Glasses! They
must be a half an inch thick and about as ugly as any you've ever seen.
Dale can't see to read the pitchpipe, so Peggy gets in there, head to head,
to "help." Eventually, they figure out which pitch to blow and they
begin
JEEPERS CREEPERS - It starts out very stilted, and straight, with choreographed
moves that a wooden soldier could handle without a problem! Then,
one by one, they take off the glasses and loosen up, ending with a swinging
jazzy number that gets another rousing reception by the audience.
----
Karen returns to the stage and begins by offering us some statistics
about the competition. We have had contestants from 27 regions.
The largest chorus had 149 members. The smallest had 57 members.
In addition, there have been 20687 Sweet Adelines crossing this stage.
As with the quartet contest, 3280 is the Magic number, and here are the results:
Tenth Presented by Jarmela Speta
from the Racine Chorus (The First Int'l Champions)
10. 2559 - Bay Area Showcase
Presented by Jan Muck,
director of the Valley Forge Chorus
9. 2571 - Choralaires:
Presented by Randy Loos,
former Toast of Tampa Director:
8. 2621 - Toast of Tampa
Presented by June Dale
director of the North Metro Chorus
7. 2627 - Ramapo Valley
Presented by Tom Gentil former
director of Seven Hills Chorus:
6. 2649 - Houston Horizon
Presented by Shirley Madison
5. 2673 - Pacific Sound
Presented by Tori Postma and Laura Gliedman,
director and president of the Mountain Jubilee Chorus.
4. 2695 - Ronninge Show
Presented by Jo Kraut nd Linda Ackerman
director and president of the Kansas City Chorus
3. 2720 - Scottsdale
Presented by Kim Hulbert and Throa June,
director and president of the San Diego Chorus
2. 2731 - City of Lakes
Presented by Jim Arns and Susan Montgomery,
director and president of the 1998 Champions, the Melodeers
1. 2805 - Rich Tones
The audience sings "Send Your Love" to the Rich-Tones as they are making their way to the stage, passing right in front of us. There is chaos on stage, but Karen says she doesn't have the heart to tell them to be quiet.
Dale: When we first won in Baltimore I practiced the words to say in accepting this. I was afraid to practice this time. The new blood is so exciting... First Timers, Raise your hands!" (they have 43 new members this year!)
"I'd lke to thank Region 25, our families, who have helped us keep the harmony going. (snip) ...If youre a baritone I'm sure you long for melody around the house." Dale then begins to lists several coaches who have helped them along the way, among them Brian Beck who can "out 'left-brain' even Joni Bescos!"
As Dale begins to sound a bit choked up, the chorus chants something we can't understand and she thanks them for it... and says we'll have to ask them about it later. (I did. see below.* ) "I know I'm forgetting a lot of people I should be mentioning ..."That's okay.. it'll all be in the next Pitch Pipe!"
[BTW, This is the Rich-Tones' 3rd home run in three times "at bat"!]
In closing, the chorus gives us one more stirring performance of "Rock-a-bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody." Just before they start the song someone in the front row makes a comment to Dale, pointing towards Charla standing there in her long "Rumors" dress among the rest who are wearing pants. Dale turns to us, and tells us to "Watch right there, when they do the gymnastics near the end. That's where the action will be!" Sure enough when they get to the kneeling "Al Jolsen" bit, her dress gets caught up in the fancy footwork but she manages quite well, without losing her balance or missing the move. Then she deftly and delicately picks up her skirt as she rises to do the same move the second time! The audience instantly gives their approval of her quick solution! They might as well have put a spotlight on her, because no one missed it! Pretty classy recovery!
To close the session we all sing "Here's To The Winners!" and with that we come to the close of the official activities! It's been a great week! See you in Atlanta!
---
* This story goes back to a dog named Linky, that Dale Syverson had
when she was a child. When she was away at camp, the dog died.
Her family came to pick her up at camp and her little brother, about 4
years old and eager to share the news, came bounding up happily declaring,
"Linky died! Linky died!" Now, that's all it takes to keep
her from crying when her emotions start to get the best of her. Apparently
it worked!
(thanks to the anonymous RT who shared this story for the benefit of
the Harmonet!)