The Shrine of Democracy Chorus was proud to recognize members who made a difference to the chapter this past year.
Every year it seems as though there aren't any new stories to be told concerning Singing Valentines. Every year we are proven wrong. This year was no exception.
A great story for the Mt. Rushmore Chapter was that we had four quartets delivering Singing Valentines, with a fifth one almost ready to be used for "emergency" duty. The only problem with that quartet was that the lead, Clayton Southwick, had virtually no voice.
Another big plus for our chapter this year was being able to deliver 59 or 60 Singing Valentines to appreciative loved ones. That translated into close to $3000.00 gross income for the day. (Now if we could do that every month, Treasurer Jim Gogolin would be VERY happy! Ed.)
Speaking of Jim Gogolin, his new quartet, Heart of the Hills, had one of the more memorable deliveries of this, or any other year. They delivered a Singing Valentine to one "gentleman" who was none too happy about it. He was apparently heard to say, "That B.... spent 45 bucks on this!" Suddenly the quartet wanted to sing How can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away. See you in divorce court!
Before we go any further, let me applaud our first-year chairman, Pete Stach for the great job he did in lining everything up in advance. His expertise in working with Excel made seeing who was where at what times easy this year. Thanks for taking this on this year, Pete (NA).
Also, a big thank you to the men who took the late incoming phone calls at Valentine Central - Steve Ferley, Henry Bradshaw, John Elving and Bill Andersen. And thank you Loretta for being there with Bill.
Of course we can't leave out the other quartets and their drivers. Risky Business with Doug Nahrgang and three past members, were busy, including singing at the Rotary Club luncheon. Black Hills Blend was busy all day. They were driven around by Denny Dodge. High Mileage, with driver and fill in tenor David L'Esperance also thrilled their unsuspecting recipients.
We also need to thank Epic Signs for donating space on their electronic billboards around town for advertising. A big thank you also goes out to Mike Sanborn for donating the advertising design for those billboards.
Last, but certainly not least, we need to thank those who came early to take care of a thorny situation. Besides the quartet members who were there early to trim the roses and wrap them, Jason Dannenbring was willing to spend part of his day before going to United Blood Center to donate to his favorite charity - Nicki!
Let's begin right now for next year. A new song will be introduced as requested by many who ordered Singing Valentines. With what we experienced this year, we should be able to deliver to 100 lucky loved ones next year.
Much of the Feb. 5 Board of Directors meeting concerned final preparations for Singing Valentines. We have seven dozen roses on order from Fancies Flowers & Gifts, and it looks now as if we'll have four, possibly five quartets available to deliver those valentines. Publicity VP Del Beck has scheduled interviews on eight radio stations for February 7, beginning at 8 a.m. The display case at the Civic Center has been updated and looks really nice. Rapid City Journal ads should begin on the 7th, and EPIC Signs electronic billboards will feature ads as well.
Music VP John Elving reported all songs for the show are now in the hands of chorus members, and good progress is being made. The next Chorus Advance is scheduled for March 29, with several locations being evaluated. It may well end up in our regular rehearsal space at Central, since not many sites are readily available.
Treasurer Jim Gogolin hopes the Singing Valentines are highly profitable so as to replenish our diminished operating capital! Pete Stach has volunteered to perform the annual audit of the books.
President Wayne Anderson briefly reported on the San Antonio Midwinter Convention, where he had WAY too much fun rubbing shoulders with the bigwigs. Wayne wants to increase our chapter involvement in quartetting, and hopes we can establish a good Youth In Harmony program. He also encouraged all to get the most of Rocky Mountain Harmony College February 8-10 in Estes Park, Colo. (which he did not attend!) We have 13 members registered.
Preparations for the annual show are well underway, with Gary Welsh having some fine ideas for the set and Dr. Kelts honing his myriad plans.
The March board meeting will be at 7 p.m. on March 4, at Jim Olson's office. Any chorus member is welcome and encouraged to attend.
February is almost over, and March is just around the corner. March, of course, is the month that comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Having lived in the "Banana Belt" for awhile, I've been fooled many times by Mother Nature into believing that Spring was "coming early this year" only to realize that the March (or later) snowstorm is inevitable. Maybe this year will be different, huh?
February was a very good month for the chapter. First came Harmony College in Estes Park. Normally, they hold that event the same weekend as the Super Bowl, but this year was a week earlier. Unfortunately, because of that, I was unable to attend. The chapter had a very good showing, though, with thirteen of our members there. I heard the Shrine of Democracy VLQ was a big hit Saturday night. Way to go, guys!
Next was my favorite (next to the spring show) barbershop day of the year - Valentine's Day. To me, that day is what we're all about - singing barbershop love songs requested by a loved one and eliciting powerful emotions all day and into the night. A good time was had by all. I want to thank the four quartets who sang all over the Rapid City area, but I also want to thank all the troops who came in early and stayed late to man the operation behind the scenes.
Next month we've been asked to provide a VLQ to be part of a performance by the Rapid City Children's Choir. They want us to demonstrate some barbershop harmony for them and their audience. This is a huge opportunity for us to get a jump start on our Youth in Harmony project, and I'm really looking forward to it.
Please keep up the good work with your learning CDs, guys. Things are starting to come together well for the show in April, and your personal preparation is showing in the improved quality of our singing. Speaking of the spring show, it looks very probable that we will be hosting the RMD spring convention in 2010 as part of our show. We might be far away from a lot of places in the district, but, believe me, they know who we are.
Finally, be doing some serious thinking about going to international in Nashville in July. I'm planning on going, and it'd be great if we could all experience it together.
See you on the risers!
Now that February is over, I suddenly realize that I can't relax. It seems as though everyone tries to fill my February calendar with two months of things to do. All of this in a short month.
February 22-24, as many of you know, I was invited back to Nashville to undergo a qualification process for teaching directors within our society. It was originally called Director of the Future (DoF). It has now gone through a metamorphosis into a whole new program called Outstanding in Front.
Many of the things I learned will directly help to improve our chapter. You see, it is no longer a program for those who want to become directors, but is a training program for the entire music team - directors, assistant directors, section leaders, presentation coaches - anyone who is involved in any way with the music portion of the chapter.
I did find out that we are doing many things right, but there are also many other things we can improve on. (Not that we are doing worse than many other chapters, but there is always room to improve what we do.)
In the coming months (and years), we will be talking among the music team members to see how we can implement many of these things to make us a much better chorus. We will also be talking to other board members as they really are involved in making sure we succeed as a chorus, and more importantly a chapter.
Sing-cerely & Humm-bly,
(Your new Certified Outstanding in Front Trainer)
It was a bright and stormy day as 13 hardy souls left Rapid City on a trek to Estes Park, Colo. However, it didn't stay that way for long. It got bad sooner than was expected.
As these bands of travelers moved south, snow started to fall. Then the wind began. It wasn't just any old wind. These were gale-force (60+ in Cheyenne) winds that shut down all east-west travel on I-80 between Cheyenne and Laramie, plus almost every road over the Continental Divide, and including I-70. Drivers went deaf from the wind. Passengers slept so they wouldn't know what hit them.
By the time they all arrived in Estes Park for Rocky Mountain Harmony College, the wind was not only strong, but biting cold. Walking was a challenge. Going down hill the wind was behind, and you could make the 200 yards in three seconds flat! Going back uphill, took about 45 minutes, including multiple stops to find enough oxygen to partially fill the lungs.
That being said, it was a marvelous weekend. After finding our rooms, some of us decided it was time to meet new friends and sing some tags and polecats. When singing a barbershop song there is never a stranger - just friends you've never met before.
The first big event for many (and I do mean BIG) was dinner. I'll just say that the only thing Harmony University in Missouri has over Estes Park is the ice cream. It was great food, and plenty of it.
Of course we had to break out in song. As we were singing Swing Down Chariot, others joined in to "help us out". One of the nice things about singing in a VLQ is that there is no such thing as a fifth wheel.
After dinner, with no time to let things settle, we had our first session - a rehearsal with Rick Spencer and two teaching quartets helping us learn two new songs. Although many of us had sung Bye, Bye Blues before, to many it was a different arrangement, including Rick Spencer.
We were in for a special treat with our second teaching quartet. It was none other than Realtime, 2005 International Quartet Champs. Even as a teaching quartet, they can't sing a bad note. They are all important to them. Oh, the song they taught? It was none other than the Gas House Gang's version of Bright Was The Night.
After the general session, it was time for either bed or more singing in the lobby of the lodge. (Remember, there was no ice cream!) As usual, many stayed up until 2 am (some later) singing any barbershop song known by at least four guys on four parts. Even if there weren't four parts, someone would woodshed that fourth part.
February 2008 has been a time of opportunity and activity in the Mt. Rushmore Chapter. Feb. 8-10 found a large delegation of our membership traveling to Estes Park, Colo. for the annual Rocky Mountain Harmony College at the YMCA of the Rockies Camp. What a great opportunity to listen to, and learn from the experts.
Most attendees became part of the Everyman Chorus which learned two songs and sang on the Saturday night Show. The instructor/director was Director of Music and Education Rick Spencer from the Society. Many of you had the pleasure of working with this outstanding musician at the 2007 Harmony Happening in the Hills. Working with Rick and singing with a hundred guys was definitely a special experience.
A number of the Mt. Rushmore guys attended a session on the topic of presentation, also known as stage presence led by Bob Calderon. Bob and his wife have been developing and teaching presentation for 30 years and hold the distinction of working their skills with the renowned Vocal Majority of Dallas, Texas. It was rewarding to note that this Internationally-known presenter believes in "simple, everyday stuff" when it comes to choreography. "Keep it meaningful and fun," he said. Also, choreography is just one part of presentation and is not essential in the performance of every song. There are, however, some essential elements which are important to every performance which will be talked about and written about at a later time.
SINGING VALENTINES
Here is another excellent February activity which has great impact on chapter PR, hopefully positive. Having been involved in the delivery of hundreds of Singing Valentines over many years, this year was one of the more enjoyable. We were fortunate to have four quartets available giving us a good, workable schedule. We had an excellent cross-section of requests: hospital, rest home, business, office, school, restaurant and homes. My quartet delivered more Singing Valentines to private homes, usually homes of senior citizens, than ever before in my experiences. We found the general attitude of recipients to be positive, receptive, showing much pleasure and appreciation. This makes for a rewarding singing experience and possibly more engagements in the future.
There were two Singing Valentine calls which we want to share with you:
One request came from a young woman for a Singing Valentine to be delivered at a specific time for her husband who was supervising the lunchroom at West Middle School. She also asked to be called so she could witness the event. We arrived at West, waited for the lady, then entered the lunchroom which contained about 200 noisy middle schoolers. The gentleman joined us at the front of the room. The charged-up throng completely quieted down when we asked for silence, listened attentively, some nodding to one another in obvious appreciation of the music, and finally burst into shouts and applause as the final chord echoed over the large room. What a neat experience.
Another interesting call came, also, from a young wife requesting a Singing Valentine for her husband with delivery after 5:00 at their home. We arrived and were ushered into the living room where the husband was seated on the couch watching TV. We made our introductions and sang a song as we stood between the TV and the man. He listened and watched us intently; however, he had mostly a blank look on his face. We finished and he voiced his appreciation and then added, "When you first came in I thought you were a bunch of Jehovah Witnesses!"
Here are more acronyms that are useful to know in the wonderful world of Barbershop. Learn them, love them, and use them often.
This month's ideas come from Par for the Chorus, the newsletter of the Sun City Center, FL chapter. Not only does it contain recruiting ideas, but also other ideas that will help make our chapter strong. Feel free to add your own ideas as I have. Ed.
The more involved you are in any activity, the more satisfaction you derive.
Much of the instrumental music of yesterday and today evokes moods and feelings as you hear it. Unfortunately, what it evokes in one person is not necessarily what is evoked in another. Even when the composer tells you what the mood should be - as when you are given a description of what is going on (the Grand Canyon Suite or The Moldau, for example) - you are still left to flounder inside a loose "frame" of music.
Boats upon the river
Only when words are added to a piece of music do we begin to have a common ground upon which to build a concept, feeling, emotion, or mood that can be shared by all. Overall, if it can be said that the music is the river, then the words are the boats upon it. German composers called this the "ring" of words.
So when you first pick up a piece of barbershop music that you (or your quartet/chorus) is considering, the words will have a great deal of influence on whether you accept or reject it. If it is to be part of a repertoire, does it fit? If you are looking for common themes, do the words fit in with the theme? Let's look at words a little closer.
Getting the message across
The first thing a good song should have (text-wise) is one thought. If more than one thought is present, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to sing it and still convey your message to the audience. Check out the words to any hit song and you will see that only one message is presented.
Words should stand on their own. If the words to a song are written out as a poem, there should be no doubt as to their meaning, even if there is no music.
Consider the phrases in the song as distinct yet part of the overall whole. Different parts of the poem will have their own internal "song" depending on where in the piece they are placed. The message to be conveyed should be stated (as in the Introduction), developed, possibly have variations, and when the song is over, the listener should feel that there is "closure" of the thought expressed.
Is this a song I want to sing?
To answer this question, first look at the words without the music. Is it something you (or your group) can sell? Is it in keeping with the image of the group? The style of the group? The feelings of the group? The occasion (or occasions) where it will be primarily sung?
Say the words out loud. Do they have a "ring" to them? Do they follow a natural rhythm? Do they flow easily?
Write the words out in your own handwriting. Flowing the words onto the paper, as opposed to pecking away at a keyboard, will help you connect better with the lyrics. As you write, watch for stresses in the writing, points of emphasis, places where your hand hesitates, where it accelerates as you flow with the mood. If there are words or phrases you do not understand, look them up in a dictionary or thesaurus and write their meanings in the margin. This will be of help later.
After you have them written down, read the words again from your handwritten paper and underline those words that deserve (or naturally seem to have) emphasis. This will be the beginning of the interpretation of the song as it cries out to be sung.
Once you have a plan on paper in the manner described above, then play or listen to the music written to underlie those words. Say the words mentally to check for "fit" with the main thought of the piece. Watch for places where the music seems to "get in the way" of the words. These are places to de-emphasize as you sing. If there are places where the music just naturally seems to go along with the words (as a well composed piece should), note it as a possible place for emphasis as to volume, color, expression, rubato, or a musical pause - whichever you determine to be most appropriate.
As an added step, you may now wish to physically write out the words again. This time, you should see that mental images form and interpretive nuances begin to emerge as you write. This is the beginning of true comprehension of what the composer had in mind when he or she was conceiving the work.
Now, having a preliminary interpretation "worksheet" from which to start, sing the song slowly and get the whole "flow" of the piece. With this much "homework", you will find that the song has already taken on a personal meaning. It will be easier to remember, easier to interpret and, as a result, easier to convey to your audience. You will have made the song a part of yourself, and all that is left to do is give that part of yourself to the audience as you sing.
If the work is to be sung in a quartet or group, it is important that the members of the ensemble generally agree on the interpretation and motivation for the song prior to learning it and committing to its performance.
Don't be afraid if your "interpretation" is not exactly the same as another person's. Although a well-composed work will allow only some leeway to the singer, there is always room for freedom of expression. Remember Nat King Cole's rendition of "Blue Moon" and the later rock-and-roll version? Same song, entirely different renditions. But importantly, the same message.
Don't lose sight of the power of "pre-digesting" a song before you commit it to memory. It is easier to learn a song you believe in. A little homework goes a long way. It's the difference between a good interpretation and a great one.
Word has just come in to this humble editor that the Rocky Mountain District Spring Convention will be held in Rapid City in 2010. Dates will be April 23-25.
Now I know that this seems to conflict with our regular show date, but hold on there Homer. In discussions with Len Siler, VP of Events for the Rocky Mountain District, I put a proposal out that they liked very much.
Here's the proposal: It will mean moving our annual show one week later. Our annual show will be part of the evening finals set of the convention. We will not have to hire a headliner quartet - there will be 10 of them in the finals to see who goes to International. That would mean that quartets like Storm Front, Ignition, Nexus, The Summit, and others would actually be headlining our show.
It will also coincide with our 40th anniversary as a chapter. What an awesome way to celebrate - with the entire district.
As more information becomes available, you'll be in the loop. Let's look forward to a great time in 2010!
This article - from Mike Vax, a major big band lead trumpet player (Kenton's band among many others) - appeared online. It is really applicable to quartet (and chorus) lead singing. Especially the last bullet point!
To be an effective lead player, one must have good sound, projection, stylistic concept and time. Being a lead player means a lot more than just having a good upper register. A lead player's main job is to lead the section and to set up interpretation and phrasing for the whole ensemble. The lead trumpet player is the "concert master" of a big band.
The sound that a lead player produces should be big, not just loud. It should be full and pleasant to hear, not just a laser or piercing quality. The sound must project at all volume levels. Projection is the real key to being heard at the back of a hall, whether you are playing loud or soft.
In order to have effective projection, you must be blowing the air through the horn, not just into it. I think of my sound as a combination of air and energy. When I want to play higher or louder, I think of blowing my sound farther away. (If you think of high notes as farther away instead of just higher, it makes things much easier!)
The lead player must be comfortable in all octaves. The upper register should be strong, not thin and weak. The low register should not be "airy" and inconsistent. A good lead player knows his limitations! Remember to work on your breathing as a means of supporting the sound properly.
Time is of the essence! Good time is the cornerstone of good lead playing. Feel the music that you play! Become actively involved with the music that you perform.
Stylistic concept and understanding are also a must. The best way to learn about styles is to LISTEN to recordings and live performances. I cannot emphasize listening enough! We learn from imitation, even in learning our speech patterns from our parents. The more musicians and bands that you have listened to, the better concept you have of how to perform the music properly. The time spent listening will open up your ears and your mind to many different styles and sounds. Really study what you hear on a recording. Analyze what makes that particular style or musician unique.
Our annual spring show will be great, there's no doubt about it! But only if we work very hard in the month-and-a-half we have left. Please make sure that everyone of us are at all chorus meetings/rehearsals, including the chorus Advance on Saturday, March 29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Director Clayton Southwick has put out a plea to all to work on the show songs diligently at home so that no time would be taken at rehearsals on notes and words. Listen carefully to Clayton each week to hear his music plan for every song so that it comes naturally every time we sing it. If you miss a rehearsal (heaven forbid!) it is your responsibility to find out from someone else what you missed and to work on those things on your own.
We have found in the past that most tickets are sold by our individual members. Plan now as to whom you are going to sell tickets. Remember, we have the opportunity to fill the theater with 2,000 people - 1,000 each show. Let's not count on posters, fliers, radio and TV ads, or newspapers to sell our tickets.
Also be planning on selling ads for the year-long program. Again we will be distributing the program at every performance we do throughout the year. It is great advertising for any company or individual at a very low cost. Let's not count on what we did in the past. Let's go for new sponsors to help us spread the best kept secret in town - us!
Sing-cerely & Humm-bly,
Other than the bitter cold winds and the fact that oxygen molecules are six feet apart at 8000 plus foot elevation, the RMHC was a GREAT experience. Classes, particularly the Vocal Production class with Chris Vaughn from GOTCHA! and the membership push and pep talk from Drew Ellis, were really good. However, the best part was renewing friendships with Rick Spencer from Society HQ and with many of our RMD comrades, particularly IGNITION, The Summit, NEXUS and the new edition of STORM FRONT.
Singing in the Everyman Chorus reminded us of what it's like to have over 100 men on stage. The David Wright arrangement of Bright Was The Night was special, and Rick's interpretation closely followed that of Gas House Gang. The tag is unbelievable!
At the afterglow, your fellow SOD chorus members formed a VLQ and sang Swing Down Chariot. The RMD gang is now EXPECTING us to return for the invitational at Spring Convention April 26 at Longmont Colo., saying we have "set the standard" for anyone else to achieve.
Thanks to the lobbying of the right officials of the District by Music VP John Elving, RMD will be asking us to host the Spring Convention in 2010. They will allow us to perform our 40th Annual Show as part of the convention, and we will be hosts for the quartet qualifying for the 2010 International Convention, as well as the VLQ Invitational and the Small Chorus Contest. This would give us a potential of having ten headliner quartets, instead of just one, and give a chance at a sell-out for the show!
In Perfect Harmony,
David
P. S. - WOW, I completely forgot to mention REALTIME! Oh, well, I'm sure someone else will gush rhapsodically about them and their presentations!
With apologies to Meredith Willson, "Oh, ho, the blood suckin' wagon is a comin' down the street." Well, not exactly, but the Singing For Life blood drive of the Society is coming on May 10.
We are honored to be teaming up with United Blood Services here in Rapid City to help the society out with this project. More than that, though, we are truly happy to be able to help out those who will need blood somewhere along the way. Much as we hate to think about it, that could be any one of us!
Just so you know, it is not necessary to have all of us line up to give blood. It is necessary that as many of us as possible be willing to let loose a pint or so. It is also necessary to all of us to find as many willing participants as we can.
There is a reason for this. We will be in competition with two or three other barbershop chapters of similar size to see who can bring in the most blood donors that day - chapters like Fargo, N. D., Aberdeen, S. D., Bozeman and Billings, Mont. With this competition, we will be submitting an article for inclusion in the Harmonizer (if we win).
We will also be singing that day at the Civic Center, where the whole thing is taking place. We are inviting other musical groups from the community to perform that day to make it a truly musical event. I guess you could say we'll be proving you can get blood out of a "tune-up". (Sorry about that. Ed.)
Have you ever wondered why we have section rehearsals? Maybe you've said to yourself, "Why should I go to section rehearsal? After all, I know my part." Let's shed some light on just what takes place in section rehearsals, or at least what should take place in those rehearsals.
In a recent survey of directors on the internet, many answers came forward. Interestingly enough, most directors had very similar answers.
All agreed that sectionals are not to be used to teach notes and words. That is done "on your own." Those rehearsals are used occasionally to fix "renegade" notes; those notes that are wrong and need immediate, one-time fixing.
Least important issue is fine tuning a song or passage. That is really best done as an entire chorus.
Most important to all who answered was working on section unity. That means correcting improper vowel sounds, synchronization, balance, musicality - all the things that go into making a unit sound. It means working on some aspect of singing that needs work. It is accomplishing skills as a section to build the confidence that your section is the best.
One interesting comment came from a director I met in Nashville. He said, "Section rehearsals are for use AFTER they are off spots." How far are we from that?
Take the time to work on your own to come to section rehearsals (and chorus rehearsals) prepared to be the best in your section and the best section in the chorus.
Have you ever had an urge to be a leader on the team? Would you like to have a major "say" as to what we do musically?
Here is your chance. Talk to Music VP John Elving or Director Clayton Southwick to volunteer for duty on the music team. Many positions are open.
Maybe you would like to help Argyl Ullestad with the music library. I'm sure he would appreciate your help.
Perhaps you think you can design our presentation packages - stage presence and choreography. Assistance here is always welcome. You can help make us the next Westminster. (All you need is to learn how to stomp-dance!)
For a long time we have been in need of a Uniform Chairman. All our uniforms need to come under one person, not three or four.
Section Leaders for each section are needed. Talk to John to find out what is expected of section leaders.
Opportunities are there to help your chapter. Just ask about expectations, think it over, then volunteer. Simple!
The annual show is coming up quickly. April 19 will be here before we know it. Many things are set, but there is always room for tweaking, hopefully not dropping songs, etc.
With the show come many tasks that have to be done to make sure things are in order. Show Chairman Al Kelts will be getting a list of those jobs out very quickly.
There are, however, some jobs that we know will need to be done by you, the members. Gary Welsh can always use help with the stage sets. If you have experience in lighting, talk to John Elving. We will need people to work backstage doing things like pulling the curtain, changing stage sets, working the light board and other backstage things that need doing during the show. We'll also need people to help with our make-up. (Yes, Gladys, guys do wear make-up!)
Out front we will need people running the spot lights. Ushers and ticket sellers/takers are needed. People will be needed to help our guest quartet, Gotcha!
Prior to the show we all need to be involved in selling ads for our program. More importantly, we all need to be selling tickets to the shows. Representatives need to contact retirement homes to sell tickets. Posters and fliers need to be put up everywhere the public can see them.
Lots of jobs to be shared by all. Figure out now where you can help.
Then a week after the show, the Rocky Mountain District Spring Convention will be taking place in Longmont, Colo. This is the convention where the best of the best quartets compete for the honor of competing in Nashville at the International Convention in July of this year.
It is also where we are planning on taking an auditioned VLQ to represent the chapter in the VLQ and Small Chorus contest. If you would like to audition for this select group, please talk to either Director Clayton Southwick, or Music VP John Elving. Those auditions will be taking place soon so that that group of 12 can be working together on their contest songs. All are welcome to audition, so please do.
My high school music teacher was one of three vocal teachers at the Forest Park High School in Baltimore, Maryland. In the spring of 1951, he had a need for a quartet in a production of Kurt Weill's Down In The Valley. He went to his other two cohorts and asked for potential quartet singers. When the auditions were completed, Mill Horianopoulis was the tenor, Jim Grant was the lead, Fred Geisler was the bass, and Freddie King was the baritone. In order to acquaint us with the barbershop style, he taught us two songs from the Sigmund Spaeth black book - You Had A Dream and Sweet Roses Of Morn.
Harmonizing for me was like putting on an old pair of shoes, because my family would gather while mom sat at the piano, and we would woodshed songs while she played, although I didn't know it was called woodshedding until I joined the Society in 1951. We decided to call this new quartet the Deacon Four because, at the time, we all wanted to be clergymen. I'm sure God is pleased that none of us made it. From the beginning, we never thought that men shouldn't sing in a quartet. One incident sealed our fate to be barbershop quartetters forever. We heard real barbershop.
We read in the paper that "barbershop quartets" were to sing at the Lyric Theatre that Saturday evening. We decided to go and display our wares with any of the other ensembles that showed up. We actually thought we were going to be allowed to sing at this affair. Imagine our surprise to find that standing-room-only tickets were all that were available. What was unfolding before us was the Baltimore Chapter's annual parade of quartets. We had no idea what was in store for us that evening. We took our standing room places behind the rail of the last seats in the orchestra, and the show began. The chorus sang "Great Smokey Mountains In Dixie" and "Lonesome For You, That's All." I was duly unimpressed; my high school glee club was better.
We couldn't wait until they started calling on volunteers for the quartet singing. You'll never believe the name of the first quartet to appear that evening. Bailey Goss, the emcee for the evening, said, "and here they are, ladies and gentlemen, the 1951 Mid-Atlantic District Champions, the Volunteers!" The Volunteers charged the stage, took a big bow, went to center stage and began with the lead singer, Mr. Daniel C. Cuthbert himself, singing: "When I sang the tenor in that (the other three joined in on) old Quartet"... when I heard those three magnificent chords, my life was changed forever. My fingers crimped the railing that I was holding, and my eyes blurred. I turned to Jim and said, "We ain't doin' no singin' here tonight." This was the first all-male quartet we had ever heard. Then the emcee said, "Now we go to the distaff side." Jim didn't know what that meant either until the emcee said, "Here they are... the Chordettes!" I fell down when I heard those bell chords in Running Wild. We leaned on the wall in the lobby during intermission. So stunned were we that we didn't even try to sing one of our songs. The crowd filed back in, found my finger-prints on the railing and we resumed watching the show.
The next quartet out was the Four Chorders from London, Ontario, the current second-place medalists at the International level. When they were done, I was on the ground, bleeding, and I could barely pull myself up to hear the emcee say, "And here's what we've been waiting for... the Buffalo Bills!" I "died," crawled to the next chapter meeting, and I haven't missed one since.
In those early days of my barbershopping existence, not one man didn't sing in a quartet. Not all of them were in a formal foursome, but they all sang in a quartet. Nobody turned a man away that wanted to sing with three other guys. As a matter of fact, the chorus was not the primary reason that drew us together. We sang, maybe, three or four songs with the chorus the entire evening. The rest of the time was spent in mixing and matching, woodshedding, and formal quartet singing.
In 1956, the Deacon Four became the Oriole Four, and a future international champion was formed. Bob Doster was the new tenor with Jim Grant, Fred Geisler, and Freddie King as the personnel. We entered our first contest on March 23,1957 at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., and the rest is history. I could elaborate on the history of the Oriole Four, but it would take an entire Harmonizer to cover that adequately. My reason for writing this article at all is to try to whet the appetite of any man who is fencepost-sitting when it comes to singing in a quartet or not. Quartet singing is:
If I had my way, a quartet experience would be a requirement to belong to our Society. The chorus can bring marvelous musical experiences as well, but nothing comes close to the intrinsic joy of feeling your voice being blended by only three others.
This article is what barbershopping is all about, if you don't get it or don't understand it, you are missing virtually all of what is available to you in our society. Try it, you'll like it! Ed
The Mt. Rushmore Chapter and the Shrine of Democracy Chorus shall promote, encourage and perpetuate barbershop-style singing in both chorus and quartets. We will recruit and welcome interested and motivated men who like to sing four-part a cappella harmony. We shall continually strive to improve our singing and performance skills, through the use of proper resources and opportunities. An attitude of fun, fellowship and teamwork will always guide our activities.