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Vol 2014 Issue 45
12 Nov 2014
Keep
Keep these
these dates
dates in
in mind
mind and
and plan
plan your
your calendar
calendar now.
now.
02 October —Bud,
and Steak
Tijuana Yacht Club
07 NovSpud
2014—BOTY
Banquet
08 October
2014—Annual
MeetingChoral Fest
The Manitoba
Choral Association
22 Nov 2014—
15 Oct—The
Manitoba Seniors
Music
Festival–
7:45 p.m.
25 Nov 2014—Joint
ASA/WGC
Xmas
show rehearsal
(tentative) Competition
24-25 October—Rochester
03 Dec 2014—Joint
WGC/ASA Xmas
show rehearsal
07 Nov 2014—BOTY
Banquet
(tentative)
22 Nov 2014—The Manitoba
Choral Association Choral Fest
06 Dec 2014
Christmas
Show
with Sweet
27 November—MCA Choral
Fest Adelines
Riverside Lions Estates Seniors Residence
1006Dec
Dec2014—
2014 The
Christmas
Show with Sweet Adelines
16 Dec 2014—Tentative
- Place Despins
10 Dec 2014—
9-10 Jan
2015—
LOL Leadership
Training
Academy 16 Dec
2014—Tentative
- Place
Despins
River Falls, MN
13 June 2015—Annual Show
13 June 2015—Annual Show
November Birthdays
Rubin Batke 1929-11-11
Gerald Fontaine 04 11
Art Gross 1954-11-06
Perry Chochinoff
Guests: Welcome to Chris Magas who
Renewals:
visited us for the second week and to
Duncan Zaluski 14yrs.
Evan Bowness who was out for the first
time.
Chris received a card from Charlie at
the funeral of Jeep Enns where the
Chorus sang. He like what he heard
Inside this issue:
and decided it was time to check us
out.
Upcoming Events
1
Evan is a friend of Ian and Jeremy who
suggested that he should attend our
Christmas Show Schedule
2
practice.
Rochester Memories Brian M
3
We look forward to seeing you again
next week.
Rochester Memories Brian M
4
Christmas Cheer Board
5
Notes from Cass
5
Youth Chorus Promotion
6
BOTY 2014
7
Editorial Information
12 Nov 2014
8
CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD
December 6, 2014 (2:00 pm & 7:00 pm)
ASC and WGC
Bethel Mennonite Church
Gentlemen …. Here is some information about the joint Christmas Performance with the Assiniboine Show Chorus on December 6.
·
The WGC songs that Gary and the Music Committee have decided that we will be doing
are:
> Angels We Have Heard On High
> Jingle Bells
> Christmas Time Is Here
> Little Saint Nick
> Feast of Lights medley
> O Christmas Tree/ While By My Sheep
> Feliz Navidad
> The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting ….)
·
The joint songs that we will be doing with ASC are:
> Gigue Noel
> Whisper, Whisper
> Hallelujah
> O Holy Night
> Long, Long Time Ago
> Peace Peace
·
All Chorus members are asked to be at the church ready to begin the warm-up and
sound checks by 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Changing rooms and warm-up rooms have
been arranged in the basement, and stage/microphone time will be available for both
choruses, the joint chorus and all quartets as required.
·
The first show is from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.. All chorus members are encouraged to remain
at the church between performances. The second performance is from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
·
No food will be provided before the first performance (pls bring your own lunch/snack if
you need something before the 2:00 p.m. performance).
·
The Show Committee has arranged for a “Socials-type” meal to be available for both
choruses between performances ($7.00 per person) to encourage relaxation and socialization.
·
Wardrobe will be announced closer to the performance date.
Rochester Remembered
by Brian Metcalfe
As a Barbershopper, with less than seven months experience, I thought I should share
my thoughts about the recent Land O’Lakes District Fall Convention held in Rochester,
Minnesota on October 24-25, 2014.
Larry Hunter, who first introduced me to this “harmonizing hobby”, suggested that I would be
wise to try to attend a convention to hear a variety of very talented quartets and choirs. Following up on his advice, my wife Sally and I, decided to drive down to Rochester, where we could
witness some passionate performers and Sally could also explore the various shopping malls enroute.
Thinking that I might only be able to share my first Rochester experience with eight members of
our two, competing quartets, I was delighted when Drummond Brown made a passionate plea to
have as many Golden Chordsmen compete in Rochester. I thank the Executive for supporting
this endeavour by arranging bus transportation to Rochester for the bulk of our choir. I must admit that I was somewhat disappointed that I was not travelling with my colleagues on the bus,
as I was sure that I would be missing out on some harmonizing and last-minute performing
strategies.
Sally and I arrived in Rochester on Thursday afternoon and thanks to the hard work of Wendy
and Ken Broadfoot, we were able to stay at the Comfort Inn with most of our chorus members
and their respective cheerleaders. Sally and I explored Rochester on Thursday and Friday and
visited some unique restaurants.
However, Friday night at the Mayo Civic Center Auditorium was spectacular as we were treated
to the amazing talents of 18 different quartets. Not only was I astounded by the diversity of
songs and arrangements, I was delighted by the singing prowess of all the competitors. I enjoyed the comedy and creativity demonstrated as one quartet sang “Down by the Old Mill
Stream” complete with unique props and a flying shark. This evening was made particularly
meaningful thanks to our many choir members and their wives in the audience who patiently answered Sally and my questions about various aspects of the quartet and chorus competitions.
Undoubtedly my nervousness started at breakfast on Saturday – the day of our choral
competition. I was so delighted when Gary Brenner recommended that we meet in the
Comfort Inn conference room at 9:00 a.m. for a final hour of rehearsal. I really appreciated Duncan Zaluski sharing some new choreography, which was introduced at the
last practice (when I was in Fargo), to accompany our song “I Don’t Know Why”. Furthermore, Victor Olafson’s helpful timing and tips, created a mechanism to ensure that
all choir members were synchronized when performing these new gestures. Together,
with Director Gary’s dedication and fine tuning … we were all set to go.
Who was nervous? Imagine a “rookie” asking our Director, just 10 minutes before going on
stage, to confirm the order of the two songs which we were about to sing in the competition.
Imagine my potential problems when we sing several songs at a local church or nursing home.
Ever professional, I appreciated when Larry Hunter took the time in the ready-room to acknowledge that Perry Chochinov, James “Doogie” Kautz, and I, were about to sing in our first choral
competition.
With sweaty palms, I walked onto the stage, positioned myself on the last row of risers, and as
the curtain rose, I was briefly able to see into the audience and spot my wife and our other
“cheerleaders”. Then the powerful stage-lights were turned on and the audience disappeared behind a wall of intense, bright light. I smiled, focused on our Director, got ready to perform our
first gesture, and started singing the words … “My mind is kinda hazy, I must be going crazy …”
In hindsight, perhaps the lyrics that I began crooning exemplified the adrenalin rush that hit me
as I began harmonizing, in support of my colleagues, under the hot lights of the Fresnel lighting.
Cont. page 4
Cont. from page 3
Later on Saturday afternoon, after all 18 choruses had performed, we were invited to gain feedback from a variety of judges. As a former educator, I found this part of the competition to be
most useful as we gained insight on our “Music”, “Presentation”, and “Singing”. Not only was I
delighted to hear from James Estes that the Leads were doing a great job but that our chorus
had the potential to improve with a few tweaks like building crescendos on held notes, being less
cautious, and demonstrating that we were, indeed, having fun. However, I was quite pleased
that our choir averaged a score of 65.0 and was ranked 9th out of 18 choirs.
In the late afternoon, while we were waiting for supper, “Doogie” Kautz became addicted to the
Barbershop musical tag process and was welcomed into various groups that gathered in hallways to demonstrate and share their prowess at blending rhythm with a sustained note. During
this time my wife Sally was delighted to be serenaded by Arnie Charles as he performed “Red
Head” in his enthusiastic manner.
Following a delicious supper with our chorus, we were back in the Mayo Civic Center Auditorium
to hear the quartet finals. Unfortunately our two quartets, that sang Friday night, did not qualify
to sing with the ten finalists. Not only were the ten quartets amazing, the audience was also
treated to the harmonizing of Kordal Kombat and a talented list of past quartet winners. During
this evening, I heard chords ring like they had never rung before. In addition, I was amazed at
the lung capacity of various quartet members who, through a single breath, sustained a note
that their colleagues blended into remarkable endings. As this last ringing chord slowly decayed
through the audience, there was a profound moment of silence. You could literally “hear a pin
drop” in the stillness before the clapping acknowledgement began.
We returned to our hotel thinking that the evening was over. I was delighted when Ken Broadfoot mentioned that when the bus returned to our hotel, we would be meeting in the conference
room for drinks, snacks and some harmonizing. For me, Saturday ended on a perfect note, as I
sang along with my colleagues in a relaxed atmosphere which many of the “old-timers” suggested was reminiscent of the “Clear Lake” weekends.
I want to thank the many ambassadors of the Winnipeg Golden Chordsmen who promoted barbershop singing in a multitude of ways. Whether it was singing to the hotel staff, our
“cheerleading ladies”, or thanking the organizers and volunteers for all their hard work, it makes
me proud to be part of this caring organization.
In closing, I want to thank all the members of the Winnipeg Golden Chordsmen for welcoming
me into the organization, for providing valuable tips, sharing their experiences with me, and
making my life richer through music and harmony. Perhaps Brian Eno expressed it best, when
he said:
“When you sing with a group of people, you learn how to subsume yourself into a
group consciousness because a capella singing is all about the immersion of the self
into the community. That's one of the great feelings - to stop being me for a little
while and to become us. That way lies empathy, the great social virtue.”
Different uses of Reverberation:
Copy and paste in your Browser search
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyGdFybLy5o
Christmas Cheer Board
Did you know anyone may sponsor a hamper for a family in need?
Our Feed-a-Family program involves making and delivering a hamper to a needy family
provided by The Christmas Cheer Board. You do all the shopping including turkeys and toys,
wrapping and delivering of the hampers). This is a really exciting program that provides an
opportunity for everyone to participate and feel the very real sense of Christmas.
You will receive family information as soon as possible. Please allow up to 10 working days
for your information
FEED A FAMILY
We would like to invite you to participate in an exciting and personal approach to Christmas giving.
Our Feed-a-Family program involves making and delivering a hamper to a needy family provided by
The Christmas Cheer Board.
You do all the shopping including turkeys and toys, wrapping and
delivering of the hamper(s).
This is a really exciting program that provides an opportunity for everyone to participate and feel
the very real sense of Christmas.
To sponsor a hamper:
Please complete on-line request form below or call 204-989-5680 after Nov 4.
You will receive family information as soon as possible. Please allow up to 10 working days for your
information.
Download our http://www.christmascheerboard.ca/pdf/feed_a_family.pdf
Notes from Cass
Guests: Welcome to Chris Magas who was back for the third time. Also to David Peters and
his friend Donald Sawatzky. This was Donald's first visit but a return visit for David since he
was a former member. It seems that David was talked into singing tenor in a new quartet
with three of our members. This was a double whammy since we can always use another
tenor as well as another quartet. The quartet is called "Hats Off" and sang a couple of songs.
Donald sat in the Bass section with Lloyd.
We look forward to having both back this Wednesday.
Visitors: Charles Kiefling and Brian Strong both dropped in and were able to sing a couple of
songs with Duncan and Cass in the former "Generation of Sound" quartet.
Renewals: Victor Olafson, after being absent for a year was reinstated and is a 16 year
member. Welcome back Victor.
Sunshine: Jim Gilroy is doing quite well after his heart attack. Sounds great and has lots of
medication to help him recover. Rob Thomlinson is doing as well as can be expected. He
and Sharon plan to go to Calgary at Christmas time. Ray Dorey is in Deer Lodge and enjoys
visitors. I talked with Betty (Bob) Cobb and Sylvia (Terry) Reagh. Betty says to say hello to
everyone. Sylvia reported that she had a heart attack a short time ago but is doing well an
wished to be remembered to everyone.
The telephone was a great invention so if you think of a former member or the spouse of a
member who has passed away and who could use a friendly call, don't hesitate. It pays off in
the nice feeling you get after the call has been made. CASS
HEY BOYS!
HARMONY 2 GO YOUTH BARBERSHOP CHORUS PERFORMS AT QCX
WANNA SING? – IT’S GOOD FOR YOU!!
DO YOU LIKE TO SING, TRAVEL AND HAVE FUN???
IF YOU DO - HERE’S SOMETHING REALLY COOL!!!
WE'RE GOING TO NEW ORLEANS IN JANUARY, 2015!!
THIS IS YOUR INVITATION TO JOIN US
FOR A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE
YOU ARE ELIGIBLE IF YOU:
ARE BETWEEN AGE 14 & 30,
CAN CARRY A TUNE.
ARE PREPARED TO LEARN THREE SONGS.
NO COST OR PRIOR EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
LEARN THE MUSIC AT HOME
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
BRIAN SANDERSON @ 204-895-0989 or email; barbrian@shaw.ca or
DAVE PEARCE @ 306-731-3267 or email; pearce@sasktel.net or
MARK SAVAGE – 306-570-8622; email: tms.savage@gmail.com
CHECK US OUT ON – Facebook/HARMONY 2 GO, OR
www.CanadaWestChorus.ca
FUNDING ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY;
SING CANADA HARMONY & THE HARMONY FOUNDATION
BOTY DINNER AND AWARDS
We had a great turnout for our 66th Annual BOTY Dinner. Food was excellent and friends abundant, with joyous harmony all evening.
Credits Gord Billows Brian Metcalfe Brian Sanderson
2014 Chapter Executive
W in n ip e g G o ld e n C ho rd s m en
President - Art Gross
Past President - Charles Siegel
VP Chorus Development - Doug Buffie
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W
men.com
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www.gold
VP Music - Duncan Zaluski
VP Marketing - Ken Finnbogason
Secretary - Ken Broadfoot
Treasurer - David Petrie
Board Members at Large
Bruce Wilton Larry Hunter Harold Casselman
Brian Sanderson
Notes 4 U
This is the official weekly bulletin of the Winnipeg
Golden Chordsmen Chorus. For more information
about us go to our website:
www.goldenchordsmen.com
Editor - Brian Sanderson – 204-895-0989
barbrian@shaw.ca 3 Peppertree Pl Winnipeg, Mb,
R3R2B2
Unless carrying a by-line or some form of credit to
borrowed sources, all items in this bulletin are by
the editor and do not necessarily reflect the
opinions of the chapter or board. If anyone wishes
to contribute anything to the next Notes 4 U, wishes
to subscribe or un-subscribe, or has questions
about any of the items in Notes, contact the editor.
2014 Music Committee
VP Music - Duncan Zaluski
Musical Director - Gary Brenner
Assistant Director Assistant Director - Gordon Billows
Tenor Section - Duncan Zaluski
Lead Section - Larry Hunter
Bass Section Baritone Section District Delegate/Chapter Counsellor Gordon Billows
2014 Leadership Positions
Accountant - Gary Miles
Attendance and 50/50 - Norm Silverberg
Awards Banquet Chairs - Gary & Ricki Miles
Charities - Harold Casselman
Xmas Chorus – Gary Brenner
Grey Cup Pool Chair – Gordon Sargent
Historian Music Librarian - Duncan Zaluski
Notes 4 U Editor – Brian Sanderson
Chorus Manager—Drummond Brown
Program Director – Earl Golden
Refreshments - Milt Muldrew, Harold Casselman
Singing Valentines –
Sing Canada Youth Representative - Brian Sanderson
Sunshine – Harold Casselman
Wardrobe - Charles Siegel
Website - Gordon Billows
Youth Outreach – Brian Sanderson
Competition Coordinator – Ken Broadfoot
2015 Show Producers – Art Gross
2015 Show Chairman—Bruce Wilton