Congratulations to everyone on the singing and organization of this year’s show. Bert Brossoit turned impresario once again, and made the production run smoothly.

We have to offer thanks to CBC Radio Two, and especially Kelly Rice, for recording our show and to Marc Montgomery for the MC job he did for us.

Gotcha! was an extraordinary guest quartet. The members made everyone who met them feel like old friends, and they sang up a storm! They are real champs.

Our friends from West Island Chorus of Sweet Adelines were wonderful to work with and sing with and Commonly Unique provided some excellent moments during their performance and the afterglow. They are going to be wonderful representatives at the Sweet Adeline International Contest in New Orleans this fall.

Lots of very positive comments were received following the show, and we can be pleased with the quality of entertainment we offered.

I was particularly fortunate that while on a thirty day business trip to Dallas, the local chorus happened to be the ten time gold medal winner The Vocal Majority, under the direction of the very accomplished Jim Clancy.

With Murray’s help I got in touch with a member of their Bass section, Brooks Harkey, who arranged the details and made me feel most welcome, attending their Thursday night practices.

Activities start at 6:00 PM with a choreo practice for the new members as well for anyone who may feel the need to brush up on some moves. They practice complex interacting moves, paying careful attention to detailed moves, facial expressions, and making it look as if it just comes naturally. These are of course points we have heard before from Morgan, Rob, Coaches, and Judges, but when put in practice by the Vocal Majority they are the stuff of championship performances.

By 7:00 PM the rest of the chorus has arrived at the practice hall. With them would be on average ten guests, including myself, and about 20 spectators. There is a photographer on hand who takes pictures and videos of each practice. The pictures are emailed to the guests as a souvenir of their time with the Vocal Majority. Filling nine sets of six foot risers five rows deep, the chorus beings the warm ups. With exercises not unlike our own, the warm-ups wake the roughly one hundred and twenty voices filling and hall and resounding through the building.

By 7:30 the chorus is ready to go and Jim Clancy arrives. He has a way of inspiring the chorus through his passion for the music and a delivery that rivals the best motivational speakers and southern ministers. He reminds the chorus that they are great and must work hard to stay there. Many members will wear shirts commemorating their multiple victories.

The Vocal Majority bill themselves as a "pop chorus", with a repertoire spanning classic inspirational arrangements to works by the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel. With the exception of choreographed pieces, the guests participate in the entire practice. For some pieces there was instrumental accompaniment, accomplished with the aid of a CD. This included California Dreaming, and Bridge Over Troubled Waters. I was also fortunate to participate in the working of one of Jim’s more recent arrangements of Wish Upon A Star. We had a few sectionals, practising our parts in Jim’s arrangements.

At the break I had the opportunity to practice our Pole cats with a number of quartets that spontaneously form in the halls and outside. It is wonderful that we have these songs in common, so wherever we go we can sing!

After practice a number of us went to a local pub for beer and other snacks. Though be warned, when ordering spicy chicken wings in Dallas, order one level lower than what you can handle in Montreal and you might be OK.

The members of the Vocal Majority have a very strong devotion to the chorus, a number of members told me that they have made career decisions so that they would remain in Dallas and able to sing with the Vocal Majority. Dallas residency however is not a requirement to be a member, dedication to the chorus is! This was evident in the story of a past member living in Atlanta who worked for Delta Airlines and flew to Dallas every Thursday for practice.

In all, I spent a month in Dallas and did not miss a single week’s practice. When Jim would ask for a show of hands of the guests in the chorus, he would give me a "welcome back" smile. A numbers of members also started notice my regular appearance and asked when I would be auditioning to join. The audition process was described to me as technically very demanding and not uncommon to require multiple attempts.

After a month in Dallas, my final Thursday practice was the culmination of four weeks of great singing, trying new arrangements, wonderful experiences and memories. I was honoured when asked to lead the chorus in the closing song, "Keep the Whole World Signing". Standing in the spot normally reserved for Jim and facing the chorus, I paused for a moment to thank them and Jim for welcoming me into their ranks and extended the invitation to look us up should any of them find themselves in Montreal. We closed the evening "On Song" under my guidance. And, like Rob holding us a little longer on a chord when its rings perfectly in tune, we stepped through the final notes of the tag in a growing crescendo!

Though those memorable four weeks had now come to an end. I am fortunate that my Dallas is a common destination in my business and, the Vocal Majority, showing true southern hospitality, welcomed we to "Come on back!" whenever I’m I town.

So, three notes walk into a bar -- a G, an E flat, and a C.

The bartender looks up and says, "We don't serve minors."

So the E flat leaves and the other two have a fifth between them.

After a few drinks, the G was out flat, and the experience was diminished.

Eventually, the C sobers up, sees one of his friends missing, the other one passed out, and realizes to his horror that he's under a rest.