Bulletins will be published monthly (well sort-of) for distribution at the first (or second, or maybe third or ...) meeting of each month (except July and August). Deadline for material to be included will normally be the last Monday before publication (unless advertised otherwise). You may want to save this bulletin for future reference since it also includes our current membership roster.

We now have learning tapes for most of our chorus repertoire. Members can purchase tapes 1 and 2 for $1.50 each (if you already have tape 1 you can exchange it for a new one, which now includes additional songs). Tape 1 includes Just Plain Barbershop, Young Men in Harmony (6 songs) and Strictly Barbershop. Tape 2 contains current, past, and future repertoire songs – Dream, Georgia, I’ll Fly Away, If I Could Write a Song, My Daddy’s Still Singing His Song, O Canada, Shenandoah, So Long Mother, Song and Dance Man, They Wrote ‘em in the Good Old Days, Under the Boardwalk, What a Wonderful World and instrumental versions of a couple of others. Two new songs will be added later (Home on the Range and Who’s Sorry Now).

Our thanks to the two quartets and their drivers that gave up most of their Valentines day to deliver singing Valentines. Offbeat (Michael Frolick, Adam Morcom, Ryan Bird and their tenor from Thom Collegiate) and their driver Bob Grieve delivered 12 Singing Valentines. The Other Quartet (Jack Boan, Jared Goertzen, Peter Vandersteldt and Lynn Lowes) and their driver delivered 17. Special thanks to Val for coordinating all the orders.

We are looking for a Chorus "song" which we can adopt and use in all of our programs. If you have suggestions of appropriate songs, or feel like putting pen to ink and submitting an original composition, we’d love to hear from you. Contest details to follow…

Don't forget to save Campbell labels and UPCs for Jared!

Myron;

Pat Tucker-Kelly and Brian Lynch forwarded your message about O.Henry to me. The only info I have on him comes from an article by Harry Birdoff in what was once called "Hobbies" magazine (it has since changed names but I don't know what the new one is) in March 1973.

There it says that O.Henry joined the Hill City Quartette sometime while he was a draftsman in the Texas Land Office in Austin TX between 1887 and 1891. He was a bass. In a photo he is described as having a "carefully twisted, waxed mustache" and his hair is slicked down (though the curl is not entirely tamed) and parted in the middle.

The article mentions that the quartet sang in churches, but there is no description of their style - perhaps close harmony, perhaps not. It is certainly a pleasant thought to think he might have been a close harmony artist.

He went on to organize The Jolly Entertainers, described as "orchestral artists. who disported themselves at socials".

If this is still a thread of interest to folks, please feel free to repost it to the Harmonet.

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION June 29-July 6, 1997 - Indianapolis, IN

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.