PRS RT S TD U.S . PO S TA G E PA ID
Little Rock, AR 72202 Permit No. 471
Wednesday, August 3, 2016 Number 31, Volume 37
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Servin g th e H ot Sprin gs / G a rla n d C ou n ty a rea s in ce 19 77
Crystal Chimes sisterhood vocalize hearts in song LORIEN E. DAHL The Sentinel-Record
HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — When members of Hot Springs Village’s Crystal Chimes Chorus recently offered thoughts on their beloved group, they channeled the words of great Spanish writer Cervantes, who said, “He who sings scares away his woes.” Chartered in 1988, the nonprofit has long been feeding the souls of both its members and audiences with a cappella singing offered from the heart. New to the ranks, Melinda Alvord joined the chorus this past fall. She hadn’t performed with a group in nearly 40 years, since college, and said, “Getting back into singing has been phenomenal.” The music major said participation gives her “a reason to get up in the morning and enjoy the day.” Those mornings she mentioned are Tuesdays, when weekly rehearsals are held in Christ of the Hills United Methodist Church. Sectional practice takes place in the hours before lunch, with afternoon sessions bringing all together under the direction of Margaret Kresse. The director relishes watching the women change and grow to become better singers. She’s amazed at their level of dedication and said, “To work with people that want to be the best they can be is just wonderful for me — very rewarding.” Chorus President Lee King was part of a barbershop group years ago, and when she moved to HSV, she saw the Chimes perform and it reminded her how much she loves singing. “When we do performances, it gives me a high. I just feel really good, and if I’m in a bad mood, I’m not in a bad mood after we’ve been singing,” King said. Joy Dressler moved to the Village in 2001 and serves as vice president
The Sentinel-Record/Lorien E. Dahl
SINGING OUT: Ladies of Hot Springs Village’s Crystal Chimes Chorus rehearse songs for the fall concert “Sing Your
Dreams,” set for 7 p.m. Sept. 17 in Woodlands Auditorium. The concert’s co-chairman, Joy Dressler, said the chorus is especially looking forward to utilizing the latest enhanced sound and stage effects now available at the venue. As the Crystal Chimes shows often sell out, buying tickets early is recommended. for the organization. Her experience as a member has been “great fun,” and she was one of several ladies who chose the word “sisterhood” to describe the chorus. Dressler lost her husband in 2014, and said she doesn’t know what she would have done without her “sisters,” who collectively helped carry her through the grief process. The chorus came together in June to help mourn another loss, that of charter member Evaline Keith, who had retired from singing just last year because of health reasons. Her sisters in song gave solace to those in attendance at Keith’s funeral service, lifting spirits with renditions
of “You Raise Me Up” and “May the Lord Bless You and Keep You.” Though few eyes were dry during their offering there, that hasn’t been the group’s only performance to bring tears from those listening. Kresse spoke about an arrangement with flutes of “Angels Among Us” performed at Garvan Woodland Gardens. Though the selection wasn’t the end of the program, many in the audience stood up and were crying at its completion. She knew then the chorus had touched people’s hearts. The ladies sing in four-part harmony, barbershop style, and their highest hope with any song is to
achieve the harmonic resonance known as a ringing chord, or “angel’s voice,” which is an acoustical effect achieved when the lead, tenor, baritone and bass voices blend perfectly and create a fifth sound. Phillis Ruggieri, who is also a member of the Providence Quartet, appreciates that sound, but achieving it is hardly the only thing keeping her involved. She said singing with the group is “an addiction,” explaining that it gives her energy and new life, even taking away any physical pain she may be feeling. She is certain her participation allows an endorphin release within her, and said
“It brings me joy.” Ruggieri senses that all the egos in the room disappear when the women come together to create something larger than themselves. Members will come together on Sept. 17, when they take the stage inside Woodlands Auditorium to present the fall concert “Sing Your Dreams.” The Script Committee has been hard at work with John Chapman to write dialogue and select songs to walk the audience through what it takes to become Sweet Adelines — the international organization of which Crystal Chimes is a member. Tickets can be purchased for $12 by visiting http://www.hsvticketsales.com, or by calling Ticket Chair Joan Voeks at 501-915-8073. Anne Bowes, who serves as assistant director, has been involved with the chorus for 26 years, and said singing isn’t the only benefit of being a member. She recognizes the additional gain of the many educational opportunities, including conferences, quartet retreats, summer music camps, and coaches being brought in. “I have a degree in music, too, but I can always learn something,” Bowes said. Although the learning curve may be greater now than it was in earlier parts of the women’s lives, they definitely recognize the value in memorizing the words and music, as the process stimulates the brain in varied ways. Kresse pointed out that right now, their youngest member is 60, with the oldest in her 80s, “which proves that you can sing all your life,” she said. At one point, the group had around 60 members, but there are only 26 these days, so auditions are always open for ladies in the area who would like to make their voices heard.
Drum Corps International comes to Garland County MAX BRYAN
The Sentinel-Record
The Sentinel-Record/Richard Rasmussen
Drum line: From left, the Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps members Chad Raulston, of Dallas, Tyler Bogard of Indianapolis,
Avery Melucci of Seminole, Fla., and Forrest Budway of Raleigh, N.C., rehearse at Lake Hamilton’s Bank of the Ozarks Field on July 27 for a competition event in Little Rock.
PEARCY — Musicians and dancers of The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps filled Bank of the Ozarks Field at Wolf Stadium on the Lake Hamilton campus July 27, getting in formation and perfecting their pieces. “You’re doing a great job pushing through the thick air and the heat,” Mike Tarr, the band’s visual coordinator, said to them over the press box’s intercom system. “Let’s keep going.” The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps, a Drum Corps International marching band from Rosemont, Ill., both housed itself and practiced at Lake Hamilton High School all day July 27 for their competition that night. Aiden Beimer, mellophone player from Denton, Texas, said that LHHS is just one in a long line of schools that his band has used for housing and practice. “There’s a show tonight in Little Rock, so we ended up just going into different schools that could provide housing for us and have a good stadium,” he said. The Cavaliers corps is comprised of 150 young men 16-22 years old from across the country, and three from Japan. They were selected from an audition process that went back as early as
November and concluded with their official lineup in May. The band began practicing May 23 in Indiana. “(We were) rehearsing about 10 hours a day, and then we hit the road for the past couple of months, just touring and playing shows,” Beimer said. This summer, the Cavaliers traveled with other DCI bands, performing competitively in football stadiums across the country. The showdown featured nine competitive marching bands based out of eight different states. The Cavaliers has been putting on a performance titled “Propaganda” at the different stadiums. Tarr said that the performance has been a hit among his band, saying that they have enjoyed reflecting the show’s theme. “Propaganda can bring people together, it can tear people apart, it can inspire society,” Tarr said. “It can do all these different things for us. In marching band these days, a lot of bands have props, so we kind of take a comical stab at props in the play on the word.” Beimer said he has enjoyed touring and performing with the Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps this summer. “It’s engaging, it’s fun, it’s artistic yet athletic,” Beimer said. “It’s a great time.”
Still turning heads:
Water ski enthusiast riding high COLBIE MCCLOUD The Sentinel-Record
CRYSTAL SPRINGS — He may be retired and in his 70s, but Bucky Maynard, of Pine Bluff, is not slowing down, even when it comes to his hobby of water sports. For 10 years, Maynard, who turns 73 in August, has been a hydrofoil water ski enthusiast, turning heads on Lake Ouachita and the Arkansas River. Known by the brand name of Air Chair, Maynard rides the unusual-looking water ski primarily on the Arkansas River near his Pine Bluff home. Manufactured by Air Chair in Lake Havasu, Ariz., the water ski resembles a wake board with a seat affixed on top, with a post topped by fins below. The
back fin can be changed out or flipped over for varying expertise levels: beginner, intermediate or advanced. “I’ve had a lot of people try it, but were not able to get up on it,” Maynard said. Maynard, who retired from his independent insurance agency J.B. Bucky Maynard Insurance in December, plays on the water with wakeboards, kneeboards, trick skis, slalom skis and the Air Chair. He also has taught people from youths to seniors how to swim and save lives in the water. “I borrowed my neighbor’s Air Chair and practiced for a couple of summers. It took me a few years to be able to stay up without fishtailing on it,” Maynard said. “I then bought my own and
had to assemble it.” While a boat’s wake can jar a water-skier and make them fall, Maynard says the hydrofoil rides smooth and mimics “flying in a plane.” Rubber stirrups hold the skier’s feet in place while a strap secures the top of the thighs as they sit on the seat. With its aerodynamics, post and fins, it cuts through the wake, creating a smooth ride. “It feels like you’re flying,” Maynard said. “It is the closest thing to parasailing. Everyone at the park (on the Arkansas River) always hollers at him,” said Mike Tyler, of White Hall. According to Air Chair’s website, the hydrofoil, waThe Sentinel-Record/Colbie McCloud ter ski, which was introduced in the 1990s, costs $1,000 to AIR CHAIR: Bucky Maynard, 72, of Pine Bluff, displays his Air Chair at the Crystal Springs campground on Lake Ouachita. $6,500.
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