An important element to learning new music is the use of learning tapes (or CD's). Director Ron Brooks arranged to get learning CD's for the new songs planned for our 2006 show, but now, how to get copies for each member of the chorus? Help came from an unexpected source.

Megan Welsh Ciaramitaro stepped forward and volunteered to make sufficient copies of each part predominant for the whole chorus. What a great help they have been!

For you newer members, Megan is the daughter of former Greater Pittsburgh tenor, Dave Welsh, who passed away in January of 1996. Dave was a long time chapter member, chapter secretary, tenor in several chapter quartets, including Random Choice, and a close friend of your editor.

Once again, thank you Megan!

Since I have been editor, I have been fortunate to have our chapter photographer, Fred Donofrio, lend his talents to the content and appearance of our bulletin. As an example, check out the two page photo montage spread on pages six and seven of this edition. In the yearly BETY competition, I have received favorable comments from the judges about the photographic content of the Pitchburgh Press. Thanks Fred, and keep up the great work.

As we start a new year, let me get back to an often repeated subject. This is your bulletin! I like to include information about individual members such as member biographies, the "guess who" child or youth pictures, articles about member's family activities, etc. Don't wait to be invited to submit such material. Just forward it to your editor. Material can be hand written, typed, e-mailed... just get it to me. If the current bulletin edition is full, I'll get it in the next.

Nothing wrong with "blowing your own horn."

A correction:

In the November-December 2005 edition of the Pitchburgh Press, in my "We Perform" column, I mentioned that the Random Choice quartet did a performance at the 55 Annual Banquet of the New Kensington Fire Department. In naming the quartet members for that performance, I inadvertently named Bill Hamilton, who missed that performance. I should have included Jay Garber, who sang bass that day.

Each year, sometime prior to show time, we have the job of preparing our show flyer for mailing to an extensive mailing list. In the past, we have gathered in the school cafeteria and had all members pitch in putting on the closure stickers, address labels and sorting by zip code per post office regulalions. This means we lose one night of rehearsal.

This year, as our show is almost two months earlier than in the past, we did not want to sacrifice a rehearsal night. So volunteers were asked to come out on a Saturday morning and perform this task.

Our thanks go out to the following members [and guests] who gathered at the North American Martyrs Church on Saturday morning, January 14, and got this yearly job done:

Jim Campbell, Ange Glorioso, Dick Hammer, John Kirwan, Gordon Knapp, Tom Koch, Jim McCarthy, Ken and Betsv Moelk, Ralph Ostlund, John Power, Don Redshaw, Walt Thomas, and former member, Al Zido.

Thanks people, and I sure hope I didn't miss anyone.

Received, via e-mail, a photo of Fred and Pat Dean, from their winter digs on Big Pine Key, Florida. Fred and Pat extended their wish for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, asked that God bless and keep us in the new year and extended their prayer for peace on earth.

Incidentally, Fred requested that we send copies of the show songs and learning CD so he is up to speed when he returns for our show. Now there is a dedicated lead. He will probably be singing 'It Had To Be You" to each fish he hauls in.

Jim McCarthy volunteered to mail the material to Fred.

Hurry back Fred, we need you.