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The Pitchburgh Press Official Bulletin of the GREATER PITTSBURGH, PA. CHAPTER VOL.XXV, No.6 November-December 2007 We are a singing organization (This version is not a true copy of the original Bulletin.) |
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The Pitchburgh Press Official Bulletin of the GREATER PITTSBURGH, PA. CHAPTER VOL.XXV, No.6 November-December 2007 We are a singing organization (This version is not a true copy of the original Bulletin.) |
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| Tom Koch - BOTY - 2007 |
A
s you all know, in addition to being your editor, I emcee at most of our chorus performances. As emcee, I'm never at a loss for words or stories. But at this year's ladies night, when I was announced as the BOTY for 2007, I was greatly surprised and really at a loss for words (well, almost).
If I forgot to say it that night, let me say now that I am highly appreciative of this honor. I hope to remain worthy of this designation in the future.
Special thanks go out to the nominating committee, Bill Amos, John Kirwan & Gordon Knapp, for making this possible. I mentioned to Bill Amos that he must enjoy my emcee jokes. He replied, "well... there were pros and there were cons." Oh well, you can't win them all!
Talking about "special thanks," there is one person that I must really extend special thanks to, and that is my wonderful wife, Carol.
| In this issue | |
|---|---|
| Editor Tom Koch - 2007 BOTY | |
| Calendar, Org., Press Block, BD's & Anniv. | 2 |
| Editor's page | |
| One from the heart + We perform | |
| We perform (cont.) | |
| Mihmbro Contest of 10/30/07 | |
| VA Harmonizer Program | |
| Ladies Night - 12/07/07 | |
| Board Meeting Highlights + Misc. | |
| Visit to Metro Chapter + delayed "thank you" | |
| Barbershop history quiz + Strange happening | |
| History quiz answers | |
You all know how much time this "hobby" of ours can consume. In a typical week, I might be at our meeting Tuesday night, over at the VETS hospital with the "Harmonizers" Wednesday morning followed by a chapter board meeting Wednesday night. Then there may be a chorus performance and a quartet job in the same week. Then I disappear into my home office for hours on end to work on my bulletin. It takes a special kind of wife to have the patience to tolerate our "hobby" and I have been fortunate to have one.
So, here's a big Thank You to my wife, Carol, for standing behind me. (Hang in there kiddo, COTS school is next month!).
Remember.... This is your bulletin. Help your editor out by making a New Years Resolution to contribute to the bulletin in 2008. Thanks to everyone who contributed in 2007.
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| Performances (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Event | Location | Time* | Uniform |
| May 28, Wed | Longwood | Oakmont | 7:30pm | TBD |
| June 12, Thu | Plum AARP | Unity, PA | TBD | TBD |
The two scheduled performances above and activities below are well into year 2008, but I have included them so you can put them on your planning calendar. Make sure to keep checking the web site calendar, your e-mail, and announcements by chorus manager, Jay Garber.
| Activities (2008) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 11-12 | COTS School | Columbus, Ohio |
| Apr. 11-13 | JAD International Prelims | Location TBD (probably Columbus) |
| May 10 | Gr. Pgh. Chapter annual show | Woodland Hills High School |
| June 12-15 | JAD Apple Corps | Kenyon College, Cambier, Ohio |
| Oct. 17-19 | JAD District Convention | Location TBD |
OTHER OFFICE
District Delegate: open
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
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2007
BIRTHDAYS:
Nov. Bob Cavanaugh, Bill Dankmyer, Jay Garber, Lou Sisk, Tom Steimer, Tim Wilson
Dec. Don Buzzelli, Ken Ernst, Frank Porco, Joe Veltre
Nov. Jim & Dolly Campbell, Fred & Pat Dean, Jim & Colleen Shields, Tom & Helen Steimer
Dec. Joe & Agnes DeFilippo, Vaughn & Sara Eggert, Gordon & Donna Knapp
THE PITCHBURGH PRESS is a bi-monthly publication of the
Greater Pittsburgh Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society
Editor: Tom Koch (tpkoch334@comcast.net)
Graphics Layout & Photography: Fred Donofrio
Other Photographers: Tom Koch, Jim McCarthy
Column Contributors (this issue): Fred Donofrio, Jay Garber, Tom Koch, Jim McCarthy
ALL GREATER PITTSBURGH CHAPTER MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONTRIBUTE T0 "The Pitchburgh Press". Material for input should be submitted to the editor. Unless shown by byline or other credit, all the written material in this bulletin are the creation of the editor.
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For your information, here are the officer's and board members for the upcoming year 2008:
OFFICER'S - 2008
President - Gary Corpora
V.P. - Chapter Development - Bob Parker
V.P. - Music & Performance - Skip Gillis
V.P. - Program - Joe DeFilippo
V.P - Marketing & PR - Tom Koch
Immediate Past President - Bob Cavanaugh
Secretary - Rich Finch
Treasurer - Ken Moelk
BOARD MEMBERS - 2008
Fred Donofrio, Angelo Glorioso, Dick Hammer, Bill McVeagh, Ralph Ostlund and Tom Steimer
MUSIC LEADERS - 2008
Chorus Director: Gary Corpora
Assistant Director: Lou Vlahos
SPECIALISTS - 2008
District Delegate: open
E-Mail Contact: Bob Parker (rparker@verizon.net)
Barberpole Cat Program: Joe DeFilippo
Show Chairman: Bob Parker
Show Tickets: John Kirwan
Webmaster: Bernie Sinwell (brsin@verizon.net)
Chorus Manager / Performance Contact: Jay Garber (jaygarber@verizon.net)
Librarian: Don Redshaw
Sunshine: Ken Ernst
Pitchburgh Press Editor: Tom Koch (tpkoch@comcast.net )
Back in early November, 2007, I received a phone call from George Charlton. George notified me that his mother, Mildred F. Charlton, had passed away on October 27, 2007 at the age of 103. She was living in Inglewood, California.
Chapter condolences are extended to George and his familv members. However, George can take solace in the fact that his mother had a long and, hopefully, wonderful life.
Here's hoping George has inherited his mother's longevity genes and we will see him back at chapter meetings at some time in Ihe future.
6th Annual High School Harmony Festival:
In early December, Jarvis Cotton (Pittsburgh Metro Chapter) and his committee issued a notification to area high school music educators. Here is a portion of that notice:
"Put Saturday January 26. 2008 on your calendar right now. That's when the 6th Annual Pittsburgh Area High School Harmony Festival will be held, this year at Trinity Christian School auditorium in Forest Hills. Last year we were at CAPA High School in downtown Pittsburgh.
The event is sponsored by chapters of the Barbershop Harmony Society, and Sweet Adelines International in the Metropolitan Pittsburgh area.
It is a place where boy's quartets, girls quartets, mixed quartets, and small ensembles have a chance to sing with their peers, be evaluated by qualified judges, and receive customized and private feedback and coaching. The winning group (all categories) will receive a traveling trophy for retention at their school for the next year. The winning boy's and girl's quartets aiso receive trophies and will have the opportunity to compete in the Johnny Appleseed District High School Contest held in March, usually in Columbus, OH, and receive $100 each towards travel expenses...
The notification went on to provide Festival Rules and Criteria and Registration Forms. Registration is free. It was pointed out that they are still evaluating whether to have a singing clinic on the same day, as was done in three of the past four years.
Several of our Greater Pittsburgh members participated in the clinic last year at CAPA High School along with other BHS chapter members. Hopefully we will continue to support this event this year. We know that we probably will not see high school graduates get immediately involved in barbershopping as they will be involved in further education, starting of families, work careers, etc. However, by assisting them in choral efforts now, we may plant the seed that will sprout in later life. This is what we need to do to keep the barbershop style of singing from passing into the history books.
Keep on the lookout for more information on the Harmony Festival and plan to give it your support.
Looks like the BHS is getting things working in Nashville. The LiveWire newsletter is back on line. You can read the latest LiveWire on the web at www.barbershop.org/livewire.
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The Random Choice Quartet (for this gig, consisting of Bill Arnos, Ken Ernst, Jay Garber & Gordon Knapp) had the honor and privilege of doing one small bit for the boys in Iraq. Well, maybe not for the boys, but surely for one of the important Officer and Gentlemen' in the field. Captain (full three stripper) Victor Stiebel is a doctor in the U.S. Navy. He is in charge of receiving and distributing medical supplies to the Iraq landside hospitals.
Capt. Stiebel got our [quartet] name from some, as yet, undisclosed source and sent me an e-mail asking if we could sing at a 50th birthday party for his wife [in Squirrel HilL]. We could! The details were arranged through an exchange of overseas computer messages and a local friend of his who coordinated the operation, by phone, on the Pittsburgh side. The affair was to be a surprise house party for an extended family gathering. As it turned out, there were about twenty people, many from out of town, in attendance.
Mrs. Stieble was in deep conversation with her visiting parents when the quartet made their entrance (singing happy birthday to you). No one, except our local contact, knew we were coming. We found ourselves not only entertaining the gathered guests, but also the proud husband himself, who watched us through a web camera set up in the living room connected to a similar set-up at his base in Iraq. The Captain in Iraq, the family in Squirrel Hill and the quartet could all see and hear each other in real time. There were laughs (Honey/Li'l Liz, substituting Donna for Honey); there were tears (Let There Be Peace On Earth); pride (God Bless America) and general happiness (Wonderful World).
We noticed many in the room joining us on the patriotic songs. Our negotiated fee (set up in a past e-mail) was to be "Free consultation for one year" after the Doctor's arrival back in the city. The medical specialty of Dr. Stieble is Geriatric Psychiatry. Who could ask for a more appropriate category?
The Captain is due back in the States some time this coming spring. He is a teaching Professor at the Univ. of Pittsburgh Medical School. To the right is a picture of Captain Stiebel in his "Class A" uniform. He says he wears Marine camo fatigues at his Iraqi Base.
Here are a few thank you's extended to the quartet:
From family member Susan Fuhrman:
Hi Jay, Many thanks to you and the quartet! You were AMAZING!! This will surely be a birthday that Donna will remember forever! With an original song, too! I cannot tell you - well, I guess you saw the tears in Donna's eyes for yourselves. God Bless America was extremely moving. You guys are the best - thank you so much. SueFrom birthday gal, Donna Stiebel:
Dear Jay and The Amazing Quartet, Thank you so much for making my 50th birthday special. Having my husband in Irag was not the way I planned it, and this made him seem a bit closer. Thank you for your kindness. Donna Stiebel
[Now that's "Gold Medal" barbershopping!]
Our Three Rivers Chorus finished up year 2007 with a variety of performances:
On October 22, 2007. the chorus performed at the Grand View Golf Club for a dinner affair of members from "Lou Vlahos' church." We did let Lou direct one song.
Continued on page 5
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We Perform ~ continued from page 4:
November 13, 2007, the Three Rivers Chorus sang for the "Senior Achievers" at First Evangelical church in McKeesport. From this very enthusiastic group, the chorus received a standing ovation. So we did an encore selection: none other than, Shenandoah. Hope that made Bill Amos happy. Here is a photo from the "Senior Achievers" performance:
Moving on to November 18, the chorus performed for the St. Matachy Seniors at St. Malachy RC church in Coraopolis. Joe DeFilippo added to the performance by leading the group in an audience "sing-along." New member, father Russ Mauer, a retired priest from St Malachy, took part in the performance. Below and to the right is a photo of Fr. Maurer aiong with the chorus members the day of this performance. The chorus now has two priests and one minister.
The following day, the chorus traveled to East Liberty to perform for residents at Vintage Adult Services. This very enthusiastic group joined right in with some of the Christmas selections the chorus included in the performance and with our closing, God Bless America. It is always a joy to see people getting into the spirit and enjoying themselves so much at chorus performances. That makes it all worthwhile, guys!
Still in November, on the 30th , the chorus traveled east into Westmoreland County to Murrysville and performed for a large gathering at the Murrysville Senior Center. Again we were very well received and many of the group, including the Mayor of Murrysville, told us afterwards how much they enjoyed our entertainment.
There appears to be an obvious pattern here in that we seem to sing for mostly senior's groups. However, Dec 1, the chorus traveled west to the Robert Morris College Campus in Moon Township and sang at a dinner meeting of a Remote Control (radio controlled) Airplane Club. I have to admit, though, that most of the club members seemed to be in the senior category. No, we did not sing, "Up, Up, and Away."
Well, that about wraps up our chorus performances for 2007. A tip of the hat to our chorus manager, Jay Garber, for all the effort he puts into lining up these engagements. It is so great to see the smiles and general enjoyment expressed by so many appreciative audience members. I just wish that more of our chapter members would partake of this great experience and join in the fun of entertaining. Please make a "New Years Resolution" to make as many performances in 2008 as you can. Why else do you come and rehearse each Tuesday night?
Turning to quartet action, there is not a whole lot to report. The Random Choice Quanet closed out the year with two performances. Bill Amos, Jay Garber, Gordon Knapp and Tom Koch sang for both.
On December 6, RC sang for a United Methodist Wornens group Christmas luncheon at the Ingomar United Methodist Church. As it was a Christmas luncheon, we included a selection of Christmas Carols and songs into the performance repertoire. As a joke, emcee Tom mentioned that the quartet would not go along with his desire to sing Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer. Lo and behold, half the ladies piped up and said they wanted to hear it. So we sang Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer but not exactly in true barbershop four part harmony.
On December 13, RC appeared at Eastmont Country Club and did a performance for Hebron United Methodist AARP #2600, Penn Hills Chapter. This was a much larger group (approximately 75) and was made up of about equal parts men and women.
I don't know of any further quartet jobs scheduled for 2007. For the year 2008, I sure would like to be able to report on a lot more quartet singing. As I have said many times guys, there are groups out there looking for entertainment. Go find them, get a quartet together and book some performances. Start with the Valentine quartet singing and take it from there. Your quartets can basically use chorus repertoire... you don't have to start with songs that are unique to your quartet. And keep me informed!
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On October 30, we held another of the infamous Greater Pittsburgh "Mihmbro Contests." Just in case you don't remember, these contest have been going on for close to 20 years (I couldn't determine the actual start date) and were named after the Mihm brothers, Henry and Fritz who sang with Greater Pittsburgh and brother Bill who donated the original trophies.
For this contest we had five quartets compete These days we have to bend the original rules a bit and permit members to sing in more than one quartet due to our reduced membership
First up was the Dit dit dit dah Quartet consisting of (left to right in photo to right) Tom Koch, bari; Jay Garber, bass; Lou Vlahos, lead and Jim Shields, tenor. The quartet explained that 'dit-dit-dit dah" was morse code for "V" which stood for victory. The quartet sang Carolina in the Morning.
Stepping up second was the Gators Quartet (second from top) with (again, left to right) Bob Parker, bari; George Mayer, bass; Don Redshaw, lead and Skip Gillis, tenor. We're sure that Gateway Gator HS retired teacher Bob Parker had an influence on the name selection. Their selection was Shine On Me.
In third place we had the Try To Remember
Quartet (third from top) with (It. to rt.) Joe Defilippo, lead; Rich
Weiss, bass; Jim Shields, tenor and Bob
Cavanaugh, bari. In the photo (top next column), the
quartet is trying to remember the words to Sentimental
Journey
The fourth contestants (fourth from top) were the Song Men 4 with Ken Ernst, bari; Bill Mcveagh, bass; Jim McCarthy, lead and Skip Gillis, tenor. Their chosen song was Sweet & Lovely. We hope they weren't referring to themselves!
Fifth and final we had the Good Measure Quartet (fifth from top)of Bob Cavanaugh, bari; Bill McVeagh, bass; Ralph Ostlund, lead and Jim Shields, tenor. Their selection was Let Me Call You Sweetheart . Maybe they'll be one of our Valentine quartets?
Well, the "V" for victory seemed to work and Dit Dit Dit Dah (bottom photo) were voted the winners. Here they are with their trophies. As an encore they sang Zip-a-dee do-dah.
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Seen here are
Highland Drive VA Volunteers who help run the highly successful "Music Therapy Sing Along Program " every Wednesday morning.
Front Row ( I. to r.): Stan Schultz; Rita BIumer; Al Blumer; Kevin Patterson, volunteer; John Dietz; Ken Ernsl; Paul Tavior, volunteer; Keith Zanotti, VA Staff; Nancy Kennedy, VA Nurse. Back Row (l to r): Jim McCarthy; Bill Amos; Bernie Sippie; Walt Brown; Kevin Patterson, patient volunteer; Fred Dean; John Powei; Mike Durish, patient volunteer; and Uri Carpenter
Highland Drive VA Patient "Music Therapy Sing-Along Program" Begins 19th Year
If you've ever participated in a Sing-Along song session, you'll appreciate this story: The "Music Therapy Sing-Along Program" VA patients at Pittsburgh's Highland Drive VA Hospital has been a winner since it's inception 18-years ago dating back to the fall of 1979. It was then that a handful of Greater Pittsburgh Chapter singers from the Barbershop Harmony Society, under the tutelage of Lou Viahos, began this wonderful program. The program consists of leading Highland Drive VA Hospital patients in a "sing-along" music program every Wednesday morning from 10-11 AM. A year after its humble beginning, singers from the North Hills Chapter Barbershoppers joined the program in leading these patients to sing songs from the good old days (1900-1970's).
The number of patients attending this popular sing-along session each week ranges from 20 to 40. Anywhere from approximately 6 to 15 Barbershop singers participate each week to run the prograrn. They pass out Sing~Along songbooks put together by Danny Wilhelm, a VA hospital volunteer who helps with their music programs
In addition to participating in group singing... on a volunteer basis, patients are encouraged to sing solo, sing in duets, sing in quartets, or any size group that they may agree to or just happens to fall together.
According to Keith Zanotti, an Adult Health Care Program Coordinator at Highland Drive VA Hospital, "this is the largest such program in the entire United States VA Hospital system. Keith believes that "our Highland Drive VA Music Therapy Sing-Along Program" does wonders for our patients in attendance each week. They really look forward to this singing session each week," Keith says. According to Zanotti, "It seems to have a certain therapeutic, healing affect on our patients who served our country during World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War and some Gulf War Veterans."
Virtually since the inception of this successful program, Bill Amos, Greater Pittsburgh Chapter, has handled the Master of Ceremony duties to the delight of the VA audience. Adding humor to this sing-along program each week are Jokesters Tom Koch, Greater Pittsburgh Chapter, and Dick Boch, North Hills Chapter.
[editor comment - I have personally seen evidence of the therapeutic affects of music, as quoted above from Keith Zanotti's comments. Once, while doing a quartet performance at a nursing facility, the staff asked if we would sing a few songs in the Alzheimer's Ward. They cautioned us that we would get no response from the nearly comatose patients sitting slumped over in their chairs. We started to sing, and shortly, much to the surprise of the staff, heads came up, eyes opened and lips started to mouth the words to songs that were locked somewhere in the minds of the patients. I have seen other similar examples when singing on some of the wards of the VA hospitals and at other nursing facilities.]
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On Friday night, December 7, 50 members and guests gathered at the Churchill Valley Country Club for our annual ladies night.
All in attendance had a good time and the food was great [my opinion].
Special thanks are due to Bill McVeagh, chairman of the event, for all his hard work in pulling this together. Also, thanks to Tom Steimer, as a member of Churchill Valley, for arranging the venue for the evening.
The evening started off with a cocktail hour at 6:00 PM, which permitted sufficient time to socialize and catch up on all our gossip. Dinner followed at about 7:15 PM.
After dinner, the first order of business was installation of the chapter officers, and board members, for 2008. Doing the honors was Jarvis Cotton from the Pittsburgh Metro chapter. Each officer was called forth and made to listen to a list of "charges" against him for which he had to plead innocent or guilty. All pled guilty, except yours truly who claimed his fifth amendment right. We were all sentenced to one year of hard labor.
In the photograph above are (Left to right) Jarvis Cotton (threatening us with his gavel), Gary Corpora, Skip Gillis, Bob Parker, Joe DeFilippo, Tom Koch, Rich Finch, Bob Cavanaugh and Ken Moelk. For their respective offices, see the listing on page 3 of this bulletin issue.
Not in this photograph, as they were not made to plead guilty, are the board members for 2008. They were apparently guilty by association and stood at their chairs during the induction (sentencing). The board members included Fred Donofrio, Angelo Glorioso, Dick Hammer, Bill McVeagh, Ralph Ostlund and Tom Steimer.
While not officially elected, tribute must also be paid to the volunteer music leaders and "specialists" positions (also listed on page 3). We could not function as a chapter without these volunteers.
Next on the evening agenda was the presentation of the Barbershopper of the Year award for 2007. As you know from page one, the award this year went to your humble editor, Tom Koch.
In the photograph above we see Tom Koch (left) being presented with the BOTY award by President, Gary Corpora (right). Thanks again guys!
To top off the evening our chorus members took to the stage and entertained our wives and guests with a selection of barbershop songs and Christmas Carols. We see the singers in the photo below. Actually, we don't see them all as some failed to get a "window." Remember guys, if you can't clearly see the camera, it can't see you.
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Attendees: Bob Cavanaugh, Gary Corpora, Fred Donofrio, Joe DeFilippo, Skip Gillis, John Kirwan, Tom Koch, George Mayer, Jim McCarthy, Bob Parker, Don Redshaw, Rich Weiss.
Treasurer's Report:
George Mayer gave a detailed accounting of our current finances. A motion was made and passed to reduce the Ladies Night tickets by $l0/person.
Vice president Reports:
Chapter Development - Bob Parker discussed the visitation by Buzz Miller who is relocating locally from the Philadelphia area. He is a lead who enjoys quarteting and seemed to enjoy the evening. Bob indicated that we need to have a Guest Night sometime between January '08 and our show. Bob passed out a survey form to be used to get feedback on rehearsals and for visitors.
Program - Joe DeFilippo indicated he will push quarteting for singing valentines and eventually for the show. He mentioned that we should try to get everyone involved in quarteting to some degree and it will aid in learning our music. Rich Weiss recommended the use of 'teaching quartets" to help learn chorus music.
Committee Reports:
Show Committee (Bob Parker): The Allies Quartet has backed out for the show. The Banjo Club is definite. Need chapter quartets and maybe a group from Woodland Hills HS.
Music Committee (Skip Gillis): Skip is concerned we have too many ballads on the show. He suggested "Sittin' On Top Of The World" and feels it wouid be easy to learn.
New Business: We need to start planning our 2008 chapter picnic so it does not conflict with the Rome Division picnic. Need a coordinator for singing valentines. Ken Williams (South Hills) has volunteered to help sing valentines if we need a part or two filled in. It was suggested that we sing for free at a local University's show to start to establish a relationship.
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Here is a photo of the last Rome Division Chorus practice held on December 9, 2007. Where is everyone, you ask? Well, consider this... it was an ugly, rainy day... the Steelers were on TV... there was some confusion relating to recent changes in the date and a last minute change in venue. The directions left at the usual church hall meeting place somehow got locked up in the hall. So congratulations to these hardy souls who found their way and attended. That includes Fred Donofrio who was there taking the pic. ln the new year let's see some renewed interest in this chorus.
Want a source for barbershop music for your listening pleasure? Go to the 12/8/2007 Live Wire Newsletter On line, and read the article titled, Society Contest Audio Archive Goes Online. There you will read about a company called Naked Voice Records started by the 2003 Joker's Wild, Steve Iannacchione, Jonathan Clunies, Steve Legters and Dave Kindinger.
I won't try to give you all the details here... go read and then click on over to their web site www.nakedvoicerecords.com
Looking for something to chase away the winter blues, that cabin fever?
Consider attending the 2008 international Youth Barbershop Chorus Festival on January 28, 2008 in San Antonio, Texas. Go see the future of barbershop. Currently, seven choruses are registered to compete. While there take some midwinter tours in San Antonio. Browse tour information and schedules at www.barbershop.org/id107081, call Daisy Tours directly at 800-285-8601 or visit their online registration page at www.conventionsa.com/2007/bhs.
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On a Monday night, November 19, 2007, ten members of the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter visited the Pittsburgh Metro Chapter at one of their regular meetings at Trinity School.
Following the Rome Division protocol for chapter visitations, Greater Pittsburgh passed on the Roamin' Apple Award trophy to Pittsburgh Metro Chapter. Here is Greater Pittsburgh President, Gary Corpora, passing the Roamin' Apple on to Pittsburgh Metro President, Rick Stephens. Now "Metro" is obligated to pass on the trophy by making a visitation to some other Rome Division chapter.
The ten members from Greater Pittsburgh joined fourteen members from Metro on the risers to form a 24 man chorus under the Directorship of Don Dressler, Metro Director.
After singing together for awhile, the Greater Pittsburgh guys took spectator seats and listened to The Metro guys practice some of their repertoire.
Then everyone retired to the Trinity School cafeteria for coffee and donuts and some "pickup" quartet singing. See some photos in the next column.
A Delayed "Thank You" re John Hassett
When Greater Pittsburgh member, John Hassett, passed away in September of 2006, the chapter sang at John's funeral service. The following letter from John Hassetts' daughters was sent to Jay Garber in September of this year and Jay passed the letter, and some photographs of John, on to me for retention in chapter files.
I noted that in their forwarding correspondence Johns' daughters expressed a desire that the contents of their letter be passed on to all members of the chapter. Accordingly, here is their letter for all to read:
9-9-07
To all the members of the
Three Rivers Barbershop Chorus
A heart felt apology for the long delay of this correspondence to express appreciation from John Hassetts' daughters and family to your members who came to Winter's Funeral Home, September 15, 2006 to honor him, and to offer condolences and comfort to our family. Your presence and the heart stirring songs
Continued on page 11
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Cont. from page 10 - John Hassett thank you:
sung in beautiful barbershop harmony were a tribute for which our Dad would have been proud to receive, and humbly grateful.
All who were present, family and friends, at the time of your visit were consoled.
Three envelopes, of the many, containing our expressions of appreciation to family and friends somehow got separated from the rest before the mailing. They were just discovered in a box of similar looking items in my home studio.
The irony of the timing of the find occurring the week of the first anniversary of our loss of our Dad. I am very sorry for this delay of your receiving these most deserved expressions of appreciation and the enclosed mementos.
We thank you as well for the many years of life enriching experiences our Dad enjoyed as a proud member of the Three Rivers Barbershop Chorus.
Most Sincerely,
Nancy Encarnacion
Janet Schumacher
[editor note - the referenced mementos is a folder of photographs of John Hassett. Any one who wants to see them, let me know and 'Il bring them into a meeting .]
1. In the two-decade period from the end of WWI (1918) until the establishment of SPEBSQSA (1938), barbershop was eclipsed by many other types of popular music; the decline was sudden and profound. A few stalwart quartets (there were no barbershop choruses back then) soldiered on. Name the most notable of these.
2. How did the quartet alluded to in question #1 make itself known to the public?
3. In the mid-1930's, when barbershop was off the popular music radar screen, two efforts were made, i.e., organizations were established, in the state of Illinois to promote barbershop. Where else did such efforts take place?
4. State what you can about either or both of the organizations alluded to in question #3.
5. Three of the four members of a future international championship quartet sang with one of the two Illinois barbershop groups. Name the group, the quartet and the year it became the king of the barbershop hill.
Answers are on page 12
Now, I want to make sure I tell this right. There were the five of us - Helen, the redhead, Ben and his sister Carol, and Marie... and "yours truly." We were all seated in the caboose of this "Pennsy" train, headed for the Big Apple. The next thing we knew, the five of us were getting into a Yellow Cab after exiting Grand Central Station.
Before we knew it we were exiting the cab and entering the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. A young man greeted us in the hotel lobby and escorted us to this huge, dimly lit dining room. There must have been 30- 40 tables of people across the room. All you could see were their dark shapes. Strangely, the only light in this huge room was provided by candles, one at the end of each table.
Our young escort took us to a table, seated us, handed us a menu, bowed and disappeared.
"Listen to this gentleman speaker, Helen said. "He's very knowledgeable on world travel."
"I'll say," agreed Ben. "I read about him recently in 'World Travelers' magazine."
The waitress came and took each one of our meal orders. After catching up on [the] subject of world travel, we were served our meals several minutes later.
I lost track of how many other speakers we listened to. It all became a blur.
The next thing I knew, we arrived in Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Station. All five of us said our "goodbyes" to each other and departed the station, each going our separate ways.
As I commenced to walk down Grant Street to my bus stop, I noticed Helen briskly walking about ten paces ahead of me.
"Hey, Helen'.," I shouted. "Wait up."
She kept walking and never stopped.
Then I awoke. It was 6 a.m. Strange!
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Answers to page 11 history quiz:
1. The Maple City Four from La Porte, Indiana.
2. By singing on Chicago radio station WLS, and by performing as the Singing Cowboys in Gene Autry and Roy Rogers movies. If you've ever heard the Singing Cowboys in those old movies, you'll know that their harmony, although close, was not quite barbershop.
3. Starting in 1935 (and continuing until 1960) there were the annual NYC Parks Department Barbershop Quartet Contests. There were, no chapters or an organization above the chapter level established which would have been much more effective in promoting barbershop than the contests alone. Based on my study of barbershop history to date, other than the NYC contests and the two Illinois groups, no other organized attempts to promote barbershopping existed anywhere during barbershop's in the wilderness period in the 1920's and 30's. The USA is a big country and once upon a time (in what was then the not-distant past) barbershop had been extremely popular. This persuades me to believe that it's most unlikely that attempts to relight the barbershop flame in venues other than NYC and Illinois did not occur. [If any reader knows otherwise, please notify Mark Axelrod and he says he will publish a correction.]
4. One was the "Peoria Klose Harmony KIub" founded by an ex-vaudevillian by the name of John Hanson in 1934. The PKHK eventually grew to over fifty members and became an early SPEBSQSA chapter. The other was the Illinois Harmony Club" (founded around the same time as the PKHK, but my source did not indicate a specific date), which had monthly meetings in four locations (Canton, Decatur, Peoria and Springfield) in the central part of the state. In its second year of existence, however, a group of barbershop aficionados from Chicago was bused in to join the festivities; thus the city boys and their country cousins all got into the act.
5. In that first group of Chicago barbershoppers who were bused to a meeting of the Illinois Harmony Club were three-fourths of the "Misfits," SPEBSQSA's first place quartet in 1945.
Greater Pittsburgh Chapter
Barbershop Harmony Society
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)
Map
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: tpkoch334@comcast.net
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