|
|
SINGING TOGETHER
Musicians, like other artists, often have a reputation for big egos, but there certainly were none on display in Whistler. As a director myself, and as the incoming man responsible for Chorus Director Development in our great Evergreen District, I couldn't help but notice the chorus directors on stage Saturday who also sang in another chorus under somebody else's direction. In particular, it was inspiring to see the director of the winning chorus singing proudly in another chorus directed by a member of the winning quartet! These men, like all the five hundred some in the chorus contest, seize every opportunity to sing and to learn from one another.
John Rettenmayer, Missoula MT
TEARS
While the Boise Chordsmen were in their warm-up room preparing to go on stage, a woman entered to fill the water service. The chorus was singing 'Lover Come Back'. She froze, listened and began to tear-up. When we finished, she said it was the most moving experience she had ever heard.
Chris Wethered |  |
| | Note from an 11 year old competitor
The chorus competition day began with a breakfast of leftover cold cut combo sandwich from Subway, a quick ironing of my clothes, and we were off! We met up with Royce for one last session in the hotel then we all marched off to the Convention Centre. We made some preparations in the rooms backstage, then went onstage. The curtains were closed, It seemed like half an hour though it were only a few minutes, there were some last second adjustments, then the curtain opened. The only way I can really describe what I felt like when that curtain opened and all the Cheering, and clapping is: fantastic. After we sang our songs it was announced that the Gentlemen of Fortune did not win, so my family walked back to the hotel room, I was sad. Later on we returned to see the show of champions, when we got there Carl gave me a box of candy for Halloween. After a few hours, I went to my hotel room and fell asleep. The next day we packed up, checked out, went home, unpacked, and amused ourselves. Almost a week later my mom asked me to write about my experiences, so I did and you are reading it right now.
Shoji (11 years old)
|
| A BEAR STORY (?)
Late Friday night I find a pizza place still open and buy 2 large slices. On my way back to the hotel I get lost. I see a sign on the side of the road. “Aha, a map perhaps”, I says. But it reads, “This is Bear country, etc.!”
I am standing there with an umbrella in one hand and a paper plate loaded with scrumptious, AROMATIC pizza and it dawns on me that I am a walking entrée! With renewed vigor and determination, (ie: PANIC), I find my way to my hotel and now will live happily ever after.
Wayne Hovies, bari, Totemaires
Picture: Remember this was the Halloween Weekend, so this picture of a very old quartetter could have been the remains of dear Wayne.
|  |
| | TRIBAL CUSTOMS
No convention I've ever attended has failed to include me as one of the last dogs singing tags well into the morning hours, but this year's tag-a-thon was special. We had a great group of about a dozen of us, some in our twenties and some in our fifties who enjoyed the thrill of ringing chords and helping one another to ring them better until we finally called it at 6 a.m. It was like a sacred ceremony of medicine men passing on the secrets of their tribe's culture.
In Harmony, Paul Olguin
|
| RITUALS
Each quartet has their own "pre-game" ritual which they go through to prepare themselves when singing on the contest stage. For u4eeuh, every time that we go on the contest stage, we get into a huddle and reminder ourselves why we sing. We sing for The Gourd.
Before leaving for our first division contest in 2008, Joe McCorison asked the guys to grab him, "a fruit or vegetable for the drive." Not realizing his error and Drew Osterhout's disposition, Joe drove away from the store while the other 3 of us ate apples. What remained in a small brown bag for him was his snack, a gourd. We brought the gourd back stage with us and dedicated our first contest set to The Gourd. The 2009 District set was no exception. “For The Gourd on 3. 1...2...3...Gourd!”
Andrew DeMulling |  |
|  | SINGING WITH CHAMPS
I sang a tag (twice) with Sean Devine of OC Times during the Afterglo, and it is the best memory I have from the week-end - BY FAR, and one of the best memories for myself in my barbershop career! He's an incredible lead, and an incredible guy!
Shaun Ennis, Calgary Foothills Chapter
|
| LOOKING FOR SINGERS
Before returning home to Seattle, the Kelly family (plus a couple more) stopped to have breakfast at a restaurant close to the headquarters hotel. Leaving the same restaurant was Topper director and fantastic lead voice Doug Broersma who upon seeing us, fell down to his knees and bowed to us in awe. I promptly lifted him back up, saying "Good sir, you bow to no one." (Lord of the Rings quote). I also mentioned that there was a spot open in our front row for anyone who can fall to their knees so quickly! ;-)
Sean Kelly
- - - - - - -
THE BUS RIDE
Here are the details:
- Planned to leave at 8am, left at 8:20
- One couple was in a far away part of the park and ride and didn't see us till 8:10
- 1 person left their passport in their car...so had to wait till their son could bring it back
- Another overslept, so we had to go 15 miles to pick him up
- Then he forgot his passport...sorry..but we kept going
- At the border, the agent walked thru the bus. All ok
On the return trip
- Had to de board at the border
- Arrived at the Park and Ride, both with no problems.
A FUN TIME HAD BY MOST ALL.
Fergie
|  |
|  | NEW EXPERIENCE!
This convention may have been one of the most memorable for me because for the first time in its 25 year history, the Chilliwack Chapter received an invitation to participate on the District stage (albiet as the chorus mike testers.) Of the 23 chorus members on stage, 18 had never sung in a District Chorus Contest!
To see this through their eyes, taking in the camaraderie, the learning experience and the encouragement from other Evergreen members was extremely gratifying. Thank you so much Greater Vancouver!
Lorne Downton
- - - - - - - -
HOSPITALITY ROOM ROCKS OUT!
Late in the night on Saturday, Momma’s Boys and U4eeah were in the District suite along with about 30 others (VERY crowded). They decided to combine and sing a favorite of theirs, “Happy Together.” Sure it’s not strictly barbershop, but it IS David Wright and Ambassadors of Harmony. Anyhow, Momma/4eeah started singing. Soon the whole room was singing along AND dancing! Here we were, people from 18 to 80 all enjoying music together. It really doesn’t get better than that!
Kevin M. Kelly
- - - - - -
Family Affair
My nephew, Randy Goodwin (Whistler Glass, full page advertisement in the program) came to the chorus competition, seeing his Uncle T. compete with the Thunderbirds & Gentlemen of Fortune. Randy was brought up hearing Barbershop music, as his dad (my brother Bill Goodwin) was totally absorbed with our music from 1967. Also, his mom, Amber, became a very good baritone, so Barbershop harmony was constant. Also Jude Goodwin, my niece, living & working in Squamish as a graphic artist, another follower, advertised in the program.
In 1970 Bill dragged me to the Thunderbirds. Considering I worked for him at the time, there was not much choice. What a great favour he did for me!
Tucker Goodwin
|
| WE WERE READY!
The Mount Baker Toppers Chorus was given a whole new perspective to the "contest" experience, thanks to director Doug (cool under pressure) Broersma. Doug encouraged the guys to watch and enjoy the other choruses just making sure you got to the warm up room in time to perform. Once there, he had us relax, did some physical and vocal warm ups but we never got around to singing through the songs. When we finally stood on the risers in the pre-staging area, we couldn't wait to sing together before going on stage. We couldn't believe it when Doug had us sing a completely different song from our repertoire!
Of course when we did get on stage, we were so determined (and excited) to finally sing our songs, that we found ourselves enjoying the experience in a whole new way.
Jim Bailey, MBT's |  |
| | MASS SING
During the public singout in the Whistler Village Square, I was asked by Abie Klassen to direct a few songs. I jumped up on the patio and directed “Down Our Way” and one or two others - it was a blast, so much fun I pretty much grinned like a goon the whole time.
Later that afternoon, as I was making my way back to the HQ hotel, I walked past 2 men and 2 women talking about the singout. One of the women was saying "I really liked that second director, you know, the one with no hair?" As I passed, she pointed right at me and said "There he is right there, him!" "Thank you!" was all I could think of to say. I mean it is true - I am not folically gifted! It is nice to know I was memorable somehow!
Peter McBride, Tenor, Vancouver Thunderbird Chorus |
| FOR EACH OTHER
I was in line at the bar during the Afterglow in the Whistler Conference center behind one of the new champion chorus members. I congratulated him on the excellent performance and opined, "There is always room in our Society for better singing."
Maur Horton, Salem Senate-Aires
maurh@comcast.net
*************
In the warm up room - the other three of us noted that our tenor, Jim Williams, was acting as if he wasn't quite feeling perfect! When we inquired, he assured us that he was just fine. Then came the moment for us to go to the stage and perform, which we did, but Jim was having difficulty finding his spot. At the end, I had to help him past the curtain and toward the stairs to the lower level. We know that he has one troublesome eye, so I took his hand and put it on the railing, thinking everything was okay, but we noticed that he had trouble finding the individual steps. Okay, we got past that. Then it was on the webcast site for the interview and he still was kinda staring off into space.
Over with that, his wife met us at the auditorium entrance and Jim asked her "why are all those people wearing badges?" That alerted her to get help from the aides~~they brought over some orange juice and got him back to some sort of reality. They rushed to the nearest restaurant where they ordered a quick sandwich. There, he asked his wife Amy, "How did I get HERE?" She knew that he was having insulin shock and also how to handle it.
Oddly, he can't remember any of the event, starting with the warm up room and all through the singing performance! Diabetes does those kinds of nasty tricks and we didn't know the signs~~besides, it had never happened to him in over 30 years. But he's fine now - thank goodness!
Blox
|  |
| | SENIOR QUARTET
This was my 1st time singing in the hospitality rooms and it was such a thrill. Finally I felt like I belonged, I AM SOMEBODY! Thank you ALL for the warmth and love you have given us!
Fergie, Lead, Vericose Harmony
- - - - - - - -
Passports / Border Crossing Suggestion
The 2009 District Convention at Whistler ushered in a new era of relationships for the Evergreen District. Historically, relationships between choruses in the U.S. and Canada have been extremely close resulting in many interchorus projects and relationships. As a result of this closeness, many personal friendships have developed between individuals on each side of the border.
The new border crossing requirements between the U.S. and Canada has brought a new stress between choruses on each side of the border. While the 2009 Convention resulted in an outstanding participation of Canadian choruses, notably absent were some Division IV choruses. While many factors may have been responsible for their absence, surely the added expense of a passport or passport card was a consideration.
An Equal Suggestion: One possible solution to lessen the impact of border crossing requirements would be to alternate conventions every year between the U.S. and Canada. In this way passport holders on each side of the border would use their passports at least 5 times over the passport life and somewhat justify the expense of a passport.
Earl E. Pepper, Salem Senate-Aires
|
| NEAR TRAGEDY!
The excitement and anticipation of the competition was building. It was 9:00 a.m. Saturday and our chorus was to meet at the Delta for beginning warm-ups.
At 9:05 my phone rang. It was one of our chorus members with some terribly disturbing news. He took his tux coat off the hanger and his tux pants were not hanging under the coat! He said, "It appears I'll be watching the competition from the audience, and I won't be going to the warm-up session either. This is just too embarrassing!" What a terrible feeling!
My room happened to be on the front of the motel, right above the front door, and there was a balcony overlooking the street. As our chorus members came to the front door I asked each group if they had an extra pair of black pants. One fellow in the second group did and delivered them to Charles and they fit almost perfectly. We all walked together to the Delta, fully dressed! I'll remind him every chance I get that he owes me big time! Those baritones anyway!!
Glen Stocking, Pages of Harmony
- - - - - - - -
CONGRATULATIONS!!
I was sitting in the performance room, excited about Northwest Vocal Project...just how good have they been getting under the crafty Neal
Booth's care? The answer came swiftly with a lovely ballad (arranged by EVG's own Jim Kalke)...wow. "When She Loved Me" was...perfect. Once You're 16" began, the entire room knew the outcome of the
contest...congratulations district champs Northwest Vocal Project! You will represent us well in Philly, and certainly beyond!
Don Rose, Northwest Sound |  |
| | LATE NIGHT TAGS
There was a group of about 8 people standing in a hallway of the Delta Hotel around 3am singing tags. As you know, tag singing at this hour is just loud and proud. All of a sudden, Sean Devine comes walking by, and pauses. He stares at us, then the door in the nook where we were standing, then back at us. He shook his head and said, "This is NOT good," with his usual smile.
We all inquired, "What? Something wrong?"
He just sighed, and sort of gestured toward the door of the hotel room next to us. At this time, the entire group realized we were congregated next to Sean's hotel room, and he was obviously ready for sleep.
We all laughed, and just sang a couple more tags to "lull" him to sleep before dispersing.
Brady Anderson, Northwest Vocal Project & Northwest Sound
-----------------------------
NINJA BATTLE
While waiting backstage with the finalist quartets to enter the stage to announce the winning quartet, I witnessed Turner Steirs stealing a costumed ninja's sword (Sean Huston's son’s) and a battle ensued. The ninja was victorious in decapitating Turner with a plastic sai, and I watched as Turner convulsed and heaved as he slowly passed into the vast beyond until he lay motionless on the ground.
A simple story of youthful enjoyment slowly starting to spread in the district.
Sean Kelly
|
| THREE SHORT BUS STORIES
We were to leave at 8:00 a.m. for our 2 day bus ride (a small 12 passenger). One member was becoming more absent by the minute. At 8:30 after running out of patience, we swung the bus around and headed for the main street out of town. But just as we pulled onto the street, one passenger looked back and saw a small red car pulling into the parking lot. I jumped out of the bus, ran across the boulevard, and flagged down our late passenger, while the bus did a loop around the block. 5 seconds later would have been too late.
Our bus driver thought it most expedient to bypass all weigh scales. At the first one he told us all to duck. After that he said that he had a good story to tell if he should be whistled down. “I’ll tell the police that we are on the way to a funeral, and these singers have to sing.”
The Convention was certainly no funeral. The third story is that our bus driver attended the concerts and was so enthralled that he hugged a couple of us with tears literally rolling down his cheeks. He said that he would have paid $100 for admission. Now that is a story.
Arthur Wiebe |  |
|
| |
 |
|
