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The Pitchburgh Press Official Bulletin of the GREATER PITTSBURGH, PA. CHAPTER VOL.XXIV, No.6 November-December 2006 |
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The Pitchburgh Press Official Bulletin of the GREATER PITTSBURGH, PA. CHAPTER VOL.XXIV, No.6 November-December 2006 |
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| I | n October, Richard (Rich) Weiss officially became the newest member of the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter and the Three Rivers Chorus. Bob Cavanaugh was awarded the "Man of Note" for introducing Rich to the chapter. |
Rich is a native Pittsburgher, having been born in Munhall. He attended parochial schools in Mount Washington and attended St. Vincent College and Seminary in Latrobe, PA. Rich is a retired Catholic priest from the Diocese of El Paso. Rich's family consisted of his parents (deceased), one sister (living), two brothers (deceased), six nieces and five nephews.
| In this issue | |
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| New Member, Rich Weiss | |
| Calendar, Org., Press Block, BD's & Anniv. | |
| Editor's page-bulletin archive status | |
| Mihmbro Contest | |
| Kennywood Photo Montage | |
| We Perform | |
| House of Delegates Report | |
| Mihmbro Contest Rules | |
| VA Harmonizers + Music Trivia | |
| Board Meeting Highlights + Music Trivia | |
| More Safari + BBS History Quiz | |
| Quiz Answers | |
When asked about how he developed an interest in Barbershop singing, Rich explained that his interest in barbershopping stems from an association with John "Jiggs" Ward, one time baritone with the 1948 Society International Championship quartet. "The Pittsburghers." You'll recall that the other members of the Pittsburghers included Harry Conte - tenor, Tom Palomone Sr.- lead and Bill Conway - bass. [see article in Jan-Feb 2004 Pitchburgh Press]. Rich was a friend of Jigg's daughter, Kathleen, and sang in a couple of quartets using Jiggs as their coach.
While in college, Rich sang with "The Rolling Rock Four," the first quartet of the newly formed Westmoreland Chapter in 1957.
Also during his college days, Rich introduced a radio show called "Barbershopping with Weiss" on WAKU, Latrobe, PA. Rich was working as a part time announcer at WAKU during his college days.
Rich relates that he never learned to read music very well but always enjoyed singing. Aren't many of us in that same situation?
At seminary, Rich sang in a 70 man choir (1959-1962). He says this was back when seminary was full, there being 200 men attending at that time.
Rich's goals in retirement are to stay healthy, finish writing a memoir and to keep on singing. Welcome aboard Rich and hopefully you'll 'keep on singing" for a long time to come.
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| Performances | ||||
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| Date | Event | Location | Time* | Uniform |
| See note below | ||||
| Activities | ||
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| Apr 14 '07 | Annual Show | Soldiers & Sailors Hall |
2006 GREATER PITTSBURGH CHAPTER and Three River Chorus
Assistant Chorus Director: Lou Vlahos
President: Bob Cavanaugh
VP Program: Joe DeFilippo
VP Music & Perf: Skip Gillis
VP Marketing & Public Relations: Tom Koch
VP Chapter Dev 't & Membership: Fred Donofrio
Secretary: Gary Corpora
Treasurer: George Mayer
BOARD MEMBERS
Don Anderson
Vaughn Eggert
Ken Ernst
Bob Parker
John Kirwan
Jim McCarthy
Don Redshaw
OTHER OFFICE
District Delegate: Joe Veltre
E-Mail Contact: Bob Parker (rparkerl73@aol.com)
Barberpole Cat Program: Joe DeFilippo
Show Chairman: Bob Parker
Show Tickets: John Kirwan
Webmaster: Bernie Sinwell
Chorus Manager: Jay Garber
Librarian: Don Redshaw
Sunshine: Ken Ernst
BIRTHDAYS:
Nov. - Bob Cavanaugh, Bill Dankmyer, Jay Garber, Tom Seimer, Tim Wilson
Dec. - Don Buzzelli, Ken Ernst, Frank Porco, Joe Veltre
Nov. - Jim & Dolly Campbell, Fred & Pat Dean, Jim & Colleen Shields, Tom & Helen Steiner
Dec. - Joe & Agnes DeFilippo, Vaughn & Sarah Eggert, Gordon & Donna knapp
THE PITCHBURGH PRESS is a bi-monthly publication of the
Greater Pittsburgh Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society
First of all, our thanks to Tim Wilson for his work in developing an updated Chapter telephone tree and chapter roster. Everyone should help to keep this up to date by notifying Tim of any errors, changes, updates, etc. Thanks Tim!
Thanks to Bill Mcveagh and Tom Steimer for planning and bringing off our annual ladies night outi Christmas party. Details of the party, including officer installation, will be reported on in the next edition of your bulletin.
Thanks to Roseann Cavanaugh for providing the table favors for the Christmas party dinner. Hope you guys didn't eat all the M&M's.
Special thanks to our JAD President, Mark Blake, for traveling to Pittsburgh to conduct the installation ceremony of our 2007 officers and board members.
The Greater Pittsburgh Chapter officers and board members for 2007 are as follow:
OFFICERS
President - Gary CorporaBOARD MEMBERS
As I look back on the year 2006, I note that our net gain in membership was zero. We must do better if we are to survive. Your District and Society is placing a very high priority on membership and we must all do the same (or find a new hobby).
Remember that the 100% Club continues through 2007:
Bring in 1 new member - reduce 2008 dues by 20%. Reduce your 2008 dues an additional 20% for each additional member. Bring in 5 or more new members, and your dues for 2008 are free. That should be some incentive!
On a personal note, I need help to keep your bulletin interesting. I need your input! I am supposed to be an editor, not an author. Let's do better in 2007.
Mihmbro Contest December 5, 2006
On December 5, the chapter held another exciting, chapter pick-up quartet contest (Mihmbro). On this evening seven quartets stepped forward into the spotlight (we have two lights... get out here!)
First to venture forth were "The Winners" (wishful thinking). Actually, they were the defending champs from the last contest of Sept. 26, 2006 when they dubbed themselves as the "Firehouse 5 PLUS three."
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Next up, were the "Mad Hatters." Actually they were mad because they only had one hat and Joe Veltre said, "it's mine, it's mine!" Here we see the quartet with Bob Parker, bari (again), George Mayer, bass; Joe Veltre, lead and Jim Shields, tenor.
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The third quartet in the spotlight was "Three and One/Half Men." Hhmm... who was the half man? In the quartet photo below we see Tom Koch, bari; Joe Veltre, bass; Lou Viahos, lead and Bill Amos, tenor. Their selection was, "Wonderful World." |
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The fourth quartet in the contest was "The 300 Four." They explained that their ages totaled 304 (clever). Below we see, Joe DeFilippo, bari; Bill McVeagh, bass; Tom Steimer, lead and Skip Gillis, tenor. Their entry was, "Yes Sir, That's My Baby." Are these guys praying or experiencing stomach gas? |
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In fifth position were Three Men and A Lost Baritone." The "lost baritone" was Ken Ernst, who was absent on contest night and Tom Koch was drafted as a last minute replacement. In the quartet photo we see, Tom Koch, bari; Bill McVeagh, bass; Jim McCarthy, lead and Skip Gillis, Tenor. The quartets selection was, "Shine On Me." Baritone Tom even added the now obsolete, prohibited, or what ever, baritone tittely at the end. |
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For more on this exciting contest, continue on to page 5.
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Page 5
Mihmbro Contest (cont from page 4)
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The sixth quartet dubbed themselves, Hell's A Popping. (no one could figure that one out!) Here in their varied hats we see, Bob Cavanaugh, bari; Dick Hammer, bass; Rich Finch, lead and Skip Gillis, tenor. Was this their imitation of the "Village People?" Anyway, they wowed us with "My Wild Irish Rose" (sans bottle).
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ln seventh, and final position, was a quartet called the "Melody Men" (how original). Notice Joe still has his hat This quartet consisted of Bob Cavanaugh, bari; Joe Veltre, bass; Don Redshaw, lead and Gary Corpora, tenor. Their selection was "Summertime." Hey Guys, this is December! |
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Now we see contest emcee Joe DeFilippo and President, Bob Cavanaugh tallying and checking the contest scoring. |
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And... the winners were, "Three and One/Half Men!" As an encore they sang, "Girl Of My Dreams." |
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Now, not to dwell on a point, but it has been pointed out before that the original baritone trophy has been misplaced, and now winning baritones get the tiny trophy we see Tom Koch holding above. Is this not another blatant example of "baritone bashing?" So here we have Tom holding a proposed substitution. Don't you just love baritones? |
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On a serious note, we all have a lot of fun with the "Mihmbro" contest and that was part of the original intent of the contest; to add diversity and fun. Also to help develop quartehng For your information, back on page 8,I have published the original contest rules as found in the Jan/Feb 1989 bulletin.
On October 8, 2006, the Three Rivers Chorus returned to Kennywood Park for a performance. Wow, two trips to Kennywood in one year! This time we were the only barbershop group entertaining, unlike back on July 1, 2006 when park goers were treated to two hours of barbershop harmony by several choruses and quartets (see your July/August Pitchburgh Press). In October, Kennywood is officially closed for the season, but this was a special day at the park sponsored by Pittsburgh's Magee Hospital. Everyone who had been born at Magee Hospital was invited for a special "Birthday" celebration.
The Fred Donofrio photo montage on the previous page shows the chorus members present that day. In the center of the page, note Jim McCarthy and the mail guy from Mr. Roger's neighborhood. In the group shot at the bottom of the page, a Pittsburgh legend, Joe Negri, has joined our group. Joe had been entertaining just prior to our performance.
Not sure why some of our chorus members are standing in front of that ominous looking hearse and driver in the center of the page. Rumor has it that it was there in case any of our members "died" on stage. Fortunately is wasn't needed (at least I don't think so).
We did two chorus perforrnances in November.
November 11, 2006, the Three Rivers Chorus entertained at the American Legion on Old Clairton Road in Pittsburgh's South Hills region. This performance was part of a Veteran's Day observance at the Legion Hall.
November 13, the chorus traveled east to Monroeville and did a luncheon perforrnance for the residents at the Beatty Point assisted living center.
December 14, the chorus members traveled north to Pittsburgh's North Hills area. There we performed for the Sisters of Devine Providence at a Christmas party.
Seems we somehow missed performing in the west end of Pittsburgh.
Turning to quartet activity, the Random Choice quartet (RC) has been busy (and random).
October 14, RC appeared on the campus of Carnegie Mellon University during the 2006 homecoming weekend. They performed at an Alumni luncheon in the Weigand Gym. The only other performer that day was a bag-piper (who they declined to sing with). The quartet that day consisted of Bill Amos, Jay Garber, Gordon Knapp and Tom Koch.
On November 15, RC entertained at St. Susanna parish hall in Penn Hills. The quartet that day included Bill Amos, Bill Hamilton, Gordon knapp and Tom Koch.
On Saturday, November 25, RC, using Bill Amos, Ken Ernst, Jay Garber and Mark Pascarella sang for the 85th birthday celebration of Ruth Fisher. The celebration, attended by four generations, was held at the family home (mansion) in Squirrel Hill. The performance included a requested sing-along that contained the Cornell University fight song. This was followed by a nasty parody of the same song, by Jay and Ruth, somehow remembered from the late 40's. The evening provided plenty of laughs for all involved (maybe excluding a few of the jokes by humble tenor, Bill Amos).
On December 2, RC (Amos-Garber-Knapp-Koch) sang at another birthday celebration. This was a family gathering at Banquets Unlimited in Wilmerding, and honored the birthdays of husband and wife, Jerry (80th) and Barbara (70th) Parissi.
December 12, RC (same characters as Dec 2) drove up onto Mt. Washington and sang for a Christmas party gathering at the Mt. Washington Senior Center. This was a dual performance consisting of standard barbershop songs followed by a Christrnas Carol sing-a-long with the audience, plus a few other inter-active numbers.
Doing a little catch-up on quartet activity, Bill Hamilton reports to me that the Pals Of The Wood Shed have done some performances. This quartet consists of Bill Hamilton, bass; Tom Palamone Sr.,tenor; Tom Palamone Jr., lead and Ken Williams (south hills chapter) singing baritone. August 12 and September 30 they performed at a nutrition clinic on Pittsburgh's South Side. November 4, they sang for a birthday celebration at the Pleasant Hills VFW and on November 10, they sang at the Mt. Washington, Chatham Village Senior Center.
Here is a singing tip about "hydration" that I picked up from Jon Wagner of BHS in Sun City Florida via the PROBE site.
Throat dry? There are a lot of things that can contribute to dryness in the throat - hydration definitely being a concern.
A lot of guys think that simply drinking water at rehearsal will nip that problem in the bud, but the truth is hydration has to be an overall routine, not just during rehearsals. At the very least, drink plenty of water the day of rehearsals or performances - get it in your system as a back up. On the spot hydration will not work wonders. Re-hydrate following your singing activity as well.
Another observation of Jon's:
Improved sound and expression has been witnessed with quartets when they added some physical movement. The same is achieved by facial expression. When learning and practicing a song, determine where to smile and lift eyebrows as if singing to an audience. Practice doing it each time you sing the song and soon it becomes automatic - your brain will have you do it without thinking about it.
Think about it guys... don't we usually sound better when we get off our chairs, sing with the movements and listen to Joe's pleading to "raise your eyebrows?"
Following are highlights of the House Of Delegates meeting held in Columbus, Ohio, September
30, 2006.
1. District [JAD] in financial trouble due to low attendance at conventions. Chapters are to double check to see if they paid their show clearance fees and show ticket fees.
2. JAD membership is up but the Society's numbers are down by 537 at the end of August. We must continue to address ways that we can both increase retention and add new members. We should be using "Singing is Life" video. It is a great marketing tool.
3. Plans for moving Society Headquarters to Nashville are making excellent progress. They have a purchase agreement on a building in downtown Nashville, right in the heart of the action, and are well along with the process for closing the deal.
4~ New chapter officers should plan to attend COTS. This one coming up is January 13 & 14, 2007 in the Concourse Hotel near the Columbus airport.
5. Society officers for 2007 are: President, Nash Funderburg; Executive VP, Bill Biffle; Immediate Past President, Drayton Justus; Treasurer, Bob Quiggey; Secretary & CEO, Ed Watson.
6. District President, Mark Blake says the Divisions Management Team must do a better job in visiting, communicating with and organizing activities with their respective chapters.
7. The District is planning more activities for convention attendees not competing.
8. The District will encourage and support every chapter in its self-identified plan for fellowship, skill building and education by making tools and resources available.
9. JAD values and respects each chapter and will try to help it be the kind of chapter it wants to be.
10. Our chapter should encourage music in schools and communities.
11. The Events Team, headed by Skip Kropp, is looking for a place to hold the 2007 Prelims.
12. What would you like to have happen or done at conventions other than contests?
13. The District's number one project is membership recruitment, orientation and retention.
14. District officers for 2007 are: President, Mike Banish; Executive VP, Dave Calland; Secretary, Dave Richards; Treasurer, Don Winterbalter; Board Members at Large, Trenton Ferro, Kirk Rose and Bari Courts.
Here are the original "Mihmbro" contest rules set forth in January 1989;
· There will be a maximum of three quartets competing; the winners of the previous month, plus two challenging quartets.
· A quartet may have only two members who presently sing with an active quartet, registered or non-registered.
· A man may sing in a maximum of two quartets, but must sing a different voice part with each quartet.
· Quartets must register on contest night to participate in the following month's contest. Contest dates will be posted monthly
· Winners will be determined by membership votes. A vote count will be taken after the performances of all three contending quartets are completed. The members will vote by raising their hands with eyes closed. In the event of a tie, the winner will be determined by the quartet promotion chairman.
· Trophies will pass from winner to winner to be held no more than three months in a row, after which the quartet must surrender the trophies and not compete for two months, or disband and form new quartets using not more than two members from the champion quartet.
· Chapter informal uniforms may be used, or uniforms of personal choice.
· There will be one song per quartet; singing time minimum; 1 minute, 45 seconds.
· Songs to be sung will be selected from selection sheet (listed in the bulletin). This list will change after the first seven months.
· Quartets will be judged on sound, stage presence, and the ability to entertain.
· On the seventh month there will be a parade of contest winners, singing one or two songs of their choice.
You can see that the contest at the outset was much more rigidly controlled than in the recent past. But also remember that in 1989 we had close to 130 members and 70 some, or more, showing up each week.
As stated else where in this issue, the intent of the contest was to promote quarteting at the chapter level and add fun and diversity to our weekly program. This should still be our objective. However, we may want to conduct the contest in a slightly more serious vein.
Obviously, the rules need to be updated some. In my opinion, promoting quartet singing will lead to overall better chorus singing. Quartet singers must be able to carry their part alone. There cannot be a "leaner" in a quartet.
Since the fall of 1989, a group of Pittsburgh, Highland Drive VA Hospital patients have been singing and experiencing barbershop harmony every Wednesday morning, thanks to a group of 15-20 barbershopppers from the Greater Pittsburgh and North Hills Chapters of the Barbershop Harmony Society.
The idea of using barbershop style music as patient therapy originated when Judy Good (Christ), a music therapist at the Highland Drive facility overheard the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter "Daytymers" quartet singing at the hospital. She observed that some of her VA patients recognized the tunes and would join in singing. She talked with Lou Vlahos, lead singer with the Daytymers, and asked if the quartet could teach the patients the barbershop style of singing.
Lou talked with the other quartet members and they agreed to work with the patients. Soon other barbershop members joined the quartet and expanded the scope of the program to the present Wednesday morning sessions that include several barbershoppers and a large room full of patients.
The barbershoppers do not just sing to" the patients, but encourage them to join in a "Sing-A-Long" style, which in turn has attracted more patients to the sessions. Patients were encouraged to sing solos and presently, some do, to the delight of their fellow vets.
Assisting Lou Vlahos in leading these sessions has been Bill Amos, known to his fellow barbershoppers as "The Humble Tenor." Since the second year of the program, several members of the North Hills Chapter have joined with Greater Pittsburgh in this wonderful program.
In 1999, a VLQ (very large quartet), from the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter, called the "The Backyard Boys" started to sing at the Oakland VA Hospital (Pittsburgh) on the fourth Wednesday evening of each month. This group, started by Jim McCarthy, roams from room to room, singing to appreciative patients and visiting family members. On occasion, the "Backyard Boys" put on brief singing performances to some of the nursing staff and patients at the close of the Wednesday night Bingo sessions.
Going back to the Wednesday morning program, one of the regular patient solo singers was one Sylvester Johnson, known to everyone as "Sarge." The "Sarge" passed away on Oct 13, 2006 of cancer and only then did we learn about his background. The solos sung by Sylvester were usually of a religious nature and he was never without his bible. Sylvester was badly wounded by a mine in Italy in WWII. Sylvester "Bus" Johnson was drafted in October 1942 when the Army reactivated the 92nd Infantry Division, an all-black unit that had been inactive since the end of WWI. The 92nd with its Buffalo Soldiers, were the only black troops in front line combat in WWII.
During combat, and the receiving of his near fatal injuries, Sylvester experienced a "foxhole conversion" and dedicated his life to the Lord. He never forgot this promise and devoted his life to setting a good example and in spite of the racism he encountered, always preached a message of unity and love for his fellow man.
The "Sarge" will be sorely missed by everyone involved with the VA Harmonizers program.
We should note here that Greater Pittsburgh Chapter member, George Charlton, served in WWII with the Army 10th Cavalry (the Buffalo Soldiers) in North Africa and Italy. Some of George's "firsts" with the Army included being Commanding Officer of the 336th Military Police Battalion, being Provost Marshall of the 99th Army Reserve Command in Oakdale, Pa and retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. George used to be a regular participant in the VA Harmonizer program.
Perhaps George and Sylvester may have met there in Italy in WWII. Fill us in, George.
In January of 1989, Joe DeFilippo instituted the Chorus Quartets Monthly Contests" with awards being the "Mihmbro Trophies." At the start, there was a rather detailed set of contest rules (outlined in the Jan/Feb Pitchburgh Press.)
The original "Mihmbro" trophies were donated by Bill Mihm, brother of chapter members Henry and Fritz Mihm. Brother Bill was in the trophy business in Florida. Over the years the competition came to be known as the Mihmbro contest.
In the beginning, competing quartets had to select from a list of contest songs, which was changed every seven months.
In the very first contest (January 17, 1989), the winning quartet was made up of Joe Knittel, bass; Bill Bluemle, lead; Bill Amos, tenor and Bruce Stevens, bari. Their song was, "Wait till the Sun Shines, Nellie." Quartet #2 consisted of Ron Fuchs, bass; Gordon Knapp, lead; Karl Chapple, tenor and Jack Wright, bari, singing the "Shine On Me, Down Our Way" medley. In quartet #3, were Bill Hamifton, bass; Lou Vlahos, lead; Tom Palamone, Sr., tenor and Bob Hyland, bari, singing their own rendition of Sweet Adeline.
At the outset, Joe DeFilippo started this contest to encourage chapter quarteting, and to inject some diversion and fun into our weekly chapter activity. Let's all try to keep this tradition alive. Get in a quartet and compete at our next contest.
Attendees: Don Anderson, Bob Cavanaugh, Gary Corpora, Joe DeFilippo, Skip Gillis, John Kirwan, George Mayer, Jim McCarthy, Bob Parker and Don Redshaw.
Vice President Reports:
Chapter Development - A motion was passed to formally accept our newest members, Bob Faglione and Rich Weiss. John Powers submitted a letter of resignation from the chapter. He will be missed by all.
Program - Discussion took place about length of meeting; starting early, extending to 10:00, etc. We need a plan for nights when Guy does not come and a plan for [learning] new music.
Committee Reports:
Show Committee - Bob Parker reported that the theme title is Girl Of My Dreams. Trying to determine best way to recognize our wives at the show. Bob would like to see at least two brand new songs on show. Afterglow committee (Bob Parker and Bob Cavanaugh) will meet later to discuss afterglow menu. Afterglow planned to be at Epiphany Church near Mellon Arena as high costs precludes Soldiers & Sailors Hall this year. Tentatively planning on max of 300 at Afterglow including only cast and guests, not general public.
Picnic - Jim McCarthy will investigate a new venue for next years picnic.
Nominations - George Mayer noted that with resignation of John Powers, we must fill the balance of his two year term (board). Gary Corpora will approach new members.
Election results were as follows:
President - Gary Corpora Secretary - Tom Steimer
Treasurer - George Mayer Program - Joe Defilippo
Music & Perf. - Skip Gillis Mkt. & PR - Tom Koch
Devel - Bob Parker Past Pres. - Bob Cavanaugh
Board Members: Fred Donofrio, Don Redshaw,
John Kirwan, Jim McCarthy, Tony Sangermano,
Bill McVeagh.
[subsequently, Rich Weiss was elected to complete John Power's term].
New Business: Tony Sangermano agreed to resume his role as "Craft-master" for the chorus. The next COTS school will be Jan. 13-14, 2007.
Board Meeting - November 15, 2006:
Vice Presidents Reports:
Chapter Development - It was pointed out that we need to have an insert in our show program again to solicit new members. Bob Parker noted that Lou Sisk, Stan Beck, John Powers and Ronnie Brooks will likely let their chapter membership expire. [This has occurred]
Music and Performance - Skip Gillis has talked to Guy Russo regarding his availability. Guy will be busy most of December. Joe DeFilippo requested we get learning tapes [disks] for our two new songs.
Program - A Mihmbro contest was scheduled for November 28. Discussion held regarding what kind of craft Guy Russo would be willing to teach [to assist Sangermano]
Committee Reports:
Show Committee - Bob Parker reported that we need to find a new venue for our afterglow. Bob Cavanaugh pointed out that a Brittney Spears performance at the Mellon arena the night of our afterglow would preclude parking at the Epiphany Church parking lot.
Ladies Night - Mark Blake, outgoing JAD President, has been lined up to conduct our officer installation. A motion was made and passed to charge members $20 and guests $35 for the ladies night.
Music Trivia
I'll Take You Home Kathleen is not, in fact, a tune of Irish origin. It was written in 1875 by Thomas Westendorf, a public school music teacher in Plainfield, Illinois, and the first public performance of the tune was in the Plainfield's town hall. Westendorf wrote the tune for his wife Jeanie, while she was visiting her home town of Ogensburg, New York. In 1876, it was one of two most popular songs in America - the other being Grandfather's Clock. (I have no idea why Westendorf would write of Kathleen for his wife Jeanie]?
The song was once performed by Riley and Moody,
two Star Trek extras, in the episode "The Naked Time."
It has also been sung by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash,
Bing Crosby, Mitch Miller, Charlie Landsborough and
The Irish Tenors.
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Page 11
In the July-August 2006 Pitchburgh Press, Jay Garber provided us with an interesting account of his safari trip (photographic/video; not hunting) to Tanzania and Kenya, East Africa in June of 2006. This was Jay's second such safari trip to Africa.
During Jay's latest trip, he produced approximately eight hours of wildlife video. Jay managed to select out two hours of this video and edit it for public presentation.
The Monroeville Public Library selected Jay's two hour program for presentation as part of their series of adult programs and advertised it to the general public via the library web site as follows:
'Join Jay Garber as he takes us on a two week safari through Tanzania and Kenya. See the Serengeti plains during the "great migration," follow predators as they stalk their prey, watch newborns take their first tentative steps, see elephant matriarchs lead their herds to the feeding grounds and watering holes, and follow colorful birds in their search for food. This is the visual record of one family's unforgettable vacation to one of the most fascinating places on earth - a close up look at the countryside and wildlife of East Africa.'
Jay's program was billed as 'Armchair Adventures - East African Safari" and was presented by Jay, at the library, on October 11, 2006.
The photograph at the right is of Jay Garber during his library presentation:
A few of our chapter members wandered over to the
Monroeville Library to enjoy Jay's video presentation.
Pictured below we see (left to right), Fred Donofrio,
Ralph Ostlund, Betsy Moelk, Ken Moelk, Ange
Glorioso and Jay Garber.
Barbershop History - General Knowledge Quiz
Author: Mark Axelrod, editor of Blue Chip Chatter,
Teaneck, NJ.
I. Floyd Connett (the Society's very first musical field rep) was dubbed Mr. Barberpole Cat because the concept of the program was his. The idea behind the program was/is to provide all barbershoppers everywhere with the common arrangements of simple chestnuts to be sung during contest weekends, inter-chapter get-togethers and other events where barbershoppers from different chapters find them selves in the same place at the same time. It's barbershopping's very own secret handshake.
2. Mac Huff, a musical field rep employed by the Society in the 1960's and 1970's, and Ralph Ribble, the Society president at the time the program was launched.
3. 1971
4. The Barberpole Cat program had no predecessor per se. However, Floyd Connett saw the need for it, or something like it as early as the late 1950's. lt was then that Floyd published the song book entitled Just Plain Barbershop, which provided barbershoppers with a common repertoire for the first time. (Extra personal trivia - In the fall of 1967 when I [Mark Axelrod] started singing in my first quartet, the FDU Barbershop Quartet - this was before I became a Society member - all the songs we learned were in Just Plain Barbershop. This collection of old, simple barbershop tunes remains available from the Society to this day).
5. The original Pole Cats songs from 1971 include: My Wild Irish Rose, Down Our Way, Honey/Little Lize Medley (counted as one song), Sweet, Sweet Roses Of Mom and Shine On Me. The 12-song series we are familiar with today was adopted in 1987 by a vote of all Society members and consists of the five songs mentioned above plus: Wait Till The Sun Shines Nellie, Let Me Call You Sweetheart, Heart of My Heart, Sweet Adeline, Down By The Old Mill Stream, Sweet And Lovely and You Tell Me Your Dream.
Source: harmonize.com/PROBE/aids/History/Quizzes/quiz47
Visit us on the WEB at: http://www.harmonize.com/Greaterpittsburgh
If you love to sing, try
BARBERSHOP SINGING
We meet every Tuesday
7:30 pm
at Trinity Christian School
299 Ridge Ave
Pittsburgh, PA (Forest Hills)
Please come visit us
Guests are always welcome
This publication is distributed to chapter members, selected bulletin editors, Johnny Appleseed District and Society representatives, and others upon specific request to the editor. Views expressed in this bulletin are not necessarily those of BHS or the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter.
Tom Koch, Bulletin Editor
334 Coleman Drive
Monroeville, PA 15145-4828
(412)373-3025
E-Mail: poppopduck@aol.com
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