Golden Harvest Sharp Notes

Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America

Knox Metropolitan United Church, corner of Victoria and Lorne, Regina, Saskatchewan
Guests always welcome!

Nothing tells someone you care like a Singing Valentine sung by a barbershop quartet. Barbershop quartets across North America are ready to serenade your sweetheart at home, at work, or anywhere else you choose -- nationwide!

Thousands of barbershop quartets will take to the streets in the days leading up to Valentine's Day bringing tears of joy and surprise to lucky sweethearts.

SingingValentines.com makes it easy to find a Singing Valentine anywhere in North America:

The Regina Golden Harvest Chorus is among hundreds of choruses and quartets – from Halifax to Vancouver, from Honolulu to Tallahassee – all listed at www.SingingValentines.com. Our contact is Lynn Lowes - 584-8468.

I'm working on the script and nearly have it complete. Essentially, the scene is the sound stage for a radio program set in the 40's. The script has all of the elements of early radio. Sound effects, commercial jingles and an ongoing "radio play", Bart Holiday "The Rotten Spice Caper".

To pull this script off, we'll need the chorus, an MC, a "sound booth" guy, 6 characters to do the radio play (including Fifi the maid, played by a big man with cigar, a French accent and a tenor falsetto voice).

Also, we'll need a few props, so start digging through your rummage and let me know if you have any of the following:

We will need six volunteers from the chorus to take on the radio show parts. They are as follows:

A revised Tape 2 is now available from Ron – side A is unchanged. There is also a Tape 3 available.

"I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence?

When someone asks you, "A penny for your thoughts" and you put your two cents in, what happens to the other penny?

Last month I listed the chapter BOTY winners as recorded on the BOTY award. This month I'm going out on a limb with past Music Directors – and being relatively new to the chapter, my history doesn't go back very far. Let me know if there are any gaps or errors. If anyone knows the dates for each of these, please let me know…

The Show committee discussed the script (see article from Bill), advertising, tickets, duties, … A volunteer signup list will be created for show and afterglow duties.

Executive meeting followed with discussion on 1999 renewals, signing authorities, upcoming singouts, Clear Lake (need to confirm cabins this week), guest night (April 17th after the show), singouts, bingos, singing valentines, bingo/valentine fundraising credits – all intermixed with lots of other more-or-less relevant discussions – and finished off with punch, coffee and treats.

While we prepare for our annual show, learning five new songs that we have never performed, we continue to do as many shows as we can accommodate. We will be doing an early Singing Valentine at Presutti's this evening and we are prepared to do another round of Valentines on Sunday & Monday as needed.

We sang for the CBC Radio's "Old Fashioned Christmas" Show on December 17^th, 1999, the RCMP Xmas party on December 19^th, Jack & Jean Boan's 50^th Anniversary on December 21^st, and the Queen Victoria Estates on January 18^th, 2000. We have a few shows booked in the future and we will keep you informed.

We are looking forward to the Mini-Hep at Clear Lake in June. It will be our first as a Quartet.

Newly-formed Bachelor Party unites the power and enthusiasm of youth with more than 30 years of combined championship experience in barbershop singing.

Eric has just finished high school and not only sings barbershop, but is also an accomplished jazz musician. He has been performing most of his life and is a veteran of 6 years with the popular quartet DICE. He is currently a member of the Salem Senate-aires chorus.

Enjoys a diverse musical background, his passion, being gospel music. He sang lead in the 1989 quartet Done Deal which performed in many barbershop shows around the Northwest. He then switched to the tenor part in former Evergreen district champions For Cryin' Out Loud in 1990. Brian and his wife Kimberly have three small children who keep them very busy, and he has become the Music Director at his church. By day Brian is a laser repair technician with Spectra Precision, a survey instrument and construction laser manufacturing company.

Currently studying civil engineering at Oregon State University. A third-generation barbershop singer who has been performing since the age of 10. A member of the well-known quartet DICE. He is also a member of the Salem Senate-aires chorus.

A division quartet champion who has made a name for himself as an elite young bass singer. Long-time member of the district champion chorus Salem Senate-aires. He sang with the quartet Unaccompanied Minors and the well-known quartet Legacy.

So hang on for the youthful sound and energy that only Bachelor Party can deliver... Remember, with Bachelor Party, "It's always a good time."

Ron Evans' and Bruce Fish's work has given us a great tool for membership recruitment! This past week I was talking to a couple of guys I'd love to get out to the chapter. In talking, they asked the age old question "what kind of stuff do you sing?". Well, I happened to have Bruce's CD and Ron's new "tape 3". So now, these guys have them, can listen to both what we're doing as well as what we're learning. Saves a lot of describing, and gives me a follow-up opportunity as I get the CD and tape back!

Carry these things with you in your car and give it a try! They can be used for cold calls too! Give the CD to someone you know enjoys singing. Just hearing our sound may be enough to get them to ask you for more information!

Thanks to Ron, Bill and Lynn for your bulletin articles. You, too, can see your name here in print – it's easier than you think.

On June 3, a dream will become reality in Mason City. Dedication of "Music Man Square," a facility honouring the life and work of Mason City's most famous son, "Music Man" author Meredith Willson, will occur during the North Iowa Band Festival parade on June 3. The River City Chorus is currently making plans to organize a 1000+ person barbershop chorus to participate with the bands during the parade through Mason City. The massed chorus will perform arrangements from "The Music Man" at the Square dedication after the parade under the leadership of River City Chorus director Jayson Ryner. Additional performances by the River City Chorus, Music City Sweet Adelines, and parade Grand Marshall (and honorary Society life member) Dick Van Dyke are also scheduled.

For several years, the Mason City Foundation has worked to construct a facility to honour Willson's contribution to music. His boyhood home, located next to the facility, is a much-visited Mason City attraction along with other landmarks referenced in the musical. As land adjacent to the home became available, the Foundation's vision of an interactive music museum with "Music Man" exhibits, a re-creation of an early 1900's Main Street, auditorium, and rehearsal space for local music groups could be realized. The Square will take at least three years to complete, with this year's dedication coming with the completion of the museum's exterior.

The Foundation approached the Mason City chapter a year and one-half ago with a very simple proposal: provide quartets to perform "Music Man" related music at Main Street in return for free practice space in the new facility and help find ways to promote this project to the barbershop community at large. Given our chorus' close affiliation with the "Music Man" repertoire, our chapter contributed $2000 to the project over the last year to help fund the Square. Our chapter also volunteered to organize an event to include barbershoppers around the nation (and the world) in the marching band festivities scheduled for the weekend of the museum dedication.

Plans are now underway to organize this huge undertaking. A special Friday night performance featuring Van Dyke, the River City Chorus, Music City Sweet Adelines, and Surround Sound is scheduled to benefit the Foundation. Saturday morning will be spent following the band parade with spontaneous singing afterwards and the afternoon spent singing at the Music Man Square dedication. A huge afterglow is scheduled for visiting quartets, chapters, and Society and Sweet Adelines members Saturday evening. Sunday will feature the chorus hosting a traditional barbershop service. We have reserved several hotel rooms in the area and are setting up headquarters at the North Iowa Fairgrounds where camper hookups are available for those wanting to "rough it". Packets spelling out all the particulars of the event will be sent after the first of the year to Society members and chapters who send in registration forms. A limited number of tickets are available for the Friday night benefit performance and event prices will be included in the informational material. Chapters and individuals from around the Midwest and beyond are already lining up to come.

If you can't make it to this year's festivities, but plan on attending the Music Man 2000 International Convention in Kansas City, be sure to check out the Music Man Square material on display during the convention. The River City Chorus has been invited to perform our Music Man set (arranged by our director, Jayson Ryner) at "Madison Gymnasium" on July 4th for the convention kick-off. You'll have a chance to get a jump on registering for next year s activities and find out about how much fun you might have missed.

For more information, check out the Music Man Square site at http://www.mach3ww.com/musicman Our Foundation liaison Jack Wilcox or myself can be contacted to answer any questions you or your chapter might have about this event. Our email addresses are wilcoxj@mach3ww.com or danbrown@wl-p.net or you can call Jack at 515-357-6388.

The APPLAUSE! radio program airs every Thursday night from 7-10pm Eastern Time on WDVR Radio (89.7 & 91.9 FM in New Jersey) and is broadcast simultaneously on the Internet*. Connect to www.wdvrfm.org and then scroll down to "ON THE AIR". This program features barbershop, vocal jazz and all forms of A Cappella music. Email hosts Dick Taylor & Dave Stadtmauer and let them know what you'd like to hear!

(*To listen live on the internet you'll need Windows Media Player, but you can download it free from the WDVR site.)

Some of you who have been wishing for another "Barberpole Cat" type of song collection will soon be able to order "Harmony Classics." They will be available in March of this year.

The present Barberpole Cat Songs (all twelve) will still remain as a staple in the barbershop repertoire and will always be readily available for us harmonizing cats.

Requests for a more challenging collection inspired a search for some really special selections. The Society's Music and Performance Committee, along with assistance from the Music Publications Subcommittee chose six songs that could also be used as a performance package for a show. The songs in this package are: Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah; Lazy River; Little Pal (the old Four Rascals version); This Little Light of Mine / Do Lord Medley; I'm Sitting On Top Of The World (as woodshedded by The Boston Consort and recorded by Second Edition); and Hello, Mary Lou.

Harmony Classics can be ordered (in March) as stock #6068 for $6.75 (member price). A set of learning tapes, #4884, will cost $18, or $5 for a single tape. DON'T ORDER UNTIL MARCH, please.

The following article is from a keynote presentation given at the Ontario COTS – it’s a long list, but well worth the read. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.

A few weekends ago I served on the faculty of the Ontario District COTS school, where I taught Marketing & PR classes. I was also asked to present the annual "keynote address" to the entire student body and faculty on Friday night. Much to my surprise, the presentation went over very well. All weekend long I had various folks asking me to email them a copy of "My Barbershopper's Wish List for the New Millennium". The editor of the ONT Newsletter, Waldo Redekop even mentioned publishing it in "The Trillium".

If Waldo expressed this kind of interest, I thought it might be a good idea to send a copy to you as well. Feel free to use it or "toss it".

My whole presentation with Opening Remarks, Introduction and the "wish list" ran 55 minutes. This email contains only the "wish list" and closing remarks.

1. I see a time when more barbershoppers discover the importance of singing from the heart and not being satisfied with the bare bones of just knowing your notes and lyrics. An accomplished performer singing from the heart, can stir all kinds of emotions within the audience while they clearly express the mood and message of the song.

2. I see a time when more barbershoppers discover the importance of singing every song as if it's the last time you will ever have the pleasure of performing it. If you are not going to try to do a better job each and every time you perform a song, WHY DO IT AT ALL?

3. I see a time when more barbershoppers understand that how you end a phrase is just as important as how you start it.

4. I see a time when more barbershoppers take the time to learn the role their part plays in every chord to achieve the perfect balance and blend between and with the other voice parts, and how doing so will generate more overtones than we've ever heard before.

5. I see a time when more and more lead singers discover that it is their responsibility to know all aspects of the performance of any song better than anyone else and execute the interpretation (once it's established) with consistency so that the harmony voices know what to expect. There is a reason we call them "LEADS" and not 2nd tenors.

6. I see a time where more barbershop quartets and choruses discover the incredible value of rehearsing just one or two parts at a time, using this kind of technique to improve the foundation of every group, the match between the lead and the bass part.

7. I see a time when more barbershoppers will discover that executing EVERY word sound within a song and using precise diction is just as important as every other aspect of your musical, mental and visual performance.

8. I see a time when more tenor singers learn NOT to over-sing the other parts and not to flat the high third on a tag.

9. I see a time when barbershoppers around the world can maintain the integrity of the vowel shapes and sing from their lowest to highest notes without all kinds of facial contortions and neck movements.

10. I see a time when more barbershop groups take the time to create and follow a dynamic plan for every song they sing, which in turn will help make each musical presentation more interesting to the singers as well as your audience.

11. When it come to vowel shapes, I see a time when an "A" is always and "A", and an "O" is always and "O" and so on.

12. Don't we all hope for a time when talking on the risers is ELIMINATED while the director or some other chapter leader is sharing important information with the folks in the chorus?

13. I see a time when more barbershoppers understand the "ins and outs" of VOWEL MODIFICATION and how practicing this technique will help us to ring more chords and bring excitement to every performance.

14. I see a time when more barbershoppers realize targeting EVERY vowel sound produces a much more favorable result than scooping into them.

15. I see a time when more barbershoppers than ever before understand the incredible benefits of IMAGINEERING, when it comes to preparing for a potentially "nerve rattling" contest performance.

16. I can see a time when more barbershoppers understand that your level of proficiency "on the stage" will be directly linked to the attitude you have in a rehearsal environment. If you just go through the motions at rehearsal, you are wasting the most valuable asset we all have...TIME!

17. I see a day when more barbershoppers have a chance to practice the two important tips recommended by my baritone singer, Jason January. "When the curtain opens, "look good and breathe". In barbershop singing, our type of phrasing and musicality is quite difficult to execute without proper breath support. However, do not allow your breathing to disrupt the mood of the song. Do not take a quick gasping breath before a tender and soft phrase in a ballad. Make your approach to breathing appropriate to the type of mood you want to maintain.

18. I see a time when chorus and quartet members REALLY spend more time working on their music between rehearsals and showing up each week more prepared than the previous rehearsal. Learn your notes and words at home on your own or with a learning tape and allow the limited time at rehearsal for polishing your presentation.

19. I envision a day when more of your fellow riser mates can actually perform a new song without the sheet music within the 3 weeks of its introduction, so the director can begin to work his magic and have every singer's undivided attention.

20. Don't we all hope for a time when the "penny pinching" committee in charge of electing chorus costumes will realize the ramifications of this important duty? How you look on stage will probably impact your performance and how your group will be perceived by the audience? IMAGE IS EVERYTHING - When in doubt, budget and spend more to acquire quality attire. Cheap costuming looks cheap and will not survive the rigors of a busy show schedule. Also what have you accomplished if you buy a cheap outfit that looks good from stage, but embarrassingly bad up close when you are greeting your friends and fans after the show? Don't forget comfortable shoes.

21. I can see a time when more and more chorus and quartet performers enter and take command of the stage like they own it!

22. I can see a time when more chorus and quartet performers establish the mood of each song visually before they sing a note, and that their facial expressions throughout the performance are in harmony with the message and mood of the song.

23. I hope for a time when barbershoppers spend much more time in the process of selecting the right songs and arrangements to perform. As a performer, in my opinion, the choices you make with regard to the music you perform are THE MOST IMPORTANT decisions you will ever make.

24. I see a time when every chapter and quartet has an email address, web site, fax number and dedicated phone number with voice mail.

25. I envision a day when attempts to run our barbershop choruses "like a business" are not looked down upon by others.

26. I envision a day when more barbershop chapters discover one of the most important aspects of their success – besides their membership – their MAILING LIST?

27. I envision a time when more Society chapters realize that producing a top notch annual show can become the single best marketing tool to attract new members and other outside bookings throughout the year?

28. I envision a day when more barbershop choruses understand that you really can charge more than $8 for a ticket to their show and still fill seats. In my travels as a member of a show quartet (Class of the 80s & ACOUSTIX) I have sung on all kinds of shows in all kinds of venues. The ticket prices have ranged anywhere from $5 to $50 for special patron seating. I have seen shows where at $5 a ticket, the chapter sold half the house and the chapters with a $20 ticket price (with usually a better production) sold every seat in the house.

29. I see a time when more barbershop choruses actually advertise their shows to the general public instead of relying on friends and family members to fill the seats.

30. I envision a day when more chapters discover the potential "goldmine" that comes with selling ad space in their show program. Case in point: Several years ago (the first time we did their show) the Wooster Ohio Chapter hired two International Champ quartets, ACOUSTIX and the BLUEGRASS STUDENT UNION on the same show at $5 per ticket. They packed the house and covered all the expenses with program ad revenues. The ticket sales were all profit. This proved to be so successful that they hired ACOUSTIX again, this time with MARQUIS sharing the stage. It can be done.

31. Don't we all hope for a day when more than 80% of our ticket sales come from more than 20% of the members?

32. I envision a day when more barbershop chapters join forces with other non-barbershop musical organizations in the community to produce a concert that exposes barbershop to other segments of the population that would otherwise have never heard our music?

33. I envision a day when more choruses put greater emphasis on having a quality sound system and professional sound engineer at all public performances instead of relying on the system that was installed in the days of O.C. Cash and run by a kid from the local high school.

34. I envision a time when more Society chapters consider inviting / hiring a top-notch Sweet Adelines International or Harmony, Inc. quartets or choruses to participate in their annual show or better yet assist each other in the production of the event.

35. I envision a time when more Society chapters seek out a professional MC to acts as "the glue" that holds the production together.

36. I envision a time when more Society choruses realize that from a PR point of view, more is not always better. If learning a bunch of songs and getting them to an acceptable level is beyond the capabilities of your chorus, you are better off be preparing a strong opening and polished closing number and share the performance duties with to other more proficient groups and your headliner act. There is no law that says the host chorus is required to sing 30 minutes to an hour on the show! 10 minutes of quality is better than 30 minutes of mediocrity.

37. I envision a time when more Society choruses ask themselves the following question: If your annual overhead to run the chapter operation without any "out of pocket" expense by the members is (for example) $25,000 a year, and you only average ten paid bookings a year, how much would you have to charge the client, just to break even? On the other hand, enjoying success in competition doesn't mean you no longer accept freebie or "expenses only" gigs. Actually, your invitations to participate in these gratis events will probably increase as you climb the competition ladder. There are situations where these are a good idea. My present quartet has done over 250 gratis gigs in the last 10 years, representing about 30% of our total appearances. Because after all, we are barbershoppers, and this is just a hobby:)

38. I see a time when more barbershop singers show up at rehearsal with more than just their music, but also include audio or video recorders and a pencil to capture comments or suggestions made at rehearsal and to allow the time they spend between rehearsal to be more productive.

39. I see a time when more singers realize the importance of hydration (drinking lots of water). Joe Connelly is one of barbershop's most gifted vocalists and coaches in barbershop and there's a good reason why you rarely see him without a gallon of water in one hand.

40. I see a time when more and more quartets and choruses are blessed to spend time with an experienced coach. It is a very difficult job to critique your performance from within.

41. I hope for a day when more of us REALLY appreciate the work of some of our Society's most gifted vocal arrangers and express our thanks at every opportunity. The same could be said for the work of our chorus directors, section leaders, administrators and coaches.

42. I hope for a day that barbershop choruses no longer concern themselves with the gender of a prospective director and choose the most talented and available candidate for the job, without gender bias clouding their judgement.

43. I think it would be fun for many of us, at some point in the future to be able to sit in the audience and rate the performances of a group of quartets comprised solely of Society judges.

44. Don't we all hope for a time at some point in the future where we can all meet for the annual ceremonial burning of our $7 patent leather chorus shoes, perhaps on the Sunday morning of each International convention?

45. I see a time when the quartets on the annual AIC show actually sing more barbershop and are allocated more than 10 minutes of time on stage.

46. One day I envision a "kinder, gentler" Harmonet with thousands more barbershop enthusiasts contributing to the discussions.

47. I envision a day when having one of our quartets or choruses on national television is really no big deal.

In closing, I realize that some of you may interpret certain aspects of my "wish list" to be very "business oriented" and somewhat "serious" for involvement in this "hobby" we call barbershop.

However, like me, many of you devote countless hours of your time and energy to your barbershop activities. If you're going to make that kind of investment, why not take every opportunity to help the Society to become a better and more popular place, where men of all ages can come together and enjoy the thrill of singing four-part harmony to an even larger and more appreciative audience. I know THAT is what I intend to continue doing. I hope that many of you share my sentiments and will join me for a thrilling musical journey into the next century.

COMING EVENTS

Bingo Tuesday February 8^th

Singing Valentines February 12^th, 13^th, 14^th

Executive Meeting Sunday, March 5^th

Bingo Thursday, March 16^th

William Booth singout Wednesday, March 22^nd

Winnipeg show March 25^th

Bingo Tuesday, March 28^th

Executive Meeting Sunday, April 2^nd

Golden Harvest Annual Spring Show, Darke Hall Saturday April 8^th

Afterglow at Royal United Services Institute Building Saturday, April 8^th

Guest Night Monday, April 17^th

Easter April 23^rd

Performance at Sweet Adeline Convention Thursday, April 27^th

Western Canada Regional Sweet Adelines Competition, Regina April 27^th-30^th

Saskatoon show May 5^th, 6^th

LOL Prelims / Spring Convention, La Crosse, WI May 5^th - 7^th

Chorus coaching with Bruce Odell Monday, May 8^th

Mothers Day May 14^th

Victoria Day May 22^nd

Mini-HEP, Clear Lake, Manitoba June 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th

International, Kansas City, MO July 2^nd

Golden Harvest Annual Spring Show Saturday, April 7^th, 2001

Articles in this bulletin do not necessarily reflect the views of the chapter. Unless carrying a byline, they are those of the editor. Items received may be referred to the executive before publication. All chapter officers and members are encouraged to submit articles to the Sharp Notes. Submissions will be credited to the author. Please address any comments, suggestions or submissions to the editor – Bruce Fish, 761-2503 / bfish@cableregina.com. Current and back issues of the Sharp Notes can be found on our chapter website at www.gpfn.sk.ca/culture/arts/gharvest.

Why is it that if someone tells you that there are a billion stars in the universe you will believe them,
but if they tell you a wall has wet paint, you will have to touch it to be sure?

A travelling salesman was opening up new territories in Africa. On day he fell ill. Being a man of action, he sought immediate medical attention. Even though the only nearby facility was a witch doctor, he went to see the man. The witch doctor looked him over, then cut a long, thin strip from a leather hide and gave it to the salesman, saying "Chew on this and by the time it's all gone, you'll feel better."

As mentioned, the salesman was a man of action, so he spent the rest of the day chewing on the piece of leather. Nonetheless, he didn't feel better, in fact, he felt worse. So he went back to the witch doctor and said, "Doctor, the thong is ended, but the malady lingers on!"