Date: January 7, 2002

A Rookie’s Holiday Singouts

I had been interested in barbershop singing for years when I bumped into the Island City Chorus in December 2000. Learning that the chorus rehearses close to home sparked my decision to attend a rehearsal early in the new year, and realizing that participation in such a group would be a great deal of fun sparked my decision to join by March 2001. There followed weekly rehearsals, contests I could not attend for their being held while I am at work, and a Canada Day singout cancelled on account of rain. During my first ten months as a barbershopper I was able to sing in our annual show. The only other uses I would make of our singing outfits would be a 2-minute performance for a friend’s birthday and a 20-minute outdoor singout in the hellish conditions of a humid Montréal heat wave.

Then came December...

I had been waiting a whole year since seeing the chorus perform one of its Holiday Singouts, a whole year waiting to sing those songs to delighted audiences hither and yon. Finally I would get to use my tuxedo outfit for more than a few minutes at a time and watch smiling faces light up in our audiences as we performed in shopping malls, hospitals, seniors’ residences and even a museum. I was not going to be disappointed.

Work kept me from joining the chorus on December 8, halfway through the Carolcade, that great day of singing in a list of venues as long as my arm. Catching up with the chorus at the Montréal Association for the Blind, I hopped on the bus and joined in the singing at a series of seniors’ residences. At the end of the day, we returned to the very spot where I had seen the chorus a year earlier, Central Station. It was abuzz with commuters and assorted travellers waiting to board their respective trains. Well! Talk about stopping people in their tracks. As soon as our chords began to ring out, a crowd began to gather, and it swelled right along with our harmonies. Smiles broke out on the faces of children, their parents and grandparents alike. Indeed, the smiles were the same ones we had generated all day in seniors’ residences. This, I thought, is what barbershopping is all about.

Our performance at the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts held an added unexpected delight for me. Our exalted director, Rob Mance, asked me to introduce the chorus and our songs to an audience of some 300 English- and French-speaking people. Though I had no idea going in that I would become the chorus’ M.C., it wasn’t a last-minute addition to my duties: Rob sprung the news on me a good two minutes before ShowTime. My improvised introductions went over very well with the audience, show organizers and the chorus.

As the Holiday Season neared its end, we sang in shopping malls in poorer and richer parts of town. Everywhere we went we generated the same smiles from people who, initially, would stop their hectic shopping out of curiosity, only to listen in awe for the duration of our performance. Some people would even follow us to the other end of the mall to listen to our second performance.

As M.C., getting to explain barbershop singing to our audiences catered not only to their need to learn, but also to my yen for teaching. A splendid time was had by all.

Our last singout was also our most poignant. We performed at the St. Anne's Veterans’ Hospital to audiences of war heroes in a wide range of states of health. Singing on the wards to true heroes ravaged by the years more than they had been by war was a touching and heart-warming experience. Our last performance of the day was on the stage in the hospital auditorium to an audience of able-bodied vets.

We produced such a happy sound that even the bass player in the veterans’ band could not resist thumping a few notes in the background.

We don’t do this sort of thing nearly often enough and now I can’t wait until next December rolls around.

The sale of the Christmas CD, "Noel," went well, according to Walter Mueller. This is great news, of course, since the profits will help to fund chapter activities. Members, who are currently holding on to CDs, should convert them to cash, and bring the money in to Walter, as quickly as possible.

Things have gelled for our next three Annual Shows.

In 2002, we will be featuring the 2001 sixth place quartet, Metropolis. They are a very entertaining and great singing quartet. Our audience will love them.

For 2003, we have Gas House Gang, 1993 International Champions. They are one of the best show quartets ever, and in my humble opinion they continue to improve.

For 2004, we are going to have 4 Voices, the 1996 Collegiate Champs and 2001 third place quartet. By the time they appear on our show, they will very likely be International Champions

The price went up at the end of December 2001, and everyone is expected to be there on February 2, 2002. So register with Steve Wheaton as soon as possible.

Bring a cheque and your registration form with you to rehearsal on Monday, or arrange to get it to Steve before then.

Full tuition is $65.00 (includes lunch, chorus coaching, and 1/2 day program.) The guest quartet is Déjà Vu, which is Joker's Wild with a new tenor, so sign up tonight!

We will be on the receiving end of some great coaching. You won't want to miss it, so register, NOW!.

We get back together on Monday, January 7, 2002.

Since you will be practising your music every day, we will be note-perfect for 2002. Right?

Here is our current repertoire list:

Practice is something we do at home, every day, between rehearsals!

Rehearsal is where we reinforce what we have been practising every day!