  http://amcofa.org/jamestown/ Over 250 men, and many of their wives, converged on the city of Jamestown, on the windswept plains of North Dakota, for this year's Upper Midwest District Big Sing. We were rewarded with good fellowship, good singing and fun, as well as good weather. The latter was especially welcome, after the snow and floods of the previous two Sings held in Jamestown. Attendance was down somewhat from past years, but we still filled the Civic Center Arena with sound. We were glad to welcome back our Winnipeg brothers in song, who had been forced to curtail their activities with the Association due to financial constraints. We missed the 3M Chorus this year, but the other twelve member choruses were well represented. The Jamestown Choralaires put together a good program for all of us to enjoy. The Friday evening adjudicated recital was special for many of the singers who remembered Jamestown's retired director, Joe Bannister. Joe was one of the two distinguished clinicians, along with Dr. Richard Walentine, providing feedback to the choruses. The recital is often one of the best parts of the weekend, since most choruses prepare interesting and unusual numbers for it. We spent the first part of Saturday morning in a lively sight-reading session, ably conducted by Pam Burkhardt, Jamestown's current director, who kept us moving through the pieces. Thanks to the generosity of Poppler's Music in Grand Forks, ND (http://www.popplersmusic.com/), the singers got to keep all the music they read through, instead of returning it, as has been the norm in the past. After a coffee break and some non-low-carb Krispy Kreme doughnuts, we went directly into the massed chorus rehearsal, during which we raised $1050 for the AMCA Scholarship Fund. The men partook of a meal served onsite by the Choralaires, while the ladies enjoyed a luncheon at the local college, which included a concert by the college's concert choir. Due to the compression of activities in the morning, we had the entire afternoon free. A number of singers and spouses enjoyed a tour of the Jamestown area, including a visit to the National Buffalo Museum.
Without an intermission, the concert was over well before 9 PM, which allowed the afterglow to start while the evening was still young. Because of a good PA system (and because most conversation ceased or at least became subdued), in contrast to too many past such events, we could clearly hear and enjoy the choruses who shared their fun songs with all of us. A couple of highlights stuck in my mind. One was the rendition of "Lida Rose" (from The Music Man) by the South St. Paul Chorus, which included a lovely soprano solo by their soon-leaving director, Stephanie Phelps. The other was the alternate wording to "Man of La Mancha," written by a member of the Cold Spring Area Maennerchor (see accompanying article).
Ed Armbruster "Man of La Mancha" Revisited
Men of Music Host Big SingThe sing went well. There was seating for all of us on the stage while the individual groups performed. Because the curtain was drawn between the individual groups and those seated, we could only hear and not see them. The curtain was opened for the mass numbers and the pianos moved. This method was efficient, but it would have been nice to see the individual performing groups. As typical of most afterglow parties, they ran out of food! But it was nice to see the different groups perform in a more relaxed atmosphere. Almost 400 people attended the party. CDs of the performance can be purchased for $22 including tax and shipping from Spatial RecordingNext year's Great Lakes District Big Sing will be in Detroit, hosted by the Gentlemen Songsters. With the 2003-2004 season, the chorus celebrates 68 years as Midland's "Ambassadors of Song." Fellowship, philanthropy, and the joy of blending male voices in harmony are at the heart of the Men of Music story. The chorus began in 1936 as the Dow Male Chorus and reorganized as Men of Music with the formation of Music Society in 1961. The current group now boasts members representing over 1,000 years of choral experience. John Fleming Amherst Male Glee Club Is BusyLater in November, AMGC performed a benefit for a Lutheran church to aid their building fund. In early December, we performed for the Amherst Quilters Society's holiday party. In addition we entertained the Knights of Columbus in North Tonawanda, NY, at their annual Christmas Party. Canterbury Woods, a senior living facility, was the location of our first outreach "singout" of the new year. The rest of the first quarter of the year was the build-up time to our annual fundraiser, "The Red Blazer Varieties," held March 18-20. This is a Broadway-style musical review with professional scenic design, choreography, and lighting and two immensely talented guest performers this year - a phenomenal violinist and a comic juggler. Over twenty-five hundred people attended over the three-night run. On May 13th, we perform at Harris Hill Nursing Home, and on the 22nd a benefit concert for Buffalo Suzuki Strings will bring our performing year to an end. Kenneth Miller Eagan Keeps Busy TooEagan's talented director, David Campen, did double duty at the recent Big Sing in Jamestown, ND. Since the director of the Rochester (MN) Male Chorus (Dan Kuhlman) could not come to the Sing, Dave agreed to direct the RMC at the Friday night adjudicated concert, as well as his own chorus. Both groups felt that the arrangement worked out fine. Dave appreciated how well Dan had prepared his chorus for the performance. Both choruses rated very high with the judges. One of the highlights of Eagan's performances this spring was a joint concert on May 1 with two bell choirs. [Ed. Note: I took the following from an email sent before the concert happened; maybe we'll get a report on its success next time.] The month of June is the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers (AGEHR). Here's a brief history from the AGEHR website (www.agehr.org) where they have a lot more information: The love and enthusiasm for handbells in America sprang from the hands of Margaret Shurcliff of Boston, Massachusetts. In 1902 she became the first American woman to ring a complete peal on tower bells in England, as well as two peals on handbells. She was presented with a set of eight Whitechapel English handbells, which she continued to expand. Margaret also was honored with a membership in the Ancient Society of College Youths, England's oldest and most respected ringing society. Margaret introduced many friends to the joys of handbell ringing. Her Beacon Hill Ringers, consisting of five of her six children and several friends, became well known for their annual Christmas caroling on Beacon Hill. The popularity of handbells spread rapidly through New England in the early 20th century, even though virtually all bells had to be imported from England. In 1937 several handbell enthusiasts met at Margaret's home and formed the New England Guild of English Handbell Ringers (NEGEHR), with Margaret serving as its first president. Members of NEGEHR exchanged music, ideas and techniques. As far as meetings were concerned, the members would gather one evening each spring for supper, hold a business meeting, and then finish the night with a public concert.The Area VII AGEHR "Clapper Chatter" newsletter advertised the concert with the following: "Golden Bells, Stellar Voices" River Hills Methodist ChurchThe choir and director names follow that. I believe we're supposed to be the Stellar Voices, which gives us a goal to shoot for. Those who remember listening to and performing with the Jubilate Ringers a couple of years back already know how fantastic the bells will be on May 1. This should be a great night of music! Ken Coy Wisconsin - Upper Michigan ReportBefore the annual district sing in Munising, Mi., a district meeting and election of officers, starting with the 2004-2005 singing season in September, was held. Officers are:
The mass numbers and directors were:
This year's scholarship student is Joe Pociopa sponsored by the Munising Vanguards. 4 of the 6 choruses provided annual reports as their highlights for the season. Gwinn was able to add two new members plus a tag team of two accompanists for singing at several churches. Their season will end with a concert on May 14th plus Memorial Day services on the 31st. Like all the other 6 choruses, they thought the 2004 district Sing was outstanding as witnessed by a very receptive audience.George Pecor NYP Choruses Invited to Ontario CabaretOntario titled this event "Big Sing 2004 - A Seven Chorus Dinner," catchy phrasing for a dinner and performance event. The hosts were the Niagara (Ont.) Men's Chorus at Niagara Falls, Ontario. We must credit their organization for all the effort that resulted in a successful sing. This was the first opportunity for me to join this "cabaret" style evening of song and dinner. I was anticipating this event with many questions and wished to get a good lead on the different ways to do an event in the NYP District. I won't know the others' opinions until they are aired at the District Meeting. What I can say is the options expand when you think differently about your own Big Sing situations.
The area is a tourist attraction to begin with; the place offers travelers an opportunity to do things over a weekend of relaxing enjoyment. If your area is strictly a "one-night stay" because it lacks the accouterments, then you can't always expect others to stay long. One option might be to move the venue to somewhere close by one time, within half an hour or so of your home base. The men assembled on the risers to open the show, singing one half of the massed chorus numbers. Then the first part of the dinner was served. Solo chorus numbers followed, after sufficient time for eating the portion of the meal. The wait staff had to hustle and bustle during these serving periods. The sing / serve & eat / sing again sequence went along until the entire evening was completed and enjoyed. Thanks again, Ontario, it was an enjoyable eye-opener. Many thoughts can be stated for the pros and cons of this event. I can't wait to hear our District reps comment on this gathering. We also had guests from Amherst attending, so their considerations will get thrown in for fuller evaluation. If some of you wish further information on the way the Big Sing works as a cabaret style, I would put you in contact with folks in the Ontario leadership who are most familiar with this formula. I am certain the various districts have tried many methods of enticing an audience to their Big Sings. It would be useful to avail ourselves of this information, compiled and catalogued for our use at District level. I wonder if someone has started such a file? Just a thought! You can email me at rica(A)pce.net; happy to hear from you, thanks. Ric Addenbrooke Note from the EditorI had hoped to have some articles on vocal technique or music reviews, but didn't receive anything in time for the publishing deadline. Maybe for the fall newsletter . . . Anyway, I appreciate all the contributions and hope to continue publicizing the activities of this great organization. (Submitted by Ed Armbruster, Chorister Editor)
Saturday, Aug 30, 2008 | 02313 since May 12, 2004 |
The evening concert was presented to an appreciative audience of around a thousand people. The highlight of the concert, and the origin of its theme, was the first major public performance of a new composition by Carrie _ Kraft, the longtime Jamestown accompanist, with words from a Walt Whitman poem, "I Hear America Singing." There have been a number of pieces composed for Big Sings, but from the comments I heard from other singers, this was one of the best liked of them all. If any other choruses are interested, 
All in all, it was a very nice weekend, and I want to extend my thanks, representing all those who attended, to the Jamestown Choralaires for a well-run event. Now the UMW District men can look forward to next year's Sing in America's healthiest city, Rochester, Minnesota (home of the Mayo Clinic, for you non-Midwesterners).