HarmonyRag Quartet of Nations Newsletter, Region 31 Sweet Adelines International Summer 2009
CHAMPIONS! By Jeni, Lesley, Lorna and Claire
dream. We never thought that we could win against such tough competition and that makes it even more special. We received so many lovely
our best to make you proud when we travel to Nashville in October and can’t wait to cheer on Lace City and Surrey Harmony. Our chorus Heartbeat is still on cloud nine too with bronze medals, first place in midsize and top marks in both presentation and sound. What a way to end the perfect weekend!! We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported and believed in us over the years; to Lesley Carson senior for setting us out on this journey and for her never ending confidence that we could make it; our fantastic chorus Heartbeat; Eu4ia, John Grant & Neil Firth for their inspirational coaching and to all the many people who have contacted us since our win with messages of support
comments both over the weekend and since we returned home and are truly touched by people’s kindness. We will do
and congratulations. You have made us four of the proudest and happiest people in the country right now!”
“When Tone-Acity were announced as the 2009 Region 31 Quartet Champions we finally realised our dreams!
When we originally formed as “New Generation” back in 1999 I don’t think any of us had any idea of the long and winding journey we were starting on. Jeni (tenor), Lorna (baritone) & her sister Lesley (lead) are lifelong friends who got coaxed into helping Lesley senior when she decided to form Heartbeat Chorus 12 years ago. Claire (bass) answered a newspaper advert around a year later and soon became part of the barbershop family. The quartet was born and Jeni, Lesley, Claire & her friend Katie formed “New Generation”. Our first ever competition experience was in the Millennium joint LABBS and BABS convention in Brighton where we shuffled onto stage in our pink outfits, missed out a page of our uptune and finished a distant last place! We carried on singing and learning and in 2002 we were placed 5th in the LABBS quartet competition. Katie decided to move on to pastures new, Jeni switched to tenor and Lorna joined as our baritone, and in 2004 we were again placed 5th at LABBS. In 2007 we entered the Region 31 contest
for the first time. We decided we weren’t the “New Generation” anymore and picked “Tone-Acity” to represent our stubbornness and determination. We placed a respectable tenth and made a lot of new friends. In 2008 we knew the quartet standard was going to be higher than ever and worked hard hoping to grab a spot in the medals. When the results were announced and we had placed tenth again, there is no denying that we were disappointed. We decided to give it one final shot. We planned a rehearsal schedule, picked our competition package and set to work. We were very fortunate to receive coaching from Sandra, Nancy, Kate & Jane of
Eu4ia, John Grant and Neil Firth, who helped us to make our sound and technique better and learn how to sell the song’s message to the audience. We were given the opportunity to mic warm at the European Convention in Holland in March this year. We are hugely proud of our chorus Heartbeat, who were awarded bronze medals in the Chorus contest and Eu4ia on their brilliant silver medal performance in the quartet competition. It was the perfect preparation for Gateshead. We cannot begin to tell you how proud and excited we were to be awarded the gold medals and most improved quartet. We all still think we will wake up and it will have been a wonderful
Quartet of Nations Regional Newsletter
Forth Valley Chorus goes GOLD The fifteen year wait is over By Sue Davidson and Rachel Freeman The 84-strong Forth Valley Chorus are riding high on the Gold Medal Win captured at this year’s Convention in Newcastle.
The chorus last won gold 15 years ago but has placed either 4th, bronze or silver ever since. Many members have been “waiting a long time” for the Gold and the feeling of triumph and achievement is palpable no matter how long singers have been with the group, write Sue Davidson and Rachel Freeman. I’m a lucky new member who joined in August and I’ve got a big smile on my face, as I relive the past 9 months of a roller coaster journey that has taken me to this point of sharing in the triumph. I’m keen to post my heartfelt open letter of thanks to the chorus and share the memorable moments of the ride amongst my fellow barbershop singers throughout the Region. The Audition: Good grief – I was jelly on a plate with what must have been a Minnie Mouse squeak…yet everyone was so kind and smiled supporting. The Newbie training sessions: the cringing terror of exposure in such a small group, undoubtedly reflecting your dismay that you had allowed such a limp biscuit to join! Pained Smiles were still projected. The Repertoire: Just 27 songs – as many pages
as a classical concert, but needing to learn it well enough to sing with all the parts surrounding me was a daunting task. The ream of sheet music and a selection of esnips recordings were to be in my past, present and future. All to be done with a smile, a straight back and unlocked knees… ah – yes – and harmony to boot! The Make Up instructions: Don’t know how to do it? Learn, and fast! I never thought I’d ever wear a set of false eyelashes after my 20s – and now it’s OBLIGATORY?! I had to smile. I’m now equipped with foundation to last several lifetimes and yet half of it will be used in two sing outs.
2 | HARMONY RAG | SUMMER 2009
Hair “style”: with a cupboard bursting with hair products, it’s amazing what can be achieved under the smiling duress inflicted by the truly dedicated. Who knew I could achieve such ‘lift’ – and yet heaven help me if I tried to use a fragranced hairspray to aid the gravity challenged follicles. The Costume: Anything as long as it’s black or sequinned? Sequins?! Regulation shoes: Ouch! Smile through the pain -, foot spa and massage classes essential. Prescribed accessories to achieve perfection include maximum minimizing underwear, chandelier earrings and necklace. Oh – and you mean I need to be responsible for adding
the shoulder pads and sleeves by next Thursday?! Turning up every Thursday: no problem… Every Thursday for 3 hours! And of course it would be unfortunate (images of boiling oil, snake pits and horrors of personal choice come to mind) if you missed weekend rehearsals and coaching days… Smile! Sing Outs every 6 weeks: Now I need to take the act to the streets…already? I better smile and get back to esnips. The Director: David, I’m told it was your wiggle in Gospel Medley that sealed your fate as a coveted director in Region 31 – I don’t think we ever need to worry about meeting our new intake quota. I never noticed – I’m too busy following your hand signals. The Coaches: We’ve had some amazing input from a variety of different styles of coach. Gail Jencik in particular as she spent so
smile to help us focus. Convention was an extraordinary experience –Was there in fact life outside of the Hotel and The Sage that weekend?! The organization which made the whole weekend run like clockwork was astounding – a big smile for all Chorus Teams and the RMT. The other choruses – especially Lace City, deserve a mention due to their immense support before, during and after contest. The thrill of winning was even sweeter when members of other choruses were so gracious. It was lovely to share such genuine smiles. The whole Forth Valley Chorus: you were all Gold Medal Winners in my book before we went to Convention. What a lovely group of friends you are. You’re welcoming, supportive, and so full of fun. You got me through and
much time with us, taught, motivated set us straight in so many ways, and then showed us the way to believe in ourselves - and she had a very special
I really couldn’t have done it without you. The best thing is – we will have to do it all over again for next year in Seattle, WA, USA! ... Smile and THANKS!
Chorus Champions 2009 ~ Forth Valley
Quartet Champions 2009 ~ Tone-acity HARMONY RAG | SUMMER 2009 | 3
Quartet of Nations Regional Newsletter
Silver Medal, Finesse
Bronze Medal, Happy Hour
4th Place, Breakthrough
5th Place, Mac 4
Silver Medal, Phoenix
Bronze Medal and Division AA Gold, Heartbeat
4th Place, Aberdeen
5th Place, Spinnaker
4 | HARMONY RAG | SUMMER 2009
DaleDiva
Flying High Singers
Champagne Cornwall
Division A Gold, Somerset Hills
Hillfoot Harmony
Stockport Liberty Belles
Sheffield Harmony
Lincoln Sounds
Rhapsody
Route Sixteen
Solent Sounds
County Connection Harmony
Coastline Harmony
City of Roses
Apple County
Surrey Harmony
London City Singers
Lace City HARMONY RAG | SUMMER 2009 | 5
Quartet of Nations Regional Newsletter
The Holland Heartbeat Experience By Dulcie Williams As last year was our first time competing in Sweet Adelines, we were thrilled and a little daunted by European competition.
We ranked overall 6th place at the wonderful Birmingham Symphony Hall and were pleased with the result, however we knew competing in Europe would stretch us enormously. We felt we would have to work really hard to give a good account of ourselves and Sweet Adelines, especially as, despite serious fund raising, we could only take 33 singers from our Chorus of 49. We set off with a coach full of garrulous girls and a few of our chaps for the 12-hour drive from Cheshire to Veldhoven in Holland. It was made all the more worrisome when Jane, one of our Chorus medics, warned us about the dangers of DVT and recommended wearing some rather fetching long white socks (as if!). A) I am a lead - enough said, B) white socks make your legs look fat C) white socks look rubbish with nice shoes! The venue was a purpose built conference centre and easily able to hold the 1600+ Barbershoppers who descended from all over the Europe. The organisation was faultless, the acoustics and auditorium very good and the food and housekeeping arrangements were superb, no mean feat for such a large group of people. We were really happy to have members of our Chorus in almost every section either competing or mic warming and cooling. In the Quartet competition on Thursday we whooped and cheered as Tone-Acity opened the comp as mic warmers and were fantastic, and scored very highly by the judges. The quartet standard was incredibly high and was interesting having men
and women in alternating sections. Our hearts beat faster with huge pride as we watched Eu4ia sing their achingly beautiful ballad and hysterical comedy up-tune to win the European Silver Medal and do SA very proud, to tumultuous applause. Thursdays session was then mic cooled by 7 Heartbeat girls who sing in the a cappella ensemble “Capella.” No one but us knew it was their first time on a huge stage in front of Barbershop royalty!
Heartbeat were to compete on Friday which we thought was fabulous timing so that we could watch and learn from the bigger Chorus’ on Saturday with no stress and be in tip top condition for partying on Saturday night! By Thursday night the mild apprehension had become abject fear for me and a couple of other new Heartbeat Girls.... no one admitted it and talk turned to tanning, makeup and hair do’s. Friday arrived, suddenly we realised we had a big job to do representing SA. There were 6 of us on the front row and only 33 on those huge risers. Heartbeat is nothing if not brave and Lesley Carson, our MD, enthused and steadied us calmly. Sandra Lea-Riley ran through the
6 | HARMONY RAG | SUMMER 2009
choreography with her usual mix of humour and perfectionism. We were so lucky to have the support of Cottontown Chorus who gave us unstinting encouragement. Neil Firth, MD of Cottontown, gave us his time despite his own Chorus competing and John Grant kindly gave us the following wisdom, “Medallists display will and skill, you have the skill, do you have the will?” We were delighted to have all of Eu4ia sing with us, Kate and Nancy now being full Heartbeat members. Sandra
is trying to persuade Jane to move 100 miles north to Marple! The organisation was such that we couldn’t see other contestants and so had no idea what the standard would be like. We surmised that since the international contestants were all National medal winners, it would be a very high standard. When we saw the DVD we realised how true that was. Hearts beating against our chests we filed in silence to the holding area off stage. The previous contestants left and we filed on. Bolton men, and our lovely supporters made so much noise we could barely hear the pitch pipe! We were convinced
we had made a terrible start but, thinking back to the months of schooling, rehearsals, and preparation, we pulled together an exhilarating performance. We had done our best. As every competitor knows it was over oh so quickly, and we wished so much to be able to go back and sing it all again. As we filed out in silence that little sadness crept over us, if only we had done this, maybe done that? Was it OK? What did it sound like for the audience? By the sound of the applause it was either pretty good, or they were very kind! Back in the changing room we wiped off the stage makeup, whipped off the sequins and industrial undergarments, threw on our jeans and rushed to watch the other competitors. It was wonderful to be relaxed and watch the rest of the contestants. They were really impressive and wonderfully entertaining! Saturday came and I had been looking forward to seeing The White Rosettes and Cheshire Chord Company a near neighbour to us 20 miles away representing LABBS. I also loved seeing Neil Firth’s Cottontown Chorus singing so tenderly their harmonies ringing in my head hours afterwards and delighted to see them awarded the European Silver medal and of course the sensational Zero8 lead by Doug Harrington. This a brilliant variety of Barbershop that I will never forget as long as I live. It was a long and thrilling day and Heartbeat Chorus were scattered far and wide in the Auditorium by the presentation ceremony. The medals were announced in reverse order so the first name mentioned as
winners of the Bronze medal were Heartbeat Chorus! ... Silence... shock... from all corners of the auditorium came blood curdling screams of shock and delight as Heartbeat Girls stood up in total amazement running to find and hug each other in floods of tears, whooping, grinning and crying like fools. Amazed the audience were thrilled and their applause carried on for so long the Silver and Gold medallists White Rosettes and Cheshire Chord Company’s applause almost got swallowed up by the stunned reaction of 33 Heartbeat Chorus girls and all our wonderful supporters. Sweet Adelines we did you proud, thank you for asking us to represent you! The Saturday night show was a great celebration and hugely entertaining and set us up for a superb Afterglow. Wearing our BRONZE medals we were screaming and singing late into the night as if we had won Gold. There was the added joy of a disco in another part of the centre, if you felt the need. Of course we had to do some David Brent type dancing, it would have been rude not to. There is something magical about an unexpected win. Never expecting to be placed Julie and Emma who had brilliantly organised our whole trip booked the coach home to leave at 8am. As Bronze medallists we were honoured to be asked to sing in the Sunday afternoon show so we delayed our ferry crossing and made hurried arrangements to arrive home in the early hours of Monday morning and then crawl into work wearing our medals. Our coach drivers were performers in their own right, they kept us safe entertained and full of coffee, chocolates and brandy. Textbook travel! What an adventure! What a result! Sweet Adelines thank you for the opportunity to amaze ourselves.
Groeten van the National Barbershop Youth Chorus! The future of Barbershop? Possibly! This is the National Barbershop Youth Chorus.
This four-year-old project, set up by BABS (the British Association of Barbershop Singers) to give young men the opportunity to meet and sing with their other like-minded youngsters,
has now returned from the European Convention in Veldhoven, Holland. As well as attending several rehearsals and shows each year, the boys enjoy running and organising their own chorus, which allows the members to involve themselves in aspects of chorus life that may not be available to them in
‘normal’ BABS choruses. Nineteen members of the National Barbershop Youth Chorus (NBYC), which is also responsible for pulling together BABS 2008 Champion quartet, Monkey Magic, travelled to Holland in March for their first overseas trip to the European Convention. Under the direction of Rob Barber and the supervision of hardworking “chorus mum”, Shirley Course of Phoenix UK Chorus, the boys performed beyond expectation both as mic-warmers and on two shows, blowing away their audiences with the harmonies, and, well, school-boy charm! The Convention started with mic-warming for the men’s chorus competition on the Friday morning
Eu4ia take Silver European Medal! By Sandra, Kate Jane & Nancy (European Silver Medallists!) As you can see from Kate’s face and mine we are in a state of shock but delighted with our Silver Medal!
What a fabulous and exhausting 4 nights 5 days we had. The competition, friendship and hospitality (including the afterglows and food!) Were amazing... We were so thankful we were all healthy this time and able to give our best
performance and take away the silver medal amongst such great competition! To add the icing then sprinkles on top of feeling fabulous was getting the Bronze Medal with Heartbeat and our boys from Cottontown Chorus getting the Silver! In Harmony Eu4ia
where the boys sang “Once Upon a Time” and “Good Luck Charm”. It was a great start, but not great enough for ambitious director Rob Barber, who encouraged the boys with a full day’s intense rehearsal of the Friday night show package: “Blue Skies”, “Goodnight Sweetheart” and their new favourite, “Don’t Stop Me
Now!” The hard work paid off and the show took the audience by storm. The youth chorus received many positive comments and encouragement from choruses and quartets at the competition, which topped off what they described as “one of the greatest barbershop experiences of their lives!”
Saturday allowed the NBYC to experience a different kind of learning. Instead of being spoonfed, the members lead warm ups and exercises and were encouraged to take a more active role in the structure and music making, all part of their on-going aim of member development. While they rehearsed, the second half of the chorus competition was taking place in the convention centre, concluding with a fantastic set of results for all of the British Choruses present. The NBYC send congratulations to the Cottontown Chorus, the White Rosettes, the Cambridge Chord Company, the Cheshire Chord Company and Heartbeat UK Chorus, who all earned medals for fantastic performances. The successes all round meant Saturday night was truly a night of celebration, giving the boys a chance to practice the universally understood language of ‘Tag’ with barbershoppers from all across Europe.
Their moves on the dance floor at the convention disco were not so well understood! The chorus sang again on the Sunday show, and though were sad to leave the many new friends they had made over the weekend, were excited to retell their families back in England. The European Convention experience offered an opportunity to young men for travel, camaraderie and a way into the hobby that is becoming increasingly popular in Britain and further afar. The Youth Chorus are constantly recruiting and are currently looking to expand their numbers. If you or someone you know is eligible for the Youth Chorus, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of the chorus via their website www.nb-yc. co.uk and become a part of an exciting and expanding hobby. Singing with the NBYC is, as you can tell, is very rewarding and our aim is to make sure that every young man under 26 has an opportunity to enjoy it.
HARMONY RAG | SUMMER 2009 | 7
Quartet of Nations Regional Newsletter
Girls in Gateshead! By Laura Jane Baxter – Baritone, aged 9 I was first introduced to Barbershop as a baby in a travel seat at the back of Surrey Harmony rehearsals.
As soon as I could sing I copied Mum and sang nursery rhymes with a low American voice! So when we heard about the IVY
It’s In The Can By Fran Pocock YSF Liaison, Region 31 Following on from my recent email, I should like to answer a couple of questions that were put to me.
Is YSF a registered charity? - Yes it is but not in the UK. Therefore any donations would not be subject to our tax laws. Has anyone received a Scholarship in the UK? – No but then as far as I know no-one has applied for a scholarship. Scholarships are awarded annually for at least $2000.00. Obviously, this would have to be re-calculated into our currency and would depend on the rate of exchange at the time of receiving it. Any student, male or female, can apply provided they are studying vocal music education in an accredited learning institution. Students must be enrolled in a music program and maintain at least a B+ average in vocal music studies at an accredited college or university. Awards are given without regard to status as an undergraduate or graduate student. Further information can be obtained by logging into www. youngsingersfoundation.org
There are also grants available to support activities designed to reach out an involve young people in vocal music. The activities supported vary, but all focus is on promoting vocal music throught workshops, performances, coaching, after-school program, festivals etc. Grant receipients are selected twice each year in June and November. Again, information as how to apply can be found on the YSF website. It was great that the Region agreed to support the YSF by allowing us to have a bucket collection at Convention but unfortunately we were stopped from collecting by The Sage as it is not there policy to allow charitable collections in the venue. However, in the 10 minutes that our two buckets were shaken, we collected £10.90. I do have ‘It’s in the Can’ stickers which can be put on buckets, boxes, jars etc. If you would like one for your chorus, then please email me on franpocock@ mypostoffice.co.uk with your contact name and address and I will send one off to you. International has issued me with one for each chorus. I do hope that you can support the official Sweet Adelines Charity, even in a small way. Every little helps.
8 | HARMONY RAG | SUMMER 2009
League Youth chorus from our friends in Lace City my own Barbershop journey began. I was 7years old for my first concert in Leicester, not nervous at all just enjoying finally being on the stage singing barbershop. And now aged 9 - this year was my first Sweet Adelines convention. There was so much to do and see that I hardly had time to eat (or sleep because of the parties!) The quartet competition was fantastic and made me want to work even harder to achieve my goal of a quartet gold medal. This year I sang in both the Family Chorus and Showstoppers, the YWIH chorus. It was great to be part of a Sweet
Adelines convention and to spend time with all our barbershop friends. The idea of inviting IVY League to join Showstoppers was a really good one, I hope that it happens next year too!
P.S. Next is the IVY League show on 20th June; Then I’m off to Nashville with Lace City where Mum and I are singing in the Family Chorus – I can’t wait!
Double Award-Winning Celebrations For DaleDiva! Newly-chartered DaleDiva chorus is still on high after scooping a medal in its very first Region 31 competition despite forming just 18 months ago.
“It was a fantastic experience for us and we’d like to say a MASSIVE thank you to all the
Directors’ Certification Program (Dcp) By Fran Pocock – DCP Coordinator for Region 31 What a great contest we had in May.
Many congratulations to everyone who took part but in particular Forth Valley Chorus for their great performance and also for 2nd placed Phoenix and 3rd placed Heartbeat who both scored over 600 points. Also Congratulations to everyone who took part in the Quartet Contest – Good Luck to Tone-acity in Nashville. I am sure they will make our region proud. My reason for this article is to plug that DCP as it is a great aid to the advancement of our chorus music leaders and individual singers. If you have been thinking about enrolling on the Program, why not do it now – if you are a front line director (or a Co-director or assistant Director who may direct one or both songs in contest) and completes the course before next Convention you could become a Master Director if your chorus scores the
our medals with pride!” “It was a particularly special achievement for us as only four of our 51 members who competed had ever had any barbershop experience so nearly all of us were completely new to this style of singing and performance. Our success has certainly boosted our confidence and belief in ourselves. We are now totally hooked!” DaleDiva musical director and Farenheit quartet singer Ally Law said: “Amazed, euphoric, emotional and proud – that’s how I feel. DaleDiva have worked so hard to achieve what they did and far exceeded my expectations.”
choruses, friends and new supporters who gave us such a wonderful welcome at The Sage.” “Although every member of DaleDiva knew how hard we’d all worked in the months up to convention, it was still a dream to take third-place medal in our category and come sixth overall. We still can’t believe it and are wearing
magic 600 or more and join our current elite band in this Region. Those of you that have already enrolled but have taken time out, I would really love to hear that you are ready to pick up the Modules and carry on. If everyone currently on the program were able to do this, then we would presenting in the region of 25 – 30 certificates next year! What a feat that would be. Even if you are not enrolled on the program, the Modules are a really great learning aid for all members of the chorus and I would urge every chorus to have a copy in their library. If you already have one, please ensure you have any updates that have been issued recently. The complete set or individual elements can be order from Sweet Adeline International Sales. I look forward to your emails addressed to me at franpocock@mypostoffice. co.uk. I would particularly like to hear from anyone in Holland who are already enrolled but for whom I have not had details passed on to me.
Stuart Warren
An Evening of Close Harmony Singing with:
The IVY League • Finesse • Crossfire • Miss-Demeanour MC - Anita Bolland
Saturday 20th June 7pm Leicester Y Centre, East St, Leicester Ticket price: £10 (£8 concessions) The
Family Tickets available
League
Box Office: 0116 255 7066
IVY LABBS’ Youth Chorus
Late Bar
Proceeds to: Macmillan Cancer Support and The IVY League
HARMONY RAG | SUMMER 2009 | 9
Quartet of Nations Regional Newsletter
Finesse Finesse had a fabulous
weekend in Gateshead!
It was great to catch up with so many old friends, and fantastic to come home having made so many new ones. We loved… the wonderful Sweet Adeline’s camaraderie… singing in our very first contest together… the chance to sing on the Saturday night show and being blown away with the audience’s response to
our Handful of Keys… singing with Breakthrough at the afterglow… the abundance of false eyelashes and sparkle everywhere we looked… and our super shiny silver medals!!!!!! We are still amazed to think that when we competed in Gateshead we had only actually been singing together for just over 4 months!!!!! Many, many congratulations to all the medal winners but
especially to the terrific Tone-Acity! We know they are going to be superb representatives of the region in Nashville later this year. Have a ball – we will be watching and cheering you on from the sofa, girls! We are so excited about the year ahead for Finesse and are already planning coaching and new songs. We are singing in Spain for the S.A.B.S. show and in Leicester for the Ivy League show in June and
What are the chances?? By Alison, Caroline, Kim and Michele It’s the stuff of sitcoms or pre-wedding nightmares – two women arrive at a posh do wearing exactly the same dress! So what would be the odds on eight women doing just that – and what sort of hilarity and bad behaviour might it lead to?!! Zest! are very happy
taken to commemorate the occasion in a true demonstration of harmony against the odds! Zest! had a great weekend and were really pleased to be placed 8th in such a high level competition. Congratulations to all competitors and especially to fabulous champions Tone-acity who we are sure will do a fantastic job in Nashville. Have a blast, girls!
for their great silver medal performance. Appreciation and thanks also to the team who organised such a highly successful, smoothrunning weekend. We can’t wait for the next one! Next on the Zest! agenda is some song-learning, coaching and then we’re off to compete in Dublin in October – Caroline’s looking forward to the Guinness! And somewhere along the line we may have to do a bit of costume
are competing in LABBS in October. We are going to attempt to fit in recording our CD and before we know it we will all be back in Gateshead for next year’s contest!
Thank you all for your lovely comments over the contest weekend, emails and messages on the guestbook of our website and Facebook since we got back. Finesse
Harmony InSpires is seeking a new chorus director! We are an enthusiastic, talented group of 29 women - half of whom were new to barbershop 6 months ago. We meet in Cumnor, very near Oxford, on a Wednesday evening from 7.30 to 10.00 p.m. We look forward to hearing from anyone who would like to stand in front of a really great group of ladies.
to report that there was certainly some of the former but thankfully none of the latter! We and Vocal Zone even had a photo
We are also very proud of our fellow Phoenix quartets, Finesse and Footlights. Congratulations to both, and especially to Finesse
10 | HARMONY RAG | SUMMER 2009
shopping, obviously with reference to the other “quartet of impeccable taste” first! Love from Zest!
Please contact Helen Carter on 01235 764810 or email her at helen-carter@ntlworld.com
Phoenix – Birds on Fire!!! By Caroline Donovan, PRO
Phoenix had such a blast in Gateshead!
Congratulations and thanks to all involved in organising what was a great event. The venue was magnificent. We were
told by one of the Sage staff that it is No 3 in the world for acoustics (Vienna and Amsterdam apparently being 1 & 2) and it certainly lived up to its reputation. We’re really looking forward to going back there next year. The standard of
competition was fantastic and we were thrilled (in a gutted sort of way) to come second to a fabulous Forth Valley. We know that they will be great ambassadors for us in Seattle – have a fantastic time, girls! The level of competition in Region 31 is so exhilarating and is exactly why Phoenix joined Sweet Adeline’s just over 2 years ago. We feel we have grown and learned so much in that short time but we’re still hungry for more and we’ll be back to have another go next year! No doubt we’ll have some fun along the way – let’s face it, it would be hard not to with this wonderful group of women, who recently adopted a new slogan: Phoenix – Birds on Fire!!! ….you have been warned!
“BASS WANTED”
We are a newly formed quartet who wish to compete at next year’s SAI convention. Our chorus has lots of lovely basses, but they are already either in a quartet or prefer not to join a competing quartet! We are a young (albeit not quite a YWIH) quartet and are hoping to find a bass with flair and bass attitude!! We all live in Cornwall and are prepared to travel (meet in the middle) if there is a willing bass who is not local. If you are interested, please contact Sarah Dell on sarah.dell@follettstock.co.uk
Dave Page – a thank you Ally Page RMT Communications Coordinator On behalf of Dave’s wife Sue and son Danny, I would like to say thank you for the amazing support we’ve received not only here in the UK, but also from friends overseas. Thanks also to the Region and the individual choruses who generously sent donations to the British Heart Foundation in memory of Dave. Dave was not just
the Region’s official convention photographer, but a friend to many within our organisation and also my brother. Convention was a difficult time for me, I missed him a lot, but knowing that my friends were there supporting me gave me the strength to still perform on stage – just as he would have wanted me to. Sweet Adeline’s is an amazing organisation and it’s not just about the singing.
HARMONY RAG | SUMMER 2009 | 11
Quartet of Nations Regional Newsletter
Congratulations City of Roses – We’re Back! After returning from the
regional competition in 2007, rather demoralised, we decided to take a year out from competition.
We picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves down and made ourselves some goals. One of them was to work towards improving our score in the 2009 competition and come out with our heads
held high! As it turns out this year we bettered our previous competition
score by a whacking 89 points, the chorus was ecstatic, we’d got more
than we had set out to achieve. This has given us the much needed confidence that we lost in 2007 and has motivated us into now working on what we’ve learnt and mastering the basics so we can move onwards and upwards. We’re now working towards a concert in June with the men’s Granite City Chorus, with special guests, South Boundary from Aiken, USA, directed
by our former Director, Bill Riehl. If you’re up in the Aberdeen area, come and see us, just contact us through our website: www.cityofroseschorus. co.uk Many thanks to our Director, Mary Robertson and to Mike Warner, who have put so much hard work into the chorus. Also a big thank you to Val Taylor who coached us at our coaching weekend in March.
Congratulations Dres Kernow! Dres Kernow Harmony Chorus won over and over again at the Cornwall Music Festival in Truro this year.
Under the direction of Madge Moyse, the 23 ladies won two shields; in the Ladies Under 30 Voices class and the Barbershop class. They also won the prestigious Ann Bassett Shield in the
Ladies Choir Championship against stiff competition. To polish off their marvellous success, Dres Kernow took on the St Stythians Male Voice Choir to be crowned the overall Choir Champions. The Trophies awarded were: The Sylvia Reed Shield – under 30 voices class (88 marks) Millennium Shield –
barbershop class (90 marks) established chorus The Bassett Challenge Shield – best adult ladies choir (92 marks) again established chorus The Everett-Heath Cup – best adult choir performance – male and female The Richard Jose Cup – for the best overall choir and the Edgar Kessell Gold Championship Cup
CONVENTION 2009 Cheltenham Racecourse
30 October – 01 November Special guests – SAI Quartet Champions 2008 – Four Bettys Sing with the Champs - Sing-a-tag - Scratch choruses - Community singing in the auditorium - Afterglows Three shows with top medal-winners, QCs and BABS Champions Photo and DVD sales - LABBS shops - Marketplace - Convention Express - Crèche High-quality restaurants, catering outlets, coffee and snack bars available during the weekend Changing room facilities will be available after the competitions so you won’t need to go back to your hotels to change Friday night is ‘In the pink’ for Breast Cancer Care Saturday night is Halloween Dress appropriately! Registration forms will be available on the website Large free car park, caravan and camping site next to the Racecourse Cheltenham hotel booking form available on the website – www.labbs.org.uk Buses and taxi service to and from the town centre 12 | HARMONY RAG | SUMMER 2009
Convention 2009 – Feedback from the Judges By Valerie Taylor, Education Coordinator Every year at convention, the judges give feedback to the region on their overall impressions of choruses and quartets in the competition.
This year, a new system has been introduced. Each judge provides their comments on a special version of the score sheets which describe trends in the region, for both quartets and choruses. Here is a summary of what each judge said about standards within region 31. If you would like to read all the individual feedback sheets, they are available on the regional website on the results page for 2009. (Good luck with the handwriting!) Sound – Ruth Ann Parker Quartets: Education on vocal skills is showing, although accuracy was a problem for several quartets. Work on artistic
!
EW
N
sound – one particular area is to ensure soft dynamics are focused in the mask. A key issue is energy, and good breath support is crucial for vocal stamina. Choruses: Again, work on vocal skills is apparent but continue to work on breath support and vocal energy. Almost every chorus had phrases that ended too abruptly and dynamics were causing a problem – louds were tense and softs were not focused. Artistic sound was highlighted as an issue for all apart from the top 3 choruses, but first make sure the vocal skills, accuracy, blend and balance are in place and then artistry will follow more naturally. Music – Mary Ann Wydra Quartets: Song choices were mostly good, but performers need to get into the emotion of the music. There were some “careful” performances. To get more quartets achieving B and B+ we need to work on musical unity. Follow
the lead as you would the director! More vocal energy is needed, but be careful not to punch out the beat – let the music flow. Choruses: Very good choice of music and a high calibre of vocal skills. Musical unity is still a priority and, as with quartets, there were groups that punched out the beat rather than delivering a smooth lyric line. Dropped phrase endings occurred persistently. More vocal energy is needed, especially at C+ and B- levels. Expression – Maureen Holcombe Quartets: There has been an incredible improvement in the expression category over the last 7 years! Work on vowels is obvious. There were too many “nice” performances lacking vocal energy. Breath support is a major problem in lower scoring quartets. Use a wider range of dynamics to add drama to the lyrical plan. Choruses: The work on
the basics of this category is remarkable and we should be proud of what we have accomplished! Lack of energy, however, is still a problem in both uptunes and ballads. Choruses at all levels are not finishing every phrase, dropping consonants and diphthongs along the way – this causes white spaces in the sound. Showmanship – Ida Bilodeau Quartets: Much more energy needed! Individual singers need to become more confident, and quartets need more depth of emotion. Bravo for costumes, make up and grooming! (But be aware that ill-fitting costumes detract from the music.) Define and communicate a strong character to the audience. Use more natural body movement. Shatter the glass wall around the quartet and totally connect with the audience! Choruses: Cannot believe the progress that has been made! Not just the
size of the region but the quality of performances. Congratulations! Now: add energy everywhere – posture, choreo, faces, vocal stamina. Choreo is generally fine, but physical expression needs more conviction. Establish characterisation and deliver it as a unit. Use natural body language to free up the music and add depth to emotion, so the audience sees what they hear. Key messages: •Vocal energy = breath support and we need more! •Sustain phrases right to the end and maintain a smooth vocal line in uptunes and ballads. •Ensure the basics are in place but explore artistry to a greater degree. •Connect with your audience using convincing characterisation. I hope you’ll agree that there are some positive messages here and also some useful tips for improving, so we can make our region the best it can be!
Unique Barbershop Compilation CD The One Voice CD has been produced by Barbershop in Harmony, a joint collaboration between The British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS), Region 31(Quartet of Nations) Sweet Adelines International and The Ladies Association of Barbershop Singers (LABBS). This is a unique compilation CD, as it is the first time that all three organisations have come together to work on a joint production. Featuring 26 tracks from top quality choruses and quartets that reflect variety of performance and song selection making this CD very listenable and enjoyable. Full details of artists and songs are on the Barbershop in Harmony web site: www.barbershopinharmony.co.uk
10.00
Only £
plus postage.
Order on Line Pay securely at
www.singbarbershop.com Order by Phone: 01305 265374 Please have your credit/debit card details ready
26 Tracks featuring choruses and quartets from the three UK barbershop organisations
Enquiries: harmonystore@singbarbershop.com
BABS HARMONY STORE HARMONY RAG | SUMMER 2009 | 13
Quartet of Nations Regional Newsletter
‘We Are Family – I Got All My Sisters And Me’
Well never let it be said Spinnaker Chorus doesn’t enter into the spirit of things.
These are the faces of the basses at our post Convention ‘do’ held at The Premier Inn after the Show of Champions. Spinnaker entered two new quartets this year’, ‘Pandora’ and ‘Happy Hour’. Both were fantastic coming within the first 10, with Happy Hour winning the bronze medal. We were bursting with pride and that set us all up for a really good Friday evening. We knew that there were new, excellent, choruses this year and that we faced stiff competition. For the 6 minutes we were on stage it almost felt as if we were at a party. What a venue, what acoustics, what
great support from other choruses – this was what we had worked so hard all year. And when the results were announced for the mid-sized choruses we listened in disbelief as Spinnaker were placed 2nd – oh deep, deep joy! The song we are singing in the photo above is our version of ‘Maria’, from The Sound of Music and we sang, ‘How do You Solve a Problem Like the Basses’. Well, we never did find a solution, and I hope we never will – the basses along with the Tenors, Leads and Baritones and our Musical Directors are a problem that Spinnaker Chorus is happy to have for a very long time. As Ringo says, “Peace and Love, Peace and Love, (don’t call me by my stage name), Peace and Love”.
6000 Barbershoppers! By Jeanette Yuile SAI Representative – Barbershop in Harmony & Project Manager, Palladium Show 6000 Barbershoppers working together to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support!
As you are already aware Barbershop in Harmony is a collaboration between Sweet Adelines International, Region 31, Quartet of Nations, The British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS) and the Ladies Association of British Barbershop
Singers (LABBS). There have already been a number of very successful joint workshops covering a range of topics that will benefit the development of our existing and future members and it is intended that these will continue into the future. As part of the joint
This Awareness Week is being held in conjunction with Macmillan Cancer Support. The reason for this partnership is two-fold, firstly to support fundraising of a deserving cause and also to utilise an extended network of contacts to support raising our own profile. Event
to promote this rare opportunity to support such a deserving cause. In return, with Macmillan’s support, we hope to create national publicity through high profile events in London. With up to 6000 barbershop singers in the UK, we should be able to increase public and media
page) for full details. The London Palladium is one of the most famous theatres and we would encourage you and your family & friends to come and experience what will be an “electric” show. Start time is 4.00pm to allow time for people to travel home after the show. The ticket price
initiative, the eight days from 12th to 20th September 2009 have been designated as “Barbershop Awareness Week”. The principle aim of this week is to raise the profile of and ultimately encourage new members to join in.
planning and promotional discussions with Macmillan are now nearing conclusion. Suggestions for local promotional events and details of local contacts within your area will be sent to all choruses shortly. Your help is needed
awareness. Barbershop at the London Palladium - 20th September! This will be a superb climax to the awareness week and tickets are now available from the Palladium’s Box Office (see the advert on the back
is great value for a London Show. Hopefully all Region 31 Sweet Adelines members will support these initiatives, and if you have any ideas of what other areas we could look at and if you are willing to help then please get in touch.
14 | HARMONY RAG | SUMMER 2009
Regional Faculty The Regional Faculty is our own group of trained coaches and educators. They can help in a variety of ways including chorus and quartet coaching, as well as management and administrative advice. Please feel free to contact them to see what they can do for you. Alternatively if you are unsure who to contact, your Education Coordinator, Valerie Taylor, can advise you on who would be best for you. Fees and expenses should be agreed with faculty members in advance. Anne Cargill Aberdeen Chorus Aberdeen – 01224 704627 acargill@lochside.fsbusiness.co.uk
Dorothy Main Aberdeen Chorus Aberdeen - 01224 782124 emmandee@tiscali.co.uk
Alyson Chaney Lace City Chorus Nottingham – 01636 814377 alysonchaney@yahoo.co.uk
Rebecca Middleton Coastline Harmony Chorus Fareham – 01329 2354491 becks2010@hotmail.com
Glenn Chaney Lace City Chorus Nottingham – 07960 112732 glennsings@yahoo.co.uk
Mike Taylor Spinnaker Chorus Southampton – 01489 600134 mike@singwell.me.uk
Elaine Hamilton Forth Valley Chorus Edinburgh – 0131 334 2372 elainemrssh@aol.com
Valerie Taylor Surrey Harmony Chorus Croydon – 020 8660 8037 Valerie.taylor@privacysolutions.co.uk
Dates for your Diary BABS Harmony College
28th-30th August 2009 Nottingham
International Convention 20 - 24 October 2009 Nashville, Tennessee
LABBS Convention
30th October - 1st November 2009 Cheltenham
Regional Convention Dates 7th – 9th May 2010 Newcastle
BABS Convention
28th-30th May 2010 Harrogate
Gwen Topp Aberdeen Chorus Aberdeen – 01224 575366 gmtopp@yahoo.co.uk Michelle Walker Lace City Chorus Nottingham – 0115 965 4524 shelbywalks@yahoo.co.uk
Regional Management Team 2008 – May 2009
Got a Show?
Chris Bentley - Team Coordinator Forth Valley Chorus Tel: TBC chrisbentley963@hotmail.com
With One Voice Palladium Show
Tracy Bailey - Directors’ Coordinator Champagne Cornwall Chorus Tel: 01726 63937 allthebaileys@aol.com
Let us know the details and we will print it here. Swell those audiences free!
20th September 2009 London
Have you got a story for
Harmony Rag?
DEADLINE for the next issue 28th August 2009 Contact the Editor: Rose Paxman 69a Muskoka Drive, Sheffield S11 7RH Tel: 07768751262 Email: rosesings@gmail.com
Nuala Hobden - Finance Coordinator Spinnaker Chorus Tel: TBC nualahelen@aol.com Valerie Taylor - Education Coordinator Surrey Harmony Tel: 020 8660 8037 valerie.taylor@privacysolutions.co.uk Emma Riley - Events Coordinator Surrey Harmony Tel: 07771 562962 emma.riley@reedelsevier.com Deborah Lamble - Membership Coordinator Spinnaker Chorus Tel: 01202 487287 deborah@lamble.plus.com Alison Page - Communications Coordinator Rhapsody UK Chorus Tel: 01733 242937 alison_page@btinternet.com Helen Gauld - Marketing Coordinator Aberdeen Chorus Tel: TBC helen.gauld@btinternet.com HARMONY RAG | SUMMER 2009 | 15
A charity event for Macmillan Cancer Support
“A SUNDAY NIGHT AT THE LONDON PALLADIUM” 4.00pm Sunday 20th September 2009
With One Voice
The Best of British Barbershop The Palladium is one of the most famous West End theatres boasting 2,286 seats. If you top the bill at the Palladium, you’re a star. In the 1950s and 60s it was the setting for the top-rated ITV variety show Sunday Night at the London Palladium which was broadcast live every week.
Barbershop’s own Sunday night at the Palladium will take place on the 20th September 2009. The show starts at 4.00pm to give everyone a chance to get home at a reasonable time. Come and be part of what will be a memorable experience and to be able to say “I was there!”
FEATURING Choruses and Quartets from Sweet Adelines, BABS and LABBS Lace City Singers The Cottontown Chorus Cheshire Chord Company Eu4ia Evolution NoteOrious Pitch Invasion & After Hours BQC Chorus Monkey Magic WITH
MC: Christopher Biggins
Tickets only £25.00 * All seats are priced at £25.00 with no concessions. Tickets will be allocated on a first come, first served basis - so book early to get the best seats. Tickets are available direct from the Palladium Box Office or on-line from their web site.
Palladium Box Office Telephone: 0844 412 4657 website: www.seetickets.com * A booking fee will apply to phone & web orders.
It’s the Harmony that makes the Difference!