ONIbR September/ October 2004 VOLUME LXIV NUMBER 5 Features We’re having a super party Gallery: 14 before the Super Bowl! 32 Quartet contest New ways to have fun at the midwinter conven- tion will make Jacksonville one heckuva party 41 Chorus contest x-treme fun? GOTCHA! 16 Louisville had it all College contest The biggest week of the year was packed with su- 46 perb singing, brilliant costuming, and more ways to have fun barbershopping. Our inside scoop un- covers plenty you didn’t see. COMPLETE COVERAGE BY LORIN MAY Departments 2 50 LET’S HARMONIZE HARMONY FOUNDATION On the shoulders of giants Clarke Caldwell and Don Harris 4 lay it on the line THE PRESIDENT’S PAGE 54 Let’s enrich the lives of other people NOTEWORTHY On the Cover 6 Remembering writers, GOTCHA! TEMPO teachers, and singers and the A really wild wild card contest... 54 Ambassadors a new look... something funny’s STAY TUNED of Harmony happening in Salt Lake City What’s working get their golds 11 54 at last. LETTERS MEMBER SERVICE DIRECTORY Jim Clancy is the best Where to find answers, people, resources Photos by Jim Miller Photography Cover by Lorin May 12 60 HARMONY HOW-TO THE TAG Ten expectations of a champion Remembering Val Hicks and “That Summer When We Young” September/October 2004 • The HARMONIZER 1 LET’S HARMONIZE Don A. Harris, Chief Executive Officer On the shoulders of giants... As they say, sometimes what’s old is new. And oftentimes, the most meaningful words last longer than the paper they were written on. Such is the case with Joe Liles’ column written in 1996 on the occasion of his retirement as Executive Director. Today, Joe leads our music publications department and in midst of all the change going on within the Society, I asked that the heart of Joe’s column be reprinted in this space as a re- minder of his great insight and the lasting meaningfulness of his words. usic brought us together in the first place. Lifelong proponents of casual woodshedding, chorus friendships are a result of having harbors of harmony devotees, contest-oriented choruses and quartets, we call “the chapter,” “the chorus,” “the quartet” people who like gospel or modern songs ... you name and more temporary harbors, such as conventions, it, we’ve got it! Mcruises, inter-chapter meetings, weekend gatherings Unfortunately, many members of special interest and schools. groups feel only they are right and all others are wrong. It is time for a new kind of harmony. A social Facing new challenges harmony where chords resonate love and support for We are living in a new kind of world today. We each Barbershopper doing his or her own thing. can, we must, we will meet the challenge. The good ‘ole boy clubs are falling by the wayside. There are What O. C. really said fundamental changes in attitudes In response to some of these special-interest toward work, leisure, and the roles of claims, let me offer a few quotes from our founder, American men. Added O. C. Cash, himself: responsibilities give less time for “The brothers at Macomb, Illinois, invited me to chapter activities. Television, a their recent parade and it was a dandy. The work of comfortable chair and an evening at the chorus impressed me especially, and the nice home have a strong appeal to lots of thing about it was that in the 100 men comprising it, folks. all ages were represented—high school boys and The most We must face up to the issue and great-grandfathers—all singing close harmony for go with the flow or simply become the sheer love of singing. What a wholesome meaningful archaic and die. I think there must be influence on our way of life it will be when such words retain a strong, collaborative effort between groups are organized in every village, town and city all barbershop organizations, and in in the land! ... their truth particular the two largest, “Do you brothers realize that at the [1948] through SPEBSQSA and Sweet Adelines Milwaukee convention, we had four choruses in International. One of my goals has attendance? At our first convention in Tulsa we had changing been to bring about better only 10 or 12 quartets. At the Oklahoma City understanding and cooperation convention next year I hope we have that many times. Joe between all of us. We need to choruses. I suggest we arrange to have these various Liles’ words develop a sharing of coaches, choruses put on a 15-30 minute recital. We may teachers, talent and materials. have to allot an extra day to get this all on the inspire me. Wouldn’t it be great for us to program. It will not be many years until we will have sponsor a world a cappella festival in to set aside an entire week, making it a ‘barbershop the near future? Just think what that harmony festival,’ as well as a national convention would mean in terms of supporting our vision of and contest.... The parade at San Gabriel was a well- world harmony. I believe we could, and should do planned and extremely entertaining event. Of so. particular interest to me was the splendid performance of the chorus. I have not heard very Harmony means more many of the choruses throughout the country, and I than just music must not indicate any preference, but the singing of Another goal I’ve had is to bring more this group thrilled me to my toes.... understanding and cooperation between our special “Even though it is burlesqued, I am always interest groups. We have those that swear our impressed with this operatic stuff that some of the founders supported only quartet singing—that they quartets indulge in occasionally. I heard a group on would be opposed to group and chorus singing. the air the other day sing “Beyond The Blue There are those who are focused on preserving a Horizon.” It was strictly a glee-club arrangement, but certain style of barbershop singing or arrangements, it was so pretty, and I thought how much better my 2 The HARMONIZER • September/October 2004 proposed chorus could have done the helped and encouraged to sing in a gospel song is “His Eye Is On The number. I like any kind of singing if quartet. The local chapter should Sparrow.” I began to play it for them done by Barbershoppers, and they are support this preference for any of their and sing it. the guys that can do it.... members. Start a quartet-only chapter! No sooner were the first few words, “With interest and choruses The Society headquarters staff will “Why should I feel discouraged ... ” continuing to develop, we should help you get going. It only takes four sung, when I heard a sweet voice make provision for more activity of to get started and you have a year to behind me. My mom had lifted her this kind at our annual conventions. put together three quartets and you head and started singing in a small So, begin thinking of an annual have a quartet chapter. voice, not with the power of her meeting of six or seven days duration Let’s live and let live and don’t youth, but right on pitch. to provide outlet for all phases of worry so much about the music. The “Why should the shadows fall, why harmony singing. With a full week of contest venue is the perfect medium should my heart be lonely and long for harmony of various kinds, the devotee for preserving the barbershop style and heaven and home ...” right on to the of any variety could come and go as he guiding the evolution of it. The chorus. Her voice began to gather in pleased. Of course, most of us would barbershop style itself is strong enough strength, and I could no longer see the have to take in the whole shootin’ to endure. Singers who stray away and keyboard. match.... have some fun with other styles and She continued, “I sing because I’m “For a long time, I have had an idea harmony invariably come back to one happy, I sing because I’m free, for His that, while emphasis should be laid of the chestnuts that produce the eye is on the sparrow and I know He upon barbershop harmony and awesome ringing sound. Let’s learn to watches me. His eye is on the sparrow choruses, each group should have in its enjoy the enjoyment of others. If you and I know He watches me.” repertoire a few selections of a more- honestly can’t do that, then leave ’em Her radiant face soon dropped to or-less classical nature. Have you alone. Just enjoy what pleases you. I her chest again and she faded back heard Bob Ising’s Louisville gang sing will say, there are some of us who love into her own world. For a few magical, the ‘Summertime’ thing? That’s not all of it. Let’s hear it for harmony. powerful moments, Mom and I were barbershop, but it simply ‘curls your communicating. hair.’ These numbers should be Music has a power of its own I’m grateful to music. That’s why I performed occasionally just to show As I began this moment with you, I say we must teach the children to sing the audience that said, “Music is what we are all about.” and teach all people to sing and keep Straight talk from Barbershoppers ‘came There is power in music and harmony.