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

# Sharp Notes #

Publication of the Regina Golden Harvest Chorus

December 1998

Seasons' Greetings

Christmas is coming -- and along with it, comes the hustle and bustle of preparing for Christmas. Fortunately Elaine has everything well under control since my schedule has been more topsy-turvy than usual.

I had planned on singing at CarolFest, but instead I came home on the Friday before with a change of plans -- a 3-day business trip to Toronto. It was -17 when I left Regina on Monday morning and +15 in Toronto when I got there that noon -- although I didn’t get much chance to get out and enjoy it. I did manage to attend a meeting of my former chorus, the Oshawa Horseless Carriagemen, to visit and sing with old friends and relatives. They were taping the final number for a 50^th anniversary CD they've been working on all year -- I had barely hung up my coat before I found myself in the front row singing "We Sing That They Shall Speak" along with them.

I arrived back from Toronto for the Thursday night singout for Lights Across Canada at the Legislature. Certainly a lot more like winter here than what I had been experiencing in Toronto -- but a great evening and a great chance to perform for an appreciative audience (and great PR).

Then it was off to Minneapolis and C.O.T.S (Chapter Officer Training School). Ken and I caught the Friday afternoon flight to Minneapolis with classes starting the next morning. I think we may have been the only Canadian chapter there, and the only one's (other than faculty) that weren't within driving distance. Ken's class schedule was relatively easy -- taking all the Chorus Director classes. Mine were more varied -- several from the President's stream, a couple from Membership, one from Bulletin -- trying to cover as much territory as possible. There were also general sessions on Youth Outreach, General Services, Chapter Challenge, … And, of course, whenever you get that many barbershoppers together in one place -- there has to be lots of singing.

Arrived back in Regina late Sunday, missed the regular Monday meeting, but then had the December Executive meeting at our house (for which Elaine graciously did ALL the preparation, including decorating the house and Christmas tree too).

It's been a very hectic Christmas season at our house -- but with Christmas just a couple of weeks away, we're looking forward to things slowing down a bit and enjoying the season.

Season's Greetings. Have a quiet and restful Christmas and a Happy New Year. See you all in the new year…

Bruce Fish, Pres.

To THE GOLDEN HARVEST CHORUS

Let's spread enough
Holiday cheer
To last us through
the rest of next year!

HOLIDAY CHEER CAN MEAN A LOT OF THINGS
BUT HOLIDAY SONG IS WHAT GOLDEN HARVEST BRINGS
YOUR SINGING VOICES ARE GOD'S GIFT SO TRUE
SO SHARE THAT GIFT, IT WILL BRING BLESSINGS TO YOU
THE PRAIRIE BLEND

- TOM HARRIS

Reply to: ARTLOFTINC@EROLS.COM

Tom Harris continues to be one of our faithful readers, and contributors -- thanks Tom for the Christmas wishes.

Moose Factory and Valentine’s Day

Before I raise the Valentine’s Day issue, let me tell you about singing with laryngitis in the Anglican Church in Moose Factory, Ontario.

As you know, Jean and I drove to Moose Factory to visit our son and family, leaving here on Sept. 18, and arriving back, having put 3,600 miles on the ’87 Olds, at the end of an "unwelcoming" snow storm on Oct. 11th. We got there by driving to Cochrane, Ontario, a little over 1,200 miles, which is the end of the road to Moose Factory, and boarded a freight train pulling a couple of passenger cars for the 186 miles almost straight north. We arrived on Monday night, Sept. 21. The following Thursday, I accompanied Sharon, our daughter-in-law to choir practice, and found that they had one bass, and I would be the lone tenor! The practice went well. However, I woke up on Saturday with a severe case of laryngitis. I could speak only in a whisper. What would I do if it were no better on Sunday? Stay home, of course. But on Sunday, it was slightly better, but in no shape to sing. Our hosts were busy getting everyone ready for church, and there just was no opportunity to register a note of concern, let alone suggest staying home. It was taken as a given that we were all going. I hummed a lot that morning, trying to get things loosened up a bit. At church, they found a gown for me, and first thing we were in the procession on our way to the choir loft. Oh! Boy! One of the hymns was "Breathe on me breath of God". The tenor is gorgeous, as you may recall, but it starts on C, jumps to F and then slowly comes down again to C, but remains quite high. Somehow, I got through it. Afterwards, I overheard Sharon say, charitably, how nice it was to hear that tenor coming through! She’s a very generous young woman.

Now, Valentine’s Day. Last year, we decided that we had better start our planning if not before Xmas, then, immediately in the New Year. So, I’m putting everyone on notice that the event is coming up! I expect that Val Stacyszyn will help us again with the planning of the route, getting out the paper and so on, but we need a lot of help from each of our members, too. It turns out that Gord Gardiner is interested in this project, too. At the Executive meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 1998, he and I were made co-chairmen of it.

We believe, at this point, that getting tenors for our quartets is going to be the limiting factor. But, we hope, and hope, and hope, that it will be o.k. Meanwhile, everyone, think positively about it, and get ready to sell, sell, sell, those valentines!

As chairman of Community Relations/Service, I need to draw attention to the emphasis that our Association is placing these days on being good citizens through supporting a local charity. Our local charity, the Regina Early Learning Centre, has embarked on a new program to help rescue kids who are disadvantaged. They found out, somehow, about a program that was conceived and tested in St. Louis, MO, called "Parents as Teachers", PAT. They sent a couple of the staff down there to be trained, and now they have launched this project, which means that they will be going to the homes of kids who need better parenting, and will work with the mothers to improve their skills. It is safe to say that if programs like this had been in place a few years ago, very likely we would not have had the vandalism that we’ve experienced in a couple of Regina’s schools lately, with damage running into thousands of dollars. But, the PAT program is going to cost money, even if it is a good investment. So, if we could find ourselves able to contribute a good slice of the money we raise on the Valentine weekend to the PAT project, we would be doing everyone a big favour - those who get the services, but more importantly, the citizens of this city who will benefit from kids who turn out to be productive people rather than the opposite, because they were helped, in early childhood, by the PAT program.

Beyond that, Happy Christmas to all.

Jack Boan, Chairman.

Valentines Day and

Singing Valentines
are just around the corner.

An Invitation to All Former Chorus Members and Friends

Come sing with us -- we would be glad to have you come out and join us on any Monday practice night. This would be a great opportunity to come out and see what we're up to, and a chance to renew friendships with former colleagues. Drop in and see us any Monday night, or give any member a call.

And to all current chapter members - don't be shy - extend an invitation. Give 'em a call and offer to bring them out. Both of you will be glad you did.

Guests Always Welcome!!

Welcome Guests

Welcome to guest Tom Voxall. We're glad to have you come out and sing with us.

Tuxedo's

Many of you have already been down to Venice Tailors (south Albert, next to McDonalds's on the east side) for fitting. Those who haven't, please drop in as soon as possible -- any time during business hours for fitting. No appointment needed.

The chorus is also considering vests in various styles and materials to go along with these new uniforms. Watch for Bill, Gord and Lynn to have some samples out for us to consider.

Christmas Singouts

The chorus has been busy these past few weeks -- CarolFest at Knox-Metropolitan Church, Lights Across Canada at the Legislature, Galleria. Christmas is a very busy time for everyone, but its also an opportunity to share our music with others in the community. Thanks for supporting your chapter and community during this busy time of the year.

BINGO's

None scheduled until the New Year. We are expecting to do approximately one bingo per month. Lynn will announce the date for January.

Executive Meeting

The Executive met on Tuesday December 15^th at Bruce and Elaine Fish's for a combined business meeting and Christmas party -- or at least that was the intent. You'll be glad to know, however, that your executive was far too dedicated to let the veggies and dip, squares and cookies, apple pie and ice cream, coffee and punch, barbershop music and crackling fire -- distract them from the business at hand.

The next Executive meeting is scheduled for 7:30 Tuesday, January 11^th at Gord Gardiner's home. Members in good standing are always welcome -- but in the interests of marital harmony, please let the host know in advance if possible if you are planning to attend. Executive members, please make every effort to attend. If you are unable to attend, please let Wayne or Bruce know and please submit a report so that we can continue our business meeting. The January meeting will be a 1999 planning (and budgeting) meeting as well as conducting "regular business".

Executive Meeting Highlights

• International portion of dues is increasing. Executive will discuss total chapter dues at the January meeting.
• Leadership forum, Virden, Manitoba - January 9^th. Chapter will cover the registration cost of any member wishing to attend.
• Gord and Jack will get us going on our Singing Valentine program.
• Looking at options for a vest to go with our new Tuxes.
• Still looking for a Membership VP.
• Ron will get out a commitment list for January 23^rd Sweet Adeline show.
• William Booth singout deferred until January (at their request).
• Invitations sent to Ken Stephenson (Chapter Coach), Red Ewing (Division VP), Dick Staedt (outgoing District VP), Bob Brutsman (incoming District VP) re our upcoming Chapter Christmas party, Installation of Officers, and BOTY award presentation.
• Next executive meeting 7:30, Monday January 12^th at Gord Gardiner's -- meeting will focus on 1999 planning, activities and budget.

Talk Mail

If you heard a funny dial tone on your phone -- you'll know that you're connected. Rod has SaskTel TalkMail set up for our chapter. There is a small charge to SEND a message, but there is no charge for you to receive a message. With this now in place, we can easily, reliably and quickly send out announcements to the entire membership. Thanks Rod for your persistence in getting us all set up.

Email

A growing number of members in our chapter, and district/division officers, have internet email addresses. If you have an internet account, you can find email addresses for many of our members, as well as other chapter information, on our chapter website at www.gpfn.sk.ca/culture/arts/gharvest/roster.html. If I don't have your email address recorded, or if there are any other errors, please let me know.

Prairie Gold Show

The Chorus will be performing on the Prairie Gold show on Saturday January 23^rd. The theme for this will be Celebrating Barbershop. We have a 20-minute segment, which will include the following numbers from our repertoire.

1. When The Saints Go Marching In
2. If I Could Write A Song
3. Song And Dance Man (I'll Be A)
4. Somewhere Out There
5. Yesterday
6. Irish Blessing
7. Lion Sleeps Tonight
8. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home
9. Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight

Annual Show

Our Annual show will be Saturday April 24^th at Darke Hall. Lynn Lowes has selected a show script - "Planes, Trains and Automobiles". This is a show script that was developed at Harmony College in 1997. The setting is an airport in a small mid-western town, bustling with travelers, various airport staff and other personnel. During the first number, the weather changes and eventually closes down the airport. The stranded passengers are not able to connect with their flights. The storm rapidly worsens and becomes severe, eliminating other travel options, including cutting off the airport from nearby accommodations. All ground transportation is at a standstill. The sullen and travel-weary passengers get drawn into entertaining themselves to wile away the time. The script is very flexible, and we will be able to work in our own show music repertoire.

Chapter Christmas Party

Thanks again to Lynn and Carol, for not only graciously arranging for the use of their party room, but also for looking after all the arrangements. During the evening, we will also be conducting our Chapter "Installation of Officers" and presenting -- drum roll please -- our 1998 BOTY (Barbershopper of the Year) award winner.

BOTY Award

Each year, a member of the chapter is given this award "in recognition of unselfish, prolonged, faithful and devoted service in the interest and promotion of Barbershop Harmony." Past BOTY award recipients felt that this year's winner exemplified all of the above attributes.

An Octet in Honour of the

1998 BOTY Recipient

With other former Plainsmen he came back to the chorus,

And served two years as Membership VP for us.

He then took over as Music and Performance VP,
A position he continues to hold,

as you see.

He helps us to sing with tapes,

"ah" and "oo",
Since now he's become our Assistant Director, too.

If that's not enough, then add in BINGO,
Let's all say "Ron Evans"

-- Way to Go!!

Wayne Keys

From the Harmonet

Date: Sat, 28 Nov 1998

Subject: Re: Qualifying Chapter Quartets

In a message dated 11/27/98 10:12:06 PM EST, DickGray1@AOL.COM writes:

"Are we a fun society that happens to sing…

or a singing society that happens to have fun?"

You know, this is really the hub of the crux of the core of the issue, eh? I am VERY conflicted personally over this selfsame issue. I am a founding member and associate director of the Big Apple Chorus, a group who has at least nominally over the last 15 years been dedicated to the assumption that the music comes first, and the fellowship will follow. But I am also the director of a chorus on Long Island, Western Suffolk (Twin Shores Chorus) - that is clearly aligned philosophically the other way - this group is inclusionary, fun and BTW is always working to sing better, but its not our core function. (And yet we finished in the top 15 in our district and are very close to becoming a 100+ man chapter). I think there is room in our hobby for both kinds of organizations, and I'm not sure one model is particularly the right one. I DO get concerned when we all start making value judgments about one another - is this encouraging and supportive? I've really enjoyed some C - level (or C- for that matter) groups and conversely have experienced some pretty awful performances from groups that could be termed B level in terms of technical proficiency. The JOY is the thing guys! Most audiences understand that we are hobbyists. If I'm a prospective member, what is going to turn me on? Will I know the difference between a C+ and a B performance? Between C and C+? An Acoustix - level performance may intimidate me out of ever getting involved (remember I say MAY). As an aside, Dave Knox (Tenor of a very fine young quartet - Galaxy) writes that for Medal Madness, would a lesser quartet than Runaway Sound (one of MAD's top quartets) have been acceptable on TV - well, how many tickets are directly attributable to their appearance? I'm not sure that 4 old guys really having a ball but singing at a non-district medalist level would have made any difference - remember that our hobby is still not everyone's cup of tea. It seems our society is moving in a musically-driven direction (see the discussions of smaller, elite choruses, auditions, director purview, etc.). Lets make sure there is always room in our society for the guys who love to sing and would love to sing better, but who may not be able to live up to "our" standards. These guys schlepp the risers and make the coffee and sell the tickets... and LOVE the hobby. And we need to love them also...

Joe Hunter

<JHunna1@AOL.COM>

HOW MANY CHRISTMAS TUNES CAN YOU IDENTIFY?

1. The apartment of two psychiatrists
2. The lad is a diminutive percussionist
3. Adorn The Vestibule
4. Sir Lancelot with laryngitis
5. A B C D E F G H I J K M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
6. Present me naught but dual incisors for this festive Yuletide
7. The smogless witching hour arrived
8. Exuberance to this orb
9. 288 Yuletide hours
10. Do you perceive the same longitudinal pressure which stimulates my auditory organ
11. The red-suited man is due in the burg
12. Stepping on the pad cover
13. Far back in the hay bin
14. Uncouth self has his beezer in the booze and thinks he is a dark cloud's boyfriend
15. Leave and do an elevated broadcast
16. That exiguous hamlet south of the Holy City
17. Behold, I envisioned a trio of nautical vessels
18. Cherubim Audited From Aloft
19. A joyful song of reverence relative to hollow metallic vessels which vibrate and bring forth a ringing sound when struck
20. As the guardians of little woolly animals protected their charges in the shadows of the earth
21. Listen, Aerial Sprites Announcing
22. Trio Of Monarchs
23. Assemble, Everyone Who Believes
24. Fantasia Of A Colourless December 25
25. Tin Tintinnabulation
26. Homo Sapiens Of Crystallized Vapor
27. I Spied My Maternal Parent Osculating
28. Perambulating Through A December Solstice Fantasy

Can you identify these Christmas Carols

from the First Letters of the First Lines…

1. HYAMLC
2. TFNTADS
3. GRYMGLNYD
4. ICUAMC
5. SNHNAICAIB
6. OTFDOCMTLGTM
7. DTHWBOHFLLLLLLLL
8. YBWOYBNC
9. JTTWTLHC
10. YKDADAPAVCACADAB
11. ISMKSCUTMLN
12. CSBSDIHS
13. HTHASGTTNK
14. GGROBAR
15. OHNTSABS
16. AIWFCIMTFT
17. DTTSIAOHOS
18. WTKOOA
19. TSISTGIGTOAPTS
20. CROAOFJFNAYN
21. IBTLALLC
22. OLTOBHSWSTL
23. SBRAYLITLSIG
24. IBHFC
25. WWYAMCWWYAMC
26. IHTBOCD
27. FTSWAJHS
28. JOSNLYETW
29. GKWLOOTFOS
30. UOTHRPOJGOSC
31. JBJBJBR
32. IHABCWY
33. WUNWTAGC
34. JHTSBRTTTT
35. CTTMPRPPP
36. TSITYIFHHASSTS
37. OCTOCTHEGYB
38. LHAREBFTSHS
39. WBMSIWANGTBAAB
40. IBMBOJHSSOM

1. The Nutcracker Suite
2. Little Drummer Boy
3. Deck The Halls
4. Silent Night
5. Noel
6. All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth
7. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
8. Joy To The World
9. The Twelve Days of Christmas
10. Do You Hear What I Hear?
11. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
12. Up On The Housetop
13. Away In The Manger
14. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
15. Go Tell It On The Mountain
16. Little Town Of Bethlehem
17. I Saw Three Ships A-Sailing
18. Angels We Have Heard On High
19. Jingle Bells
20. Shepherds Watch Their Flocks At Night
21. Hark, The Herald Angels Sing
22. We Three Kings
23. O’ Come All Ye Faithful
24. White Christmas
25. Silver Bells
26. Frosty The Snowman
27. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
28. Walking In A Winter Wonderland

1. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
2. The First Noel
3. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
4. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
5. Silent Night
6. The 12 Days of Christmas
7. Deck The Halls
8. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
9. Joy To The World
10. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
11. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
12. Silver Bells
13. Hark The Herald Angels Sing
14. Gramma Got Run Over By A Reindeer
15. Oh Holy Night
16. All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth
17. Jingle Bells
18. We Three Kings
19. White Christmas
20. The Christmas Song
21. It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas
22. O Little Town of Bethlehem
23. Winter Wonderland
24. I'll Be Home For Christmas
25. We Wish You A Merry Christmas
26. I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
27. Frosty The Snowman
28. Jolly Old St. Nicholas
29. Good King Wenceslas
30. Up On The Housetop
31. Jingle Bell Rock
32. (I'll Have A) Blue Christmas
33. Little Saint Nick (Way up north where the air grows cold)
34. Sleigh Ride
35. Little Drummer Boy
36. Let It Snow
37. O Christmas Tree
38. Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming
39. While By My Sheep (Echo Carol)
40. Nuttin for Christmas

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.

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