If you haven't picked up your new shirts, come to practice and get them. Remember, you must be a dues paid chorus member to get the new shirts and you owe for one and the chorus buys the other.
And, speaking of dues, the Society headquarters has asked that each chapter send in second quarter dues for renewing members at the same time, if possible. I have a list of those that are due and would like to have each of you get the checks to me or David L'Esperance so we're able to comply. They are asking us to do this because they are switching to a new computer program and are unable to accept credit card payments this quarter as a result. Once the new program is up and running, you can go back to how ever you were paying in the past.
Thanks to all of you that showed up for the performances at the Ramkota and Hart Ranch. We really wowed 'em at the Ramkota. I got a call from their head guy last week and he couldn't compliment us enough. He was shocked to find we didn't have any CD's for sale.
As for the Hart Ranch performance, I didn't think it was one of our finer moments. We have to have enough members from each section show up to have a balanced sound. That was not the case last Saturday. I will be working with the activities director to get the date changed for future performances so our attendance is not hampered by holiday absences.
We have 12 practices left to learn three new songs for the Harmony Happening, two of which are rather difficult arrangements. Please make every effort to get to practice each week as we also need to "fine tune" our contest songs for Albuquerque and start learning songs for next year's show.
See ya Thursday.
The April board meeting focused primarily on the upcoming Show. All was in order, and rehearsals were going very well. Harmony Happening planning is progressing well; however the start time for the performance at Mt. Rushmore on Saturday evening has been moved up an hour to 6:30. We will consult with the officials to see if we can be allowed a later start for our concert.
Chapter Development VP Steve Ferley is planning a guest night for early May.
President Pete Anderson announced he has received contract conditions from 2004 International Champions GOTCHA!, and the Board approved signing the quartet as our guests for the 2008 show.
The City's Parade of Presidents celebration will be June 29 & 30, and we have been asked to sing the evening of June 29, and immediately after the parade on Saturday morning (about 10:30 am) June 30.
Early in December, the chorus will perform in Newcastle, Wyo. as part of their annual Concert Association Series. We will perform our basic show package plus Christmas music, and hopefully have several quartets willing to do a couple of numbers each.
At the May board meeting, the results of our show performance and the fabulous increase in attendance and ticket sales were the prime topic. Del Beck's marketing survey, which was contained in the program, produced some interesting results, which will change some ways we "sell" our spring show.
All is in readiness for the guest night on May 3. Steve Ferley will have packets ready for our guests, Wayne Anderson will MC, and Steve and John Elving will give presentations. Pete Anderson will teach a tag or two, and the Singing is Life DVD will be shown.
President Pete Anderson asked for, and received, unanimous Board approval to have a plaque of recognition created for the owner of the Millstone Restaurants for their outstanding support and sponsorship for many years. We will plan a special presentation when Steve Ferley has it ready. The plaque will feature a chorus picture and appropriate inscription.
At the request of Secretary L'Esperance, the board approved the payment of the full year's ASCAP fees, instead of doing it in increments.
President Anderson will circulate a sizing sheet for the new casual shirts, and get the order placed. It may be possible to have the shirts on hand by the May 26 Hart Ranch performance.
Effective on guest night, May 3, the weekly meeting time will go to summer schedule of 7:30-10:00 pm. The June board meeting will be June 5 at 7 pm at President Pete's office. (All members are welcome to attend. Ed.)
I want to say a great big "Thank You" to everyone in the chapter from me. I really appreciated the hard work, the dedication and attention to detail which everyone gave the last week before the show to make this one of our best shows yet. The success of this show is the result of the efforts of many. I had some personal problems the last month that took my attention elsewhere, but everyone pitched in and got it done. Thank you all.
Special thanks to Wayne Anderson, my assistant chairman. Wayne's follow-up and attention to the details was a big help. Also, Wayne arranged for S'Blended to appear and coordinated their contacts and practices. David L'Esperance - thanks for another great job writing and MCing the show. Clayton - your music interpretation, attention to musical detail and training of us all has a lot to do with our improvement as a chorus, and I thank you for your extra effort. Jim Price - you stepped up and made sure that we gave our all on "Dame" and bared your coconuts! Ken Weybright and Carroll Korb - another good job on the program and ads efforts. Thank You. Dwight Edstrom - thanks for hosting the afterglow. Steve Ferley - ticket sales were better, and your help in arrangements for the afterglow made it work well. Gary Welsh - another great job. The set worked well and will work when we do it again in May. Finally, I can't say a big enough thank you to John Elving who took care of so many details with lights, rehearsals, sound, hats and canes and presentation, and continual reminders of show practice, music practice, etc., etc. John pushed us all and helped with everything. I hope I haven't left anyone out of the mix here, but if I have, Wayne will remind me. (Del Beck did a great job with publicity and letting people know about the show. Ed.)
In each show we learn some things about ourselves, and that we can perform at a very high level. Let's try to make that level of performance and commitment the norm. It's a lot more fun when we hear that sincere, not just "polite," applause. I think we are on the verge of being able to really step up a notch as a chorus. I hope the rest of you do too.
Thanks so much.
Well, the show has come and gone. And with it, seemingly, so have some of our chorus members. I realize that it is summer, but we still have a lot of work to do and more than just a few performances on the calendar.
We have had two performances so far since the show. The number of singers suddenly dropped from 36 on stage to 20 or less. Each performance is just as important for our image in the community as any other, including our annual show. After all, our performances throughout the year are what help bring in the audiences for the spring show.
We have Harmony Happening coming up in August. There are three new songs to learn and perfect prior to August 17. We also have music to perform at Buffalo Chip Campground for the rally. Again we have been asked to sing on the main stage, and that includes one new song.
September sees us singing for the State Rotary Club Convention in Custer. That should be a big performance for us. Also in September is RMD fall convention in Albuquerque, N. M. As a chorus we are going to compete. We need to be at our absolute best for that, and we can't do that at the last minute.
Finally, we have been hired by the Newcastle, Wyo. Community Concert group to perform in December. We will need our best show, including Christmas music for that performance.
As you can see, there is a lot to do, even over the summer. I realize that we all want to take some vacation time. However, we can't take the whole summer off. There's just too much to do. We will lose quite a few of us, including yours truly, during the first week of July due to our attendance at the International Convention in Denver.
What we all need to commit to is to be at all the rehearsals we possibly can. And we all really need to make all the performances possible. Too often we end up without a good representation in one part or another. That makes for a weak performance, which in turn makes for poor public relations, which in turn relates to smaller audiences. It's all related. Let's work toward an even fuller house next spring by our performances during the year.
I can finally put Basic Military Training in my rear view mirror. I graduated on Friday (April 27) and I leave for Monterey, California on Monday (April 30). I will be learning Serbo-Croatian for my language ... Don't ask because I don't know either! But, I thought I would let everyone know that I am doing well, and I want to thank everyone for their prayers and support. I will keep in touch as much as I can.
What brings the individuals making up our show audience into the theater? Our Show Booklet contained a survey sheet asking attendees to our Show to list their names and check a variety of options as to where they heard about our show. These options included newspaper, radio, TV, posters, flyers and also a space labeled "other," the one which may have revealed the most interesting information.
Printed here is a summary of information compiled from 337 survey sheets:
"Chorus member" was listed 105 times as the source of information and tickets. You, the chapter member, remain the number one source of show publicity and marketing. Thirteen chapter member names were listed here, some as many as a dozen times.
The Rapid City Journal tallied 92 responses; friends, family and groups 54; KOTA Radio 36; posters and flyers 30 each; A Cappella Showcase, friends and family were listed 16 times; Rushmore Radio had 13 tallies and PSAs from several radio and TV stations were mentioned also.
Excellent response came from several sources which helped us out at no cost to the chapter. The Westside Millstone Restaurant outlet sold 42 tickets; Tally's Restaurant sold 19 tickets; 15 responses came as a result of flyers handed out at the Black Hills Symphony concert on April 14, thanks to a friend's invitation who serves on the symphony board. Not only did we have a great contribution to our Show from an A Cappella Showcase quartet, but 16 responses from audience members came from either showcase members, or friends and family.
Remember to patronize businesses which helped sell tickets, and the many who purchased ads for our show booklet. We need their support in order to raise dollars for our chapter.
We had a great audience. What will bring these folks back into the theater seats next year? We had a good show. We must continue to provide quality shows - chorus, quartets, show theme, visiting quartet - the whole package is the deciding factor for a ticket buyer. But also, the ticket buyer must be given an opportunity. Our survey said that the number one source of that opportunity is the chapter member.
Keep up the good work.
Chorus Director Clayton Southwick has developed three rules for many different aspects of singing. He has used these successfully in the classroom, and now shares them with us.
Here are the three rules for singing consonants.
It's been said that Terry Clarke, Gold-Medalist Bass of "The Boston Common" sings only vowels, leaving consonants for the others to enunciate. This week, listening 'critically' rather than for entertainment of their Gold-Medal set of 'Forgive Me' and 'That Old Quartet of Mine', it does appear to be true.
It again points out that the Lead (or soloist) is responsible for articulating the complete word. Some ending letters, when sung by all four parts can be over-whelming, particularly 'K', 'S', 'T', & 'L'. Record your music and listen for the ending consonants... you can tell if they need to soften or go away.
Once in a while something comes along worth repeating, giving it an extra 'oomph' of recognition. Such is this received from Don Meyncke, President of St. Petersburg, after their show with Palm Harbor Chapter.
It is so exciting to know that there are numerous things that ensembles and individual singers can do to improve their performances, which have nothing to do with their age or the quality of the voices.
I have become an absolute maniac on the need to "tell the story" of the song, with the goal of having an emotional impact on the audience. To know, from their reaction, that they have been emotionally impacted by the presentation of the song, is an absolutely fantastic experience - and one which I had never known until this past month, when I experienced it twice, once after our chorus sang "Always" on the evening performance of the annual show, and once singing with my very mediocre church choir, eight days ago.
The words, "artist" and "artistry", have been creeping into my vocabulary as I try to get across to our singers (without stepping on the director's toes) the conceptual difference between singing a song, and telling the story of a song, so as to have an emotional impact on the audience.
I have come to understand that there are many factors entering into creating those "magical moments" when the true artist connects with the listeners.
Some of the factors, which have nothing to do with the quality of the singer's voices, include choosing the right music - deciding just what is the story of the song, and making sure that every singer understands the message they will be communicating, developing a dynamic interpretation and adding only appropriate choreography. Then practice, practice, practice, until everyone can perform the song without having to think about notes, words, or choreo.
The individual singer's responsibility is to do whatever it takes to learn the notes, words, choreo, interpretation, and "the story", cold. Once they "own" the technical elements of the song ... they can then focus their attention on the director and sing from their hearts, letting their feelings and emotions naturally reflect in their face and body language.
Of course, things like singing the same vowel sounds, attacks and releases, a unit sound, staying on pitch, and voice placement, all enter into it, but from my recent experiences, I am convinced that the most important element of all is "telling the story" with feeling, and letting body language, including facial expressions, flow naturally. Turns out that there is a lot more to this thing called barbershopping than most people realize ... but what a joy it is to be a part of it.
Your "feeling like he has a lot to learn, but loving every minute of the process" friend, ............Don
The word blending, when applied to singing, means much more than just a group of people singing at the same time. That's called a crowd, or congregation, or fans. Real blend is the result of disciplined singers doing the same thing, with the same motivation, posture, breathing, tone concept, diction, and more at the same time. In other words, it's something that has to be worked at.
Learning to warm-up together is a good beginning. It also has the advantage of dealing only with the foundations of singing, and not the entirety of a song. Have a systematic warm-up plan and stick to it. You won't be sorry.
Next, consider an excellent football team and you realize several things. First, they study the same plays, stretch and workout together, do pre-game warm-ups together and are basically on the same page. They also care a great deal about the outcome of the game. It's personal.
Put it all together and you have . . . a team. Study, stretch, workout, warm-up and care. Not a bad formula for singers! If you are in any kind of group, big or small, you are part of a team. And, it doesn't matter whether it's a chorus, band, quartet, or pop duet. You're part of a team. A team is greater than the sum of the parts. The potential for impacting the audience is enormous (unless you are really just individuals in the same place at the same time).
The path to good blending begins with recognizing the need. Then, getting instruction on the foundations mentioned above. Included in that process should be frequent videotaping of rehearsals and performances. Video playback is as neutral and honest as it gets. Next is learning to listen, really listen to what's going on around you. Does your sound flow with those around you, or are you louder, softer, or just different? If you're not sure, ask your leader as well as those around you.
Another area to consider, when striving for excellent blend is the concept, meaning and purpose of the song. In other words, does everyone on the team really "get it?" Do they have the knowledge of the meaning of the song as well as the musical style or groove? If not, the blend can't happen. Spending the time to talk through the song, not just singing it, is time well spent.
Was barbershop harmony actually sung in barbershops?
Was barbershop harmony actually sung in barbershops? Certainly - and on street corners (it was sometimes called "curbstone" harmony) and at social functions and in parlors. Its roots are not just the white, Middle-America of Norman Rockwell's famous painting. Rather, barbershop is a "melting pot" product of African-American musical devices, European hymn-singing culture, and an American tradition of recreational music - a tradition the Society continues today.
Minstrel shows of the mid-1800s often consisted of white singers in blackface (later black singers themselves) performing songs and sketches based on a romanticized vision of plantation life. As the minstrel show was supplanted by the equally popular vaudeville, the tradition of close-harmony quartets remained, often as a "four act" combining music with ethnic comedy that would be scandalous by modern standards.
The "barbershop" style of music is first associated with black southern quartets of the 1870s, such as The American Four and The Hamtown Students. The African influence is particularly notable in the improvisational nature of the harmonization, and the flexing of melody to produce harmonies in "swipes" and "snakes." Black quartets "cracking a chord" were commonplace at places like Joe Sarpy's Cut Rate Shaving Parlor in St. Louis, or in Jacksonville, Florida, where, black historian James Weldon Johnson writes, "every barbershop seemed to have its own quartet."
The first written use of the word "barbershop" when referring to harmonizing came in 1910, with the publication of the song, "Play That Barbershop Chord" - evidence that the term was in common parlance by that time.
Tin Pan Alley era: Edison's talking machine spreads harmony nationwide
Today, we are accustomed to receiving all forms of music in every home by way of CD, cassette, radio and video. In the early 1900s, though, pop music success depended on sales of sheet music to the general public.
The songwriters of Tin Pan Alley made their living by appealing to the needs and tastes of the recreational musician. To become a sheet music hit, songs had to be easily singable by average singers, with average vocal ranges and average control. This called for songs with simple, straightforward melodies, and heartfelt, commonplace themes and images. Music published in that era often included an instrumental arrangement for piano or ukulele, and also a vocal arrangement for male quartet.
The phonograph made it possible to actually hear the new songs coming from Tin Pan Alley. Professional quartets recorded hundreds of songs for the Victor, Edison, and Columbia labels, which spurred sheet music sales. For example,"You're The Flower Of My Heart, Sweet Adeline" captured the hearts of harmony lovers, not simply because it easily adapted to harmony, but because it was heavily promoted by the popular Quaker City Four and other quartets.
Jazz era: Changes in American music and social habits
The coming of radio prompted a shift in American popular music. Songwriters turned out more sophisticated melodies for the professional singers of radio and phonograph. These songs did not adapt as well to impromptu harmonization, because they placed a greater emphasis on jazz rhythms and melodies that were better suited to dancing than to casual crooning.
Radio quartets kept close harmony singing popular with many amateur singers, though - and these singers were ready for the revival of barbershop harmony that took place in April, 1938, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Birth of SPEBSQSA - the dream of O.C. Cash and Rupert Hall
While traveling to Kansas City on business, Tulsa tax attorney O. C. Cash happened to meet fellow Tulsan Rupert Hall in the lobby of the Muehlebach Hotel. The men fell to talking and discovered they shared a mutual love of vocal harmony. Together they bemoaned the decline of that all-American institution, the barbershop quartet, and decided to stem that decline.
Signing their names as "Rupert Hall, Royal Keeper of the Minor Keys, and O. C. Cash, Third Temporary Assistant Vice Chairman," of the "Society fot the Preservation and Propagation of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in the United States" [sic], the two invited their friends to a songfest on the roof garden of the Tulsa Club, on April 11, 1938.
Twenty-six men attended that first meeting, and returned the following week with more friends. About 150 men attended the third meeting, and the grand sounds of harmony they raised on the rooftop created quite a stir. A traffic jam formed outside the hotel. While police tried to straighten out the problem, a reporter of the local newspaper heard the singing, sensed a great story, and joined the meeting.
O. C. Cash bluffed his way through the interview, saying his organization was national in scope, with branches in St. Louis, Kansas City and elsewhere. He simply neglected to mention that these "branches" were just a few scattered friends who enjoyed harmonizing, but knew nothing of Cash's new club.
Cash's flair for publicity, combined with the unusual name (the ridiculous initials poked fun at the alphabet soup of New Deal programs), made an irresistable story for the news wire services, which spread it coast-to-coast. Cash's "branches" started receiving puzzling calls from men interested in joining the barbershop society. Soon, groups were meeting throughout North America to sing barbershop harmony.
The Barbershop Harmony Society was born.
(The third part of the tutorials will be found in the next issue of the Voice of Rushmore. Ed.)
As Recreational Vehicle Coordinator for the upcoming International Convention in Denver, I have some exciting news...
An agreement has been reached with INVESCO FIELD (home of the Denver Broncos) to allow our RVers to use one of their lots for overnight parking!
For those unfamiliar with the layout of Denver, Invesco Field is just across the interstate from the Pepsi Center, our principal contest venue. This is a prime location if you want to be close to the action, within a mile of the Pepsi Center. The nearest Light Rail Station is a six to eight minute walk away, providing speedy alternative transportation to the Pepsi Center, the Adams Mark Hotel (Convention Headquarters) and the rest of beautiful downtown Denver.
The lot at Invesco Field is available from Friday night, June 29, 2007 through Saturday night, July 7, 2007, at the rate of $25 per night. All RV units must be self-contained, as utility hookups are not available at Invesco.
Please contact me at your earliest convenience for reservation forms and details - Roger Olson, RV Coordinator, 2007 BHS Convention, Denver
Under some duress, your Editor-in-Cheap submitted 3 issues of The Voice of Rushmore to have them judged within the Rocky Mountain District. Just so you know, the reason I do this task each month is to get the news out to you, the members. If I can shed some light on Society happenings, local news, or just keeping our inactive members informed, that's great.
That being said, I was honored in being named 2nd place bulletin editor for the 2006 year. That's just frosting on the cake. I'll continue to try harder this year!
Sing-cerely & Humm-bly,
What a thrill to be part of our incredible show April 21!!! The responses from our audiences, the marvelous singing from our chorus and the quartets, and the dynamic performances of IGNITION!, are all memories which will last for a long time. It is one of the best shows I feel we have presented since my rejoining the Chorus 6 years ago. I still get goose bumps remembering the response of the evening audience's to Do You Hear the People Sing!!!
I have seldom seen an audience as receptive and appreciative as the 52Charlie Retired Pilots Association to whom we sang on May 19. Many of the audience knew our selections well, and could be seen "singing" along with us. Black Hills Blend's presentation of Bring Him Home gave me chills, as Dave Sommers was really "on his game". What a pure delight to share our collective gift of song with such wonderful folks!!
It was a crying shame that all the hard work Steve Ferley, John Elving, Wayne Anderson and others put forth for guest night saw only one gentleman take advantage of the evening!!! The good news is, Dennis Dodge has been back every week since!!! And, the turnout meant there were more of Beth Anne Ferley's goodies for each of us!! Thanks, guys, for your efforts.
Gentlemen, I cannot begin to tell you what a privilege it is for me to be able to be a part of such a fine group of gentlemen who love to exercise the gifts of song with which God blessed us. As one of our wise Past Society Presidents so aptly phrased it, Singing is Life; the Rest is Just Details!!! KEEP THE WHOLE WORLD SINGING!!!
Wait! If you arrive late, or step down from the risers and are returning, simply stand on the side and wait until invited by the director to take your place.
No Crossing: Under no circumstances should we ever cross in front of the director while getting to our place. If crossing to the far side of the risers, or rehearsal place, walk behind him instead, or circle behind the risers.
Have Fun: By enjoying the great stuff the director has to offer. Save your fun with your neighbor until after the rehearsal. (Exception - see Ten Second Rule)
Ten Second Rule: If the director has not addressed the chorus within ten seconds, then you can talk quietly with your neighbor until the director resumes. Keep you eye on the director so you know when he has resumed, and then immediately give him your attention.
Listen, Don't Talk: When the director is speaking, he is usually giving specific directions which affect not only you, but those who are distracted by your talking. If you have something to say, make it for the whole group, and then only when given permission by the director.
Listen, Don't Fix: Often when there's a pause, chorus members try to correct their own mistakes or those of their neighbors. Although this may seem important, RESIST. You will miss important comments from the director that affect everyone in the chorus. Bear in mind that the director fixes all the problems eventually. (Exception - assistant directors or section leaders may occasionally make some corrections while the director is speaking to another section.)
Listen, Don't Sing: When the director is demonstrating how to sing a particular passage, do not sing with him. He's usually doing that to demonstrate micro-differences in pitch, nuances of vocal quality, or in some cases, notes or words. If you sing with him, you keep yourself and everyone else from hearing him, and instead, you become the example. That keeps us all from learning from the expert.
When the director is speaking to the chorus, don't pass the time singing or reviewing your part. It makes it difficult for all of us to pay him proper attention and to learn, because we're instead paying at least some attention to you.
When the director is working with another section or sections, don't sneak-sing your part with them. You may think no one will notice, but it's guaranteed the director will notice and be distracted by it.
Listen, Don't Hum or Sing: When the pitch pipe is sounding, don't hum the pitch. It keeps you and everyone else from hearing the pitch accurately.
We keep hearing the phrase "Sing with energy," especially when singing a very soft passage. What do you have to do to sing with energy? The penalties of NOT singing with energy on a soft passage become all too evident - poor sound, loss of pitch, and monotony. So, how do you sing with energy?
It is hard to say which is more important, the muscle support or the mental and visual energy. You must look like you really mean it! In order to do that, you have to be able to mentally believe what you are saying in the song. At the same time, there must be a strong antagonistic action between the muscles of the diaphragm and the abdominal muscles.
You can make faces and gestures and be really into it, but without support, the soft sound would go flat and be weak, not just soft in volume. You can have great support, a tight belly, and meter out the air, but without the brain believing in what you are singing and reflecting that in your face and action, the nice sound would come across as meaningless and boring.
So, keep a tight belly - metering out the air so that the volume stays low. Form the vowels correctly - plenty of room inside the mouth with correct tongue and lip position. And be convincing with your face and body language. That is singing with energy!
"The old songs, the old songs, the good old songs for me . . ." was composed by Geoffrey O'Hara who was born in Ontario in 1882. O'Hara was a banker and professional musician. He received an honorary doctorate in music from Huron College.
O'Hara composed songs for Al Jolson and Enrico Caruso. Two of his better known popular compositions were "K-K-K-Katy" and "Your Eyes Told Me So." He also composed many spirituals including "There Is No Death" and "I Walked Today Where Jesus Is." It isn't known whether he wrote barbershop songs although he was the founder and first president of the Manhattan chapter.
"The Old Songs" is really an introduction to a more complete work of 14 pages, "A Little Close Harmony." It is a glee club type song with banjo and other instrumental background.
In the early days of our Society, O'Hara gave permission to use the introduction as our theme song.
--Author unknown, most recently seen in "The Ballyhoo", La Cresenta Chapter, Bob Barnes, Editor
--Submitted to PROBE site by Wm. Grant Carson, former VPBE
A fun new event at this summer's convention lets you sing great tags with great quartets.
The Society's motto is practiced at its best at the annual convention. We've created several venues for you to join in the singing. Here are just a few samples of where your voice is needed:
At the 2007 Denver Convention there will be three colors designated Red, White & Blue Tag-In Quartets roaming various designated convention areas according to announced schedules and locations. Each Tag-In Quartet will present three different, specified songs that it will sing with conventioneer guests. Each quartet will carry a notebook with its three song arrangements that the "Tag-In" guest can read from if necessary to refresh a bit before singing to qualify. Each quartet will also carry "song cards" specific to its own three songs.
When a conventioneer guest sings a song reasonably proficient from memory ("satisfactory", not "perfect") as adjudged by the Tag-In Quartet's displaced member, the quartet will "sign-off" on the song card for that specific song. Each conventioneer guest will keep his/her own "song card" so it's handy if he/she returns to qualify on another song with that same color Tag-In Quartet.
When all three quartet-specific songs for a quartet are "signed off," the quartet will keep the guests "song card" and deposit it into a drawing for the Three Grand Prizes:
A volunteer guest singer may qualify with any one, two or all three of the Tag-In Quartets, thereby increasing his/her chances to win one of the Three Grand Prizes. A singer can only win once in the Three Grand Prizes drawings.
King Ozymndias of Assyria was running low on cash after years of war with the Hittites. His last great possession was the Star of the Euphrates, the most valuable diamond in the ancient world. Desperate, he went to Crosus, the pawnbroker, to get a loan.
Crosus said, "I'll give you 100,000 dinars for it."
"But I paid a million dinars for it," the king protested. "Don't you know who I am? I am the king!" Crosus replied, "When you wish to pawn a Star, makes no difference who you are."