August, 2010, #2

(click on the collage to make it larger)
(back browser arrow to return to The Bulletin)

Middle Bass Barbershop Weekend

The 63rd annual Barbershop Weekend was held this year on August 13-15. More than a dozen quartets entertained crowds near the Perry Monument on Friday night and again at the Middle Bass Town Hall on Saturday night. As always, there were many opportunities to sing, greet old friends and meet new ones. The cook shack was a busy place. The grill was always ready if you wanted to fry up a tasting meal and there was a great pancake and sausage breakfast there on Saturday morning.

After the quartet entertainment on Saturday night, all barbershoppers (I estimate around 100) took the stage for the mass sing. Just being up there with that group, being directed by barbershop legends like Burt Szabo, is enough reason to make the trip each August. If you have not attended Middle Bass recently (or ever) make a note on your calendar for next year. Many of the men who have kept this tradition going have passed on or are unable to make the trip due to health issues. There was a noticeable infusion of younger singers this year and we need to continue and build on that trend. As many of us shouted after we closed Saturday's program with KTWWS, "It's Great To Be A Barbershopper".

Editor's Note: Do you think that the "Fresh Corn" on the grocery store welcome sign might have a double meaning? After hearing some of the jokes during quartet performances, I think that they have a valid point.
______________________________________________________

(click to enlarge)

August 17-Open House And Visitation

We know that every Tuesday rehearsal is an open house, but last Tuesday was a special night indeed. The Akron Derbytown Chorus hosted members from The Hall Of Fame Chorus from Canton and The Salem Jubilee Chorus. Each chorus as well as chapter quartets entertained throughout the evening. Then it was time for socializing. Once again, Cliff Crocker provided his now famous chili in addition to hot dogs. A big thanks to Cliff and also to other Akron Chapter members who supplied food items.


Here are some videos from Tuesday night.

________________________________________________________

First The Quartets

___________________________________________________________________

And Now The Choruses

________________________________________________________

Birthdays


Mike Halter- 8/27
Eric Jolly-8/28
Mike Hoover- 8/29

____________________________________________________________________

What O.C. Cash Forgot To Tell Us

1. Refuse to go on stage when the audience consists of a group of villagers holding torches and pitchforks.

2. At the last COTS school for lyricists I submitted a portfolio of limericks from my Nantucket series. They were rejected, but never returned.

3. Have you ever tried to teach a lead three measures of music in which he is asked to give up the melody line.

4. I sang lead in a high school quartet. After our first public performance my mother suggested that I find three other kids who didn't sharp so often. Mothers are wonderful.

5. I make a point of taking a tape recorder to every chorus rehearsal. My section leader thumps my back and the chorus director beams his approval.. The batteries died three months ago.

6. Accept that every lead has his own "comfort zone." You've got two choices: (a) pitch the song within his zone or (b) be prepared for a downhill sleigh ride while he steers you home.

7. A judge who sings bass is like an auto mechanic who never owned a car.

8. Bring me a guy with absolute pitch and I'll cure him for you.

9. COTS schools make quiet simple people feel they're complex.

10. A T-shirt seen at a recent convention:

    • Front: "Just say no to singing flat."

    • Back: "Will harmonize 4 food."

____________________________________________________________________

Performance In Green (but wearing red)

At 4:00 on the afternoon of August 22, about 30 Akron Chapter members entertained the crowd at the annual Queen of Heaven Family Funfest. The chorus plus quartets, Gear Shiftin', Clear Choice, and Keyed Up provided barbershop music for approximately 45 minutes as part of the festival's entertainment program. Director, Scott Giles, and assistant directors Dan Nichols and Terry Arman ably guided us through a variety of songs from our show and performance repertoire.

________________________________________________________

Bulletin Hiatus

This will be the last Bulletin issue for the near future. I have been producing The Bulletin for two years (60 issues) and feel that I need a break. Also, I want to take some time to look over the many other publications that I receive online from other Bulletin and Newsletter editors to look for ways to make our publication better serve our readers.

When I started the Bulletin, one of my goals was to introduce audio and video capabilities to Chapter communications. I hope that I have succeeded in that. Keep in mind that, during The Bulletin's absence, you still have the High Notes, so well done by Robin Reid, and the email Newsletter capably authored by Jim Bishop. Remember to read these publications so that you stay up-to-date on Chapter activities.

All of the archived editions of The Bulletin will remain online, so feel free to browse through them whenever you choose. Also the links to our Chapter webpage, JAD, BHS etc. will still be active.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all those who provided encouragement and support during these past 24 months. It has been fun for me and hopefully The Bulletin will be back in the future.

___________________________________________________________________

For The Good Of The Order

Of course, you wouldn't expect me to close this issue with anything but a little humor. So here is a voice lesson that concentrates on the two very important techniques of holding a pitch and correct vowel sounds.

August, 2010, #1

Philly Phlashback

I usually don't start a Bulletin issue with videos, but let's mix things up a little today. After all, this is 8-9-10. That alone is a reason to do something unusual.
The BHS has provided us with the following videos on the Society YouTube site. Since many of you are busy and may not have discovered them on your own, this will make them a little more accessible.

First, we'll watch the 2010 International Chorus Champions.

The Westminster Chorus

Now, from our own JAD, the International Silver Medal Collegiate Quartet.

Prestige

And finally, the 2010 International Gold Medal Quartet.

Storm Front

(Editors note: This performance is representative of each one that Storm Front did during the competition. I was amazed at the way they could entertain the audience with hilarious comedy while still showcasing their tight harmonies for the judges. Watch for the volume, pitch and tempo changes and how effortless they seem to be. We can only imagine the work that it took to make it appear that way.)

_____________________________________________________________________

Birthdays

Mark Nedel 8/11
Jim Mally 8/12
Mark Purdy 8/12

___________________________________________________________________

Clear Choice Sings For Browns Fans

Last Saturday, August 7, the Cleveland Browns held their annual Family Day at Cleveland Brown's Stadium. It's an opportunity for families to enjoy food, games and entertainment around the outside of the stadium and later watch a team scrimmage followed by a team autograph session.
This year, Clear Choice was asked to sing The National Anthem before the start of the scrimmage. After meeting for breakfast, we traveled to the stadium for a rehearsal before the gates opened to the public at 11:00. Since our tenor, Dan Nichols, was in Kansas City at Directors Camp, Mike Halter ably provided the high notes.. Like I always say, "If you want a good tenor, available on short notice, grow your own."

It was a great experience and definitely the largest audience ever for us. We stayed for the first half of the scrimmage and then traveled to The Solon Recreation Center to do a 45 minute show as part of a 90th birthday celebration. It was a long, but enjoyable day.
________________________________________________________

Things That O. C. Cash Forgot To Tell Us

1. The problem for people who don't understand barbershopping is that after they've heard the show's opening quartet, that's as good as they're gonna feel all night.

2. I sang lead in my last quartet. The tenor was a squeaker and the bari always sang the octave to the tenor. The bass, a boomer, was an ex-military sergeant who reveled in bellowing "incoming artillery." We never entered any contests because we believed that it would be a sell-out to the structured-singing crowd.

3. The many hours of televised criminal trials has even invaded our hobby. The Music VP issued a gag order on our quartet.

4. If there is a nit to be picked, bet on the baritone to do it.

5. Why is it that too many quartets, having earned their medals, stop singing the songs and arrangements that got them there?

6. Want Ad: Baritone for a top-20 quartet. Must have International experience and a relatively new large van. Send photo of van.

7. I've read that 'the fewer the number of intellectuals, the more popular is the hobby.' If true, I've sung with a few of the most popular quartets our Society has ever had.

8. You all sing with deep emotion about Mandy Lee, Evaline, aura Lee, Daisy, Yona and Lulu. Plus, the queen of them all, Adeline. Get real. In your entire life you've never known any woman with any of these names.

9. Refuse to sing anywhere that has hot air hand-dryers in the men's room.

10. I always believed that if I could find three similarly talented guys we would be a shoo-in at International-until I noticed an eighteen inch hair growing out of my left ear. Check your shaving mirror.

___________________________________________________________________

Mitch Miller

July 4, 1911-July 31, 2010

I'm sure that most of you are aware of the passing of Mitch Miller from either a TV or
newspaper report. The older members of the Chapter are more likely to recall the "Sing Along With Mitch" albums and his TV show. Since we promote a spirit of singing for fun, I can't think of a person that did more to encourage people in that respect than Mitch Miller. Although he had a long and successful music career as an instrumentalist, arranger and director, his sing along concept made him famous in this country and abroad.

On a personal level, when my brother and I would take too long to get out of bed and get ready for church on Sunday mornings, we could expect to hear Mitch Miller and the gang coming from our "hi-fi" at maximum volume. I'm sure that many of those vibrations are etched permanently in my brain and may have been partly responsible for my love of singing. I still have all the 33 1/3 records of Mitch Miller that my Dad played on those Sunday mornings long ago. I think I may crank them up sometime soon as a tribute my Dad and Mitch Miller.

Here is a sample of what I'm talking about.



If you want to learn more about Mitch Miller, there is a link in the Hot Links section at the top right of this Bulletin page.

________________________________________________________

Visitation

On Tuesday, August 17, in additional to our normal open house for men who like to sing, we are going to be visited by barbershoppers from the Canton and Salem chapters. Cliff Crocker has offered to provide his world famous chili and hot dogs. Other Derbytowners are asked to bring a food item to compliment Cliff's masterpiece.

This would also be a great time to invite a guest (or 10) of your own. See you there.

______________________________________________________

Chapter Calendar

Speaking of upcoming chorus activities, you may have noticed a link to The Chapter Calendar has been added to the Hot Links of the Bulletin. You can still find the calendar on the Chorus website and of course Robin Reid and Jim Bishop do a great job of listing activities in the High Notes and email newsletter respectively. I just thought that one more avenue to use if you want to check on upcoming events couldn't hurt.

July, 2010, #2

In Memory Of Hal Moses

Last Tuesday, July 20, Harold "Hal" Moses passed away. Hal was a valued member of the baritone section, The Matinee Singers and the chorus. Most recently he sang with The Sounds Of Distinction quartet and over the years has contributed as an arranger and director. Even in recent times, when his health declined, Hal made the effort to attend and participate in rehearsals and performances. His ever-present smile will be greatly missed.

In addition to his barbershop activities, Hal had served as choir director for several area churches over a period of more than fifty years.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Hal's wife, Janet and his family in this difficult time.

________________________________________________________

Singing For The Salvation Army In Wadsworth

We have become accustomed to lending our voices around the Red Kettle to raise money in December. On Saturday, July 17, we traveled to Wadsworth at the request of The Salvation Army as part of the 3 on 3 BBQ fund raiser. The crowd was very receptive as the chorus and Chapter quartets, Clear Choice and Gear Shiftin' provided an hour of barbershop songs. Some area restaurants were on hand for a contest to decide who had the best BBQ. Some of our members remained and sampled the offerings. From personal experience, I can say that they were all delicious. I'm just glad that they had "sample" servings available so that I could try each one and not overdo it.
________________________________________________________

Chorus Provides Spark For Aeros

Over 40 members of The Derbytown Chorus gathered at Canal Park on Tuesday, July 20 to sing The National Anthem prior to the game between the Aeros and The Altoona Curve. It was great to have such a large turn-out this year. If you couldn't be there, make a note to watch the schedule and join us next time.


During the ceremonial first pitch, , Tom Macko, represented our Chapter very well with a mighty throw. We continued another tradition by leading the crowd in singing, Take Me Out To The Ballgame, during the seventh inning stretch.

As for the spark provided by our singing, the Aeros hit five home runs during the game and won by a final score of 10-3.

_________________________________________________________

Birthdays

Since no Chapter member is having a birthday between today and the date of the next Bulletin edition, I have chosen to provide some information about Gracie Allen whose birthday is July 26. Just click on the "Gracie" link in the Hot Links section at the top right of the Bulletin page. There is also a video of Gracie Allen performing with her husband George Burns at the end of today's Bulletin post.

________________________________________________________

33rd Performance At Copley Circle

Yesterday, July 25, was the 33rd consecutive appearance of The Akron Derbytown Chorus as a part of the Copley Summer Concert Series. After some of the stormy weather that we had experienced lately, the evening turned out to be beautiful. Thanks go out to Charlie Horning, who among other things, is in charge of the weather for this event.

In addition to the chorus, Chapter quartets Clear Choice, The Summit Chordsmen, and Keyed Up entertained the very appreciative crowd. We always recognize many familiar faces in the audience (in addition to those to whom we are related) but there are also some new attendees every year that come out to hear some good old barbershop music.

Our featured guest quartets this year were 4-Way Stop and Prestige. Both quartets are from our own Johnny Appleseed District. 4-Way Stop was the 2009 District quartet champion and 2009 District collegiate quartet champion and Prestige captured the silver medal at the 2010 International Convention and Contest in Philadelphia earlier this month, just missing the Gold by the smallest of margins.

Both quartets wowed the audience with a variety of songs, proving beyond a doubt that you can be born after 1980 and sing exceptional four part close harmony.

________________________________________________________

Getting To Know Us

Click on the "Featured Chorus" link to visit the website of this issued spotlighted group of barbershoppers.

________________________________________________________

Videos

This video is a movie short from the early 30's that was based on one of Burns and Allen's vaudeville routines.

Now fast forward about 20 years to this clip from the Burns and Allen TV show from the 50's.

July, 2010, #1

2010 Convention Finale

I hope that the four special Convention issues of the Bulletin were informative. There were three items that were not included in those issues. Two because they occurred very late in our stay in Philadelphia and the other because I thought that it was important enough to be held back for a regular edition. So here is the Convention "wrap-up".

Darryl Flinn Inducted Into Barbershop HOF

On Saturday evening at the Convention, the Barbershop Hall of Fame inducted the 2010 class. Among those inducted was Darryl Flinn. Darryl has served both the Society and our District as an officer, judge, director and quartet singer. This contest also marked Darryl's retirement as a judge.

Currently Darryl is singing bass with the 2010 Bronze medalist quartet, Lightly Seasoned and is the director of The City of Flags Chorus in Canton.
Thank you to Darryl for his leadership and contributions to barbershopping on both the international and local levels, and congratulations on this well-deserved honor.

Great "Swan Song" for Crossroads

As many of you may know, at the conclusion of the quartet finals, it is traditional to have the past Gold Medal quartet sing for the audience. This year, after doing their first two numbers, Crossroads brought out their wives, children and grandchildren and all participated vocally in the final number. It was a special moment for all those in attendance and a reminder how important all of our families are and how much we owe them for allowing us to participate in this wonderful hobby of ours.

July 4th in Philadelphia

Sue and I decided early on that we would stay one day longer so that we could experience the holiday in the historic setting of Philadelphia. It involved a change in hotels to get a reasonable rate and a bit of walking to get down to the Art Museum area, but it was worth it. The length of Benjamin Franklin Blvd. from 20th street to the Art museum was lined with concessions and booths of all kinds and by 8:00 in the evening there were hundreds of thousands of people. We listened to a free concert by The Roots and Goo Goo Dolls. No, they did not do a salute to barbershop. But it was good music and we enjoyed it along with the rest of the crowd. At 11:00 the spectacular fireworks display began from behind the Art Museum. Then it was a liesurely walk back to the hotel. We settled in for a good night's sleep so that we were ready to catch the train on Monday for our return to Ohio.

____________________________________________________________________

Birthdays

Kirk Roose-7/12
Dick Frank-7/21
Stan Haught-7/21

____________________________________________________________________

Things O. C. Cash Forgot To Tell Us

1. The only reason our pitchpipes have 13 notes is some wiseguy (usually a bari) can "prove" that we dropped a half note.

2. Contests: You gotta believe in luck. How else can we explain the success of those we don't like?

3. I prefer poor voices to poor ears because sometimes they take a rest.

4. Judges who think they know everything about barbershopping are very irritating to those of us who do.

5. Stage Presence: If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would get done.

6. Our chapter named my last quartet "Sans Talent." We liked the name: it had a certain continental flavor to it.

7. My friends suggested I find four other guys and form a quartet.

8. The Devil: "Here's the deal. In exchange for the souls of all your children, and your children's children for the next five generations, I'll put you into an International Champion Quartet." Joe Barbershopper: "So what's the catch."

9. At our last (not Previous) shot at quartet competition, one of the judges came up on stage and drew a white chalk outline around where we had stood.

10. Hell is a half-filled auditorium.

____________________________________________________________________

Getting To Know Us

Check out the "Featured Chorus" link in the Hot Links section (upper right of the Bulletin page) and see what another chapter is up to.

________________________________________________________

Video Gallery

Gold Medal Quartet-Storm Front
(this video is about a year old but they did this in the quarter-finals in Philly)

Gold Medal Chorus-Westminster Chorus

Convention Extra-4

(Click on the collage to enlarge it)

Top Five Quartets

There will be more details about the late stages of the convention in the next regular Bulletin edition on July 12. I wanted to send the news about the medal winners in the quartet competition because it includes one of our own JAD quartets. Here is the list:

Gold Medal-Storm Front
Silver Medal-Old School
Bronze (1)-Ringmasters
Bronze (2)-Musical Island Boys
Bronze (3)- The Allies (JAD)

___________________________________________________________________

Mega Sing

About 1,000 barbershoppers gathered on The Independence Mall, in the shadow of The Liberty Bell on Saturday, 7/3. We sang many songs, but here is a video of the singing of The National Anthem.

Sue and I must leave soon for the 30th Street Station to catch the train home. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday night.

Convention Extra-3

(click on the collage to enlarge it)

Twenty-seven Choruses, One Is Golden

The chorus competition wrapped up at about 10:00 on Friday night. The variety of costumes, themes and the wonderful singing made for a great, but lengthy day of barbershop entertainment. The top five finishers are listed below with their total scores (out of a possible 3,000).

Gold-The Westminster Chorus: 2932
Silver-The Vocal Majority: 2913
Bronze(3)-The Northern Lights: 2822
Bronze(4)-Sound of The Rockies: 2769
Bronze(5)-Alexandria Harmonizers: 2680

As before, the complete score sheets for all the choruses are available online at BHS Home.

Note: The Alliance (JAD) finished 6th with a score of 2671. They were the final chorus to sing on Friday and received a standing ovation after their second number. Congratulations to The Alliance for an outstanding performance and for representing our District so well on the international level.

___________________________________________________________________

Mega Sing

At 12:30 on Saturday afternoon, over 1,000 barbershoppers (by my unofficial estimate) gathered near Independence Hall to sing. We did several PoleCats plus "Hello Mary Lou"and "God Bless America". The mass chorus was ably directed by Rick Spencer from his perch in the "bucket" of one of Philadelphia's fire trucks. The truck was provided at no charge by the city fire department. The Fire Chief even joined Rick and directed us in The Star Spangled Banner. As often happens, we concluded our singing with "Keep The Whole World Singing".

___________________________________________________________________

Derbytowners Enjoy Philadelphia

The picture below shows Ken and Sue Spencer and Robin and Carole Reid as they enjoy the sights, sounds and tasty foods at the Reading Market, which was conveniently located across the street from the Convention Center. The Market Building was once used by The Reading Railroad.

Convention Extra-2

And Then There Were Ten

The judges have now selected the top 10 quartets from the 20 groups that were competing in the semifinals. Congratulations to The Allies (JAD) (shown competing on the right) for making it to that lofty level. They will be vying with the other nine quartets in the finals on Saturday night.

It's Not All About Singing (but mostly)

We have taken some time away from the Convention Center to explore the wonderful city of Philadelphia. Here are a few pictures of what we have seen.

Below is the home of Betsy Ross.

We also visited the Liberty Bell location, which is undergoing some new construction.












The downtown area of Philadelphia is an interesting mix of modern and older architecture.

Note the "reflection" photo below.

Bring On The Choruses

Friday morning at 10:00, the chorus competition will begin. There will be 27 of the Society's top groups going for the gold. Among them will be our own JAD choruses, The Alliance and The Southern Gateway Chorus. By the end of the day, we will know which groups came out on top.

Convention Extra-1

The Competition Has Begun

Sue and I successfully negotiated our train trip and arrived here in Philadelphia about 3:00 pm on Tuesday. We took a taxi from the station to our hotel and got checked in. We joined the Stone family, Ray, Mary and Melanie and the five of us had dinner together at a nearby restaurant.

There is a whole lot of great barbershop singing going on here in Philadelphia. And I'm not talking about just the hotel lobbies, restaurants and street corners. The Collegiate competition concluded last night. Swedish Match (SNOBS) edged JAD Champs Prestige to win the gold. The scores for these two quartets were 998 and 996, respectively. That means averages of 82.3 and 82.2. Talk about close competitions. For all scores, see the BHS Home site.


Today, we watched the first part of the quartet quarterfinals. That included both The Allies and Hot Air Buffoons from our District. Tonight is part two. By that time, the field will be narrowed from 51 to 20 for the semis tomorrow. As always, there will be some excellent quartets that will not advance.

More updates will be coming soon.

June, 2010, #2

Philadelphia, Here We Come!

Lovers of barbershop singing, from both within and outside of the Society are converging on Philadelphia this week for the 2010 International Convention. What a great place to be on the upcoming July 4th weekend. Sue and I, along with several other Akron Chapter members, family and friends will be there.

If today's Bulletin issue seems a little shorter than usual, there is a reason. I plan to have some special International Report issues that will come directly from the Convention. A notification will be sent to let you know that these "Philadelphia Stories" are online. If any of those Chapter members that are at International have a short (100 words or less) article about their convention activities, please send them to the Bulletin email address, derbytown08@gmail.com., or give them to me directly in writing.

___________________________________________________________________

Radio

In the 2010 Show, the chorus sang the song "Radio" and the lyrics mentioned a list of classic radio programs. If you would like to hear more old radio shows, in mp3 format, just click on the Old Time Radio link in the Hot Links section at the top right of the Bulletin page. If I may, I recommend starting with the "Death from the Deep" episode of "The Shadow" from March 28, 1954. It even has a commercial with an Akron connection.

_________________________________________________________

Birthdays
Charlie Horning-6/28
George Bachmann, Jr-7/1
Virgil Koppes-7/4
Larry Steele-7/4
Dan Nichols-7/7

___________________________________________________________________

What O. C. Cash Forgot To Tell Us

1. Go figure: If the quartet is stubborn and wins, it has guts. If it is stubborn and loses, it's dumb.

2. The three other parts can reform, but a bass is forever.

3. There is a pessimist in your chapter who thinks the old days were better. You know who I mean. You also know the optimist who believes that things are getting better. Trust me on this one, they're both wrong.

4. No member of the chorus is completely useless - he can always be used as a horrible example.

5. The amount of food prepared for an Afterglow, as a percentage of the guest's requirements, is either 84 percent or 192 percent.

6. When a barbershopper tells you, "I'm as good a singer as you are", it means that he thinks he is better.

7. We spend our lives buying new-stuff and throwing away old-stuff. Exception: we never throw away an old pitchpipe. Interesting.

8. The talent of a tenor is inversely proportionate to the weight of his music bag.

9. No quartet or chorus will ever do "Down Our Way" well. A classic case of "no respect for the too familiar."

10. Give pause to joining a chapter that has the local nursing homes singing for them.

___________________________________________________________________

Quartet Activity

Clear Choice

June 14-sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" and a vocal arrangement of "Taps" at the dedication of a new flagpole at the Our Lady of the Elms Athletic Complex in Bath. It was a very fitting Flag Day activity.

June 17-did a 30 minute show from the gazebo on the Medina Square and entertained the crowd of about 2000 with strolling and singing from 6-8. The occasion was the annual ice cream festival of the Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

June 24-provided the musical entertainment at the Berea Masonic Temple for a meeting of The Order of The Eastern Star. Worthy Grand Warder, Vivian Chrisopulos was the guest of honor. We sang "Sweet (Vivian) Adeline" to her and since she was of Irish descent, we added "My Wild Irish Rose". Our "organ recital" was included in this performance. We hadn't used it for some time, but it turned out that corn still sells well in most parts of Ohio.

July 11-Dan, Ray, Jim and Bill will be singing at the amphitheater of Tuscora Park in New Philadelphia at 7:00 pm. The evening is billed as "Barbershop in the Park" and will include both The Schoenbrunn Valley Chorus and a Chapter quartet, a group from Sweet Adelines, and the 2010 International Seniors Bronze Medal quartet, Lightly Seasoned.

All Chapter quartets are encouraged to submit information about past and/or future performances for inclusion in The Bulletin.

____________________________________________________

Getting To Know Us

Click on the Featured Chorus link in the top right of the Bulletin page to find out about another group of barbershoppers.


________________________________________________________

The Philadelphia BHS Chapter

________________________________________________________

June 2010, #1

Flag Day

Each year, on June 14, millions of Americans take time to display or otherwise honor our country's flag. According to legend, George Washington and two other members of the Continental Congress asked Betsy Ross, a young widow in her early 20's to sew the first American flag. This happened sometime in the late spring of 1776. The flag was officially adopted by the Continental Congress a year later . The first "official" Flag Day was celebrated during the flag's centennial in 1877.
In 1916, a grass roots movement caused President Woodrow Wilson to issue a proclamation setting June 14 as the date for a nationwide observance of Flag Day. Congress made the holiday official in 1949 by resolving "That the 14th day of June of each year is hereby designated as Flag Day"

________________________________________________________

Poll Results

The results of the poll related to ages of our Chapter members is still listed at the top right of this page. Unfortunately, only 15 men responded to the poll. That can tell us about ages of those who responded, but little about the age distribution within the Chapter. Oh well, it was a good thought.

_______________________________________________________

Quartet News

The Summit Chordsmen

On Sunday, June 13, The Summit Chordsmen performed outdoors from 2-4 at The Liberty Residence in Wadsworth. Fresh from a day of coaching at Apple Corps on Saturday, the quartet got a chance to put to use what they had learned. As often happens, the crowd continued to grow in size as the performance progressed. We all know that, if you want a crowd, bring in a good barbershop quartet.

Clear Choice

Clear Choice will be singing The National Anthem tonight (6/14) at the Our Lady of the Elms Athletic Complex in Bath. The occasion is the dedication of a new flag pole at that location. What a good Flag Day observance. The quartet will also be providing a vocal arrangement of Taps.


________________________________________________________

Birthdays

Hal Moses-6/14
Bill Halter-6/18
Chris Eitman-6/23

Cliff Crocker-6/25

________________________________________________________

What O. C. Cash Forgot To Tell Us

1. Singing barbershop is the illusion of perfection. I delude myself regularly.

2. Ninety-five percent of all leads are singing out of their range.

3. In defense of his suggestion for new chorus uniforms, my friend claimed the "the better you're dressed, the better you sing." I gave it a try. I wore a brand new, top of the line, 3-piece suit to the next chorus rehearsal. I still flatted.

4. If you're having trouble finding the fourth guy for your quartet, consider this: stop looking. Instead, call your three-man group a "mini chorus." It's all a matter of semantics. A mini chorus will fly. A three-man quartet is a dumb idea.

5. Show Chairman: No one ever left the theater of an Annual Show saying, "it was a lousy show, but it did come in under budget."

6. Every chorus requires a contest to sustain it's own sense of worth.

7. The less you know about singing lead, the more attractive it is.

8. Contests: The judge's jokes are always funny.

9. Chorus Directors: If you let the chorus discover your standards, they'll use them against you.

10. Headquarters Hotel: Never try to adjust your clothing in a crowded elevator.

________________________________________________________

Do You Love A Parade?

If you are going to International in Philadelphia later this month, you have an opportunity to march in a parade in that historic city on the fourth of July. Maybe you saw the information about the parade that BHS sent out in the last LiveWire. If you are interested, you can check the BHS page on Facebook where Rick Spencer discusses the parade or you can email parade@barbershop.org for more information.

________________________________________________________

Security Notice

At last Tuesday's rehearsal, an alert chorus member observed a man acting suspiciously in the parking lot across the street from Holy Trinity. (No, it was not one of us this time.) This man was going from car to car and appeared to be checking to see if any doors or trunks were unlocked. The police were called and they questioned this individual. There was some indication that he had been doing the same thing during the previous rehearsal. We should be sure that our vehicles are locked, just in case.

____________________________________________________________________

Featured Videos

Here is Bobby McFerrin, of "Don't Worry, Be Happy" fame, having some fun with an audience and the pentatonic scale.

This collegiate acapella group, "On The Rocks", is from the University of Oregon. If you want to see and hear more of them, they have many, many videos on YouTube.