REGINA GOLDEN HARVEST Barbershop Chorus

Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America

# Sharp Notes #

Publication of the Regina Golden Harvest Chorus

Golden Harvest Chorus meets most Monday Evenings, 7:30-10:00 at
Knox Metropolitan United Church, corner of Victoria and Lorne, Regina, Saskatchewan
Guests always welcome!

April 2000

Welcome Guests

Welcome to all our guests tonight. We're glad to have you out to sing with us. You'll find that we're a fun-loving bunch of guys who love to sing and harmonize and entertain with our music. We hope you enjoy your visit with us and we welcome you back to join us anytime. If you have any questions, or need a lift to a chapter meeting please give us a call.

Bill Coulthard, Membership 525-0129

Bruce Fish, President 761-2503

Remember Radio Show

From all reports received to date, everyone thoroughly enjoyed our 'Remember Radio' show.

While there were times I had my doubts, (Saturday afternoon rehearsal being one of them) everyone came thru, the show was a success, (both in performance and financially) AND the audience had lots of fun watching.

There are many people who put forth a lot of effort to make the show a success, and I would like to thank the entire chorus for working hard and making the show happen.

Our guest quartet, Bachelor Party were enjoyed by all (I haven’t heard a discouraging word) and they had a lot of fun. Despite the two hour wait to get into Canada (they waited two hours in an Immigration line in Vancouver) and a five hour delay in leaving Canada (they missed their flight out of Regina), they E-mailed me to say…

"Another big thank you to you and your chorus for the warm hospitality. We really enjoyed ourselves and will remember this show for a long time. If any other group we know gets a chance to perform on your show, we will let them know you guys are a great bunch to sing for. Thanks for a wonderful weekend."

On top of that, they reduced their fee from $400 (US) to $300 (US). I guess buying them breakfast came in handy after all.

There are several individuals whom I would like to thank for making the show a success. When I thanked everyone at the afterglow, I missed one very key person... Bill Coulthard, who rewrote our script, attended show meetings, formed part of the "Jingle Quartet", produced signage for the show and helped in many ways to make the show. Thank you Bill. I don’t know how I forgot you but I did.

Also I forgot to thank Eltyn Hasz (Fifi) who helped move risers, helped in stage setup and removal and helped supply set material for our sound effects. Thanks Eltyn.

Doug Richards was truly the right choice as our sound effects man. The script said he had to be an actor and a comedian and Doug came thru with flying colours.

Our "MC" Colin Grewar added that touch of professionalism to our show and always does a great job.

Thanks to Stuart Reiley, who not only handled the show ticket and afterglow ticket sales, moved risers and helped with the stage setup, but spent two to three days making our "sound effects". Thank you Stuart, it was fun creating all the necessary machines.

Thanks to the "Grampa-phones" (Peter Vanderstelt, Bruce Fish, Bill Quick and Jack Boan) for their rendition and to the "Jingle Quartet" (Doug Pederson, Darrell Herauf, Dave Pearce and Bill Coulthard) for their fast learning of their show tunes. Good Job Guys!!

Our own "Chord Jesters" (Eric Neufeld, Lynn Lowes, Ron Evans and John Leitch) had the audience laughing throughout their "Tribute" We have received lots of good comments from people!!

Thanks to our cast of characters, the "Bart Holiday" players, Ken Cameron, Bob Jarvis, Wayne Keys, Gord Gardiner, Eltyn Hasz and Ken Holzer? (Ken read one of my lines when I went down to get Bachelor Party)

Thanks to Dave and Jane Pearce for MC-ing our afterglow and keeping us entertained. Too bad the food wasn’t as good!

I could name everyone in the chorus (because I tried to use everyone in the show) but we should take our hats off to our director Ken Holzer, for his untiring efforts and patience throughout the year in trying to make us sound better. Thank You Ken!

On behalf of the Show Committee, chaired by our president Bruce Fish, I would just like to say...

You all did a great job and now we have to work to "Impress the Ladies" on April 27.

Lynn Lowes
Show Producer 2000

Show Committee

Last fall, we were having difficulty finding someone to volunteer to take on the Show Chairman role. Lynn Lowes and Bill Coulthard were willing to take on the Show Production and scripting so I agreed to be Show Chairman.

Well, here it is several months later and our show was an outstanding success – due entirely to the great support and efforts from the show committee and the general membership – but especially to the endless hours and efforts that Lynn put in as show producer. Lynn was forever calling up and asking about this and that, reminding, following up, asking what if we…?, should we…?, have we…?, are we going to…? Many thanks, Lynn.

As with most successful efforts - it all comes down to having the right people. I'm proud to say that I've been able to work with the best in putting on this show. You've made us all look great!

Bruce Fish
Show Chairman 2000

Executive Meeting

The Executive met Sunday April 16 at Wayne and Alice Keys. The main items of discussion were

• Sweet Adeline Convention - volunteers, drivers, coordinators, use of risers and shell; need to check out the shell; need volunteers to help move risers between various schools and Centre of the Arts
• Bruce Odell - coaching sessions the week of May 7; Executive and Music team will meet with him for a supper meeting before our regular chapter meeting
• Taping session - planning for a taping session for our new music (likely June 26)
• Guest night - April 17, preparations well in hand
• Clear Lake - Mini-HEP expenses are legitimate chapter expenses so members should be eligible for reimbursement from Bingo proceeds.
• Public Relations - we should investigate methods and costs of getting a chapter phone listing that we can include in all of our promotional material
• Tentative plans for a chapter picnic, Buffalo days parade entry, and singing for a Rider game (hopefully); we need to talk up the Canada Trail singout on June 7 as only a few members have indicated they will attend.
• We should do something similar to Singing Valentines for Mothers Day (and Fathers Day) – we get a lot of exposure from these; need to work on song material for quartets to use for various singing engagements
• Show - great success; very similar attendance to previous years; should make a good profit; Darke Hall is booked for next year; congratulations to everyone on a job well done;
• Afterglow - we have received a discount from the hall and will pass on two dollar refund to all attendees we can track down.
• Nominating Committee - the three immediate past presidents (Lynn and Dave) will start work on a proposed slate of officers to present to the membership; election date tentatively set for June 19
• Next executive meeting will be Sunday May 7

Afterglow

Well, the food was more than a little on the skimpy side but Dave and Jane Pearce did a wonderful job of keeping us all entertained at the Afterglow. The management from the United Services Institute called the following Monday and apologized for the problems with the food and we have been given a rebate on the total cost. We'll be tracking down all of our revelers and giving you a toonie rebate.

Barbershop Radio on www.Live365.com

You can listen to SPEBSQSA Barbershop Radio 24 hours a day at www.live365.com – Dealers Choice, Jokers Wild, Blue Grass Student Union, Acoustix, and FRED… I've been listening to all these while working on this bulletin and they all sound great.

Charity & Community Service

I picked up something off the Internet. Paraphrased, it goes something like this:

It is said that people come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When it is for a REASON, it is usually because of a need you have expressed, and the person that has entered your life provides support to help you physically, emotionally or spiritually. When their work is done, they may leave, but you move on, strengthened by the association with that person.

When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because you are ready to grow, to share, and to learn. They may bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh. They teach you something you have never done.

When it is for a LIFETIME, you learn things necessary for a solid emotional foundation and put what you have learned to good use in all other relationships and areas of your life.

I wondered if that applies to our Golden Harvest Chorus. As a visitor, you come out to a meeting, and the REASON, probably, is that "you have a need". But, you stay for a SEASON, and "learn, grow, and share". For most people, it is a LIFETIME relationship, with all of the advantages that go with long-term relationships. And even if someone who has influenced you leaves, and you see the person no more, the lessons learned live on.

I was thinking about these things when the current Service Chairmen News came from Kenosha. It is full of interesting things. For instance, the Harmony Foundation Awards. A bronze award is given to each chapter that contributes $25-$49 per man to charity (silver and gold awards are for greater amounts). Donations that count towards the award include gifts to Heartspring, and contributions to other recognized charities, like the Early Learning Centre. Rod will be getting a form at the end of the year on which to list all of our giving.

So what’s this got to do with relationships? Well, our charitable giving began as a REASON (we "had a need" to grow up to the idea of helping a larger organization, Heartspring). In time, we entered the SEASON stage, acquiring the Early Learning Centre, which has a similar mission; and the habit of looking out for others in need has become a LIFETIME pre-occupation. Whether we will average as much as $25 per man, and qualify for the bronze award, remains to be seen. Of course, we don’t give to our charities in order to win an award, but if they are handing them out, the recognition can’t do any harm. The main thing is, let's keep it up for a LIFETIME. As it says in the Good Book, "…let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap…." Galatians 6:9.

HAPPY EASTER!

Jack Boan

Sweet Adeline Convention

The Regina Sweet Adeline Choruses are hosting the Harmony Unplugged convention on April 27-29 at the Centre of the Arts. Our chorus will be performing at the kick-off on Thursday night at Darke Hall.

Thanks for your Contributions

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this issue of your Sharp Notes. You, too, can see your name here in print – it's easier than you think. Just drop me a line or email and I'll see that the info gets into the next issue.

Sing4Mom.com

KENOSHA, WI - Mothers throughout North America will enjoy a different kind of gift this year, thanks to a new web site. It's a distinctly low-tech Mother's Day gift, but it will mean more to Mom than flowers, a cell phone or the traditional chocolates.

It's a Mother's Day serenade performed LIVE by a barbershop quartet, found at Sing4Mom.com.

"How can you thank your mother for those lullabies you heard as an infant? For the songs she taught you as a child?" asks Brian Lynch, Public Relations Director for the Barbershop Harmony Society. "Singing is perhaps the most intimate communication possible, and the loveliest way to say 'I Love You.' Add the sweet, mellow sounds of barbershop harmony, and you have an unforgettable Mother's Day gift."

Sing4Mom.com is an outgrowth of the barbershop society's SingingValentines.com service, which this year delivered more than 28,000 songs across the United States and Canada.

Visitors to Sing4Mom.com simply enter a ZIP code to locate a barbershop quartet in their area to deliver a Mother's Day serenade, which usually costs around $35 and typically includes two songs sung in barbershop harmony, a card, a rose and perhaps a box of chocolates. Many groups also make deliveries by telephone, at a reduced rate.

Dad needn't be excluded, either: Sing4Dad.com will offer a similar service in June.

SPEBSQSA offers a toll-free number to connect callers to serenades across the continent. Just call (800) 876-SING and ask for Sing4Mom.

The quartets belong to the 34,000-member Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. (SPEBSQSA).

With more than 34,000 members in 809 chapters in the U.S. and Canada, SPEBSQSA is the world's largest all-male singing organization. Through education services, music publishing, public performance and competition, SPEBSQSA preserves a rich heritage of uniquely American music for future generations.

It seems you can now have your own supply of Fire & Ice Aftershave without raiding the gas station restroom.

Launched by the design house of Revlon in 1994, FIRE & ICE is classified as a refreshing, spicy, lavender, amber fragrance. This masculine scent possesses a blend of oriental florals. It is recommended for office wear. Suggested retail price of $15.50 for the 2oz aftershave, $20.50 for the 1.9oz cologne spray.

Or for the women there's the 2.7oz cologne spray for $26.00. FIRE & ICE is classified as a sharp, oriental fragrance. This feminine scent possesses a blend of tangerine, orange flower, and magnolia. Accompanied by woody and musk spices. It is recommended for daytime wear.

Articles in this bulletin do not necessarily reflect the views of the chapter. Unless carrying a byline, they are those of the editor. Items received may be referred to the executive before publication. All chapter officers and members are encouraged to submit articles to the Sharp Notes. Submissions will be credited to the author. Please address any comments, suggestions or submissions to the editor –

Bruce Fish, 2327 Brodie Bay, Regina, Canada S4V 0V1
phone: (306) 761-2503; email: bfish@cableregina.com.

Current and back issues of the Sharp Notes can be found on our chapter website at http://www.gpfn.sk.ca/culture/arts/gharvest.

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