Harmony Rag 2005 Winter Edition

QUARTET OF NATIONS NEWSLETTER, REGION 31, SWEET ADELINES INTERNATIONAL

WINTER 2005

HARMONY RAG A New Look FOR Harmony Rag! We hope you will like the new full-colour Harmony Rag which is now being distributed electronically. As you may know, up until now we have printed copies of the Rag and posted them to each chorus for distribution. As you can imagine, that takes a lot of time, cost and effort. Nowadays the vast majority of our members have access to email and so we feel that it is the right time to move to an electronic system of distribution.

Howden has stepped down as editor of the Harmony Rag. I’m sure you will all agree that Lorraine has done a fabulous job as editor over the last 10 years!

Lorraine has worked tirelessly to collect and edit articles for the Rag, to make sure that we all keep up to date on what is happening in the region and what our friends in other choruses are up to. She has done all of this while at the same time directing Solent Sounds chorus and singing with As well as makMaking Waves ing Harmony Rag quartet! We were available more delighted to honour quickly, this new Lorraine’s contribuprocess will mean we tion to the region by can carry out the whole procmaking a presentation to her ess more cost effectively. The other at the Octoberfest. great advantage of this is that you get the Rag in full colour! In future, every Kath Anderson ~ We’d also like to say edition of the Harmony Rag will also a heartfelt thank you to Kath Anderson be available on the region’s website. from Lace City Singers. Kath had the So you can catch up with all the news unenviable task of putting the required at www.sweetadelines.org.uk even if number of copies into envelopes and you’re on holiday! shipping them off to each chorus. Kath is no doubt relieved to see that the Harmony Rag is being despatched electronically and that she won’t have to spend all day at the Post Office any Lorraine Howden ~ Those of you more. Thanks once again to Kath.

Thank you to...

who were at the Octoberfest will have heard the announcement that Lorraine

Welcome to...

Deborah Lamble ~ The new editor is Deborah Lamble from Surrey Harmony chorus - thanks to Deborah for taking on this role. You can contact Deborah at deborah@lamble.plus.com if you have articles you would like to include in the next edition. We will still be publishing Harmony Rag four times a year - the deadline for articles for the Spring edition is 26th February 2006.

I hope you will enjoy this first electronic edition of the Harmony Rag - please let us have your feedback and also articles for future editions.

Valerie Taylor Communications & Technology Coordinator

Welcome

As the new editor, I would like to thank Lorraine Howden for her hard work over the years and hope she can now enjoy a well earned rest!

Now that I am in the driving seat I am looking forward, albeit with some trepidation, to editing the magazine and now that it is being distributed electronically most people will be able to see the Rag in glorious colour and this means we have more creative opportunities. I would therefore like to see more photographs of choruses singing in unusual places and maybe even costumes!

We need your articles on exciting things that have happened to your chorus and please let us know dates of any shows as we all enjoy an evening out.

Deborah Lamble Editor

WINTER 2005

QUARTET OF NATIONS NEWSLETTER, REGION 31, SWEET ADELINES INTERNATIONAL

REGION 31 ROCKS! Saturday 1st October 2005 saw 86 Lace City Singers plus their faithful groupies and friends board various planes at Manchester airport to take us - via all kinds of routes - to Detroit, Michigan for the 60th anniversary International Convention. We should have been 87

Director’s first task on arriving in Detroit was to replace his stage costume which had been stolen along with his hand luggage whilst boarding the coach for Manchester. Chorus wags reckoned that a sure fire way to recognise the thief would be to find someone wearing

rehearsals, then it was our turn to perform to the highly partisan crowd. Our Region 31 fans (of whom there were many) plus our many friends in other choruses,

including a very vocal Coastline Show Chorus cheered so loudly that it was like appearing at a Regional Convention! We were completely bowled over by their response. We came offstage exhilarated and happy... then the results... 29th! We were so thrilled, and delighted for our Coastline friends who had made it to the finals. in number but our youngest member, a glittery black shirt and tie, humming Lucy, was in hospital recovering from the baritone part to Big Bad Bill! appendicitis....everyone say “Ahhh!”

Monday was a true R & R day, with A superhuman effort on the part of our some of the chorus sampling the joys organisation had enabled this long- of Canadian wine in an idyllically warm SW Ontario, and others exploring the delights of Detroit - the zoo, the malls and the Ford museum and village.

By Tuesday we were ready for work.

Our friends from Coastline Show Chorus (Rhode Island, Region 1) had generously arranged to let us have the use of their risers and rehearsal room at the Cobo Centre, and so it was an emotional first rehearsal when we met up with our e-pals for the first time and exchanged gifts. We watched each other rehearse, cheered each other awaited event to be hastily rearranged wildly and wished each other tons of from the stricken New Orleans - and luck for the Big Day. indeed our friends in New Orleans were never far from our thoughts during this Wednesday swept past in a whirl of emotional rollercoaster of a week in rehearsals and quartet watching. We Detroit. were thrilled and overjoyed to see our wonderful quartet champions Eu4ia By lunchtime on the Sunday most of gain a well-deserved 12th place in the the chorus had arrived, with tales of quartet contest. What an achievement! delayed flights, horrendous queues at It’s got to be top 10 next year, girls!

US immigration, unscheduled overnight stays in Washington DC, and lost or A reasonably early night on Wednesday delayed baggage. Our illustrious Chorus - and then the day dawned. More

Friday and Saturday finals days were of an unbelievable standard.

Congratulations to Spotlight, the new quartet champions, and also to Region 32 (Nordic Light) who had 3 Swedish quartets in the top 10! A remarkable achievement! Scottsdale (new chorus champions) blew everyone else away in their finals package with some exquisite singing and performing. And Coastline came 4th - fabulous! Our joint banquet with our Coastline friends proved to be quite a celebration as we sang together and caroused well into the night.

What a thrill - and what a week! Thanks to our wonderful supporters from all over the Region (and world) who cheered us on and encouraged us throughout the whole time we were there. We learnt so much... and we’d love to go back and do it all again... maybe one day...?

QUARTET OF NATIONS NEWSLETTER, REGION 31, SWEET ADELINES INTERNATIONAL

WINTER 2005

SEPTEMBER 4TH 2005 - A DAY TO REMEMBER! Our wedding was certainly a day to remember, as over 125 as the 3 choruses (Lace City, Lincoln Sounds and Major barbershop singers joined with friends and family to make Oak). The inclusion of an unexpected song (Chapel of Love) this occasion so memorable. was a complete surprise to us, as was the presentation of a certificate commemorating the Region’s contributions to The late summer sun shone and the beautiful setting of Newark an Oxfam project. This project which was masterminded by Town Hall also contributed to the wonderful atmosphere.

Lincoln Sounds’ Debbie Watson together with the two Jans, Presidents of LCS and LS, was set up to fund a safe and We had the privilege of choosing the music for the service loving environment for young street girls in Mombasa, Kenya and our first musical item was the Flower Duet from Lakmé. and the current total of contributions received amounts to It had been a long held dream of ours to hear this duet sung well over £2000! We’d like to thank you all for your generosity by two of the Lace City Singers’ most accomplished mem- and good wishes and particular thanks are due to our own bers, Rosie Nelson (lead of “Sound Bites”) and Melanie Cook chorus members who helped us in so many wonderful ways (lead of “Pure Innocence”). Accompanying them on piano by organising gorgeous flower arrangements, making and was Steve Cox from Glenn’s other chorus, The Major Oak decorating the delicious wedding cake, giving Aly her “big Chorus. It was so breathtaking in its beauty that the registrar hair” look, making Aly’s beautiful tiara and simply by being was temporarily thrown off course! there to share the day with us.

The second musical item was a combined Lace City Singers and Lincoln Sounds Chorus (over 100 singers) performing “If You Love Me, Really Love Me”. What a thrill for us and for our guests!

So all too soon it was time to say goodbye, cast the wedding bouquet into the crowd (have you named the date yet, Michelle?) and head off to the Lake District for a whirlwind few days before returning to a Lace City Singers’ rehearsal four days later (what else!).

The reception followed with more music, this time including items from Sound Bites and 4 Blokes Singin’ as well Alyson and Glenn

WINTER 2005

QUARTET OF NATIONS NEWSLETTER, REGION 31, SWEET ADELINES INTERNATIONAL

LINCOLNSHIRE’s DIVAS SING IN HARMONY

We decided not to focus specifically on recruiting new members, but on encouraging even those who ‘couldn’t’ sing to join other closeted lady singers, novice and experienced alike, in sampling first-hand, 4-part harmony singing and maybe giving them the confidence to take up singing as a hobby. It was hoped that a ‘no strings’ approach would have a wider appeal.

How many times have you heard ladies say ‘I so enjoyed ‘Do you sing in the bath, do you sing at the sink, do you sing your singing. I would love to be able to do that, but I don’t by yourself?’ - This was the question we asked in the flyers think I can’? and advertising material we sent to all the local media, librar-

Well, Lincoln Sounds decided to take the bull by the horns ies, parish magazines, staff magazines and friendly retailand offer the ladies of Lincolnshire the opportunity to fulfil ers, and the comments on the initial response forms was a their secret desire - well, one of them anyway - by giving resounding ‘Yes’. them the chance to try a cappella singing for themselves.

Being a very rural area, we were concerned that the uptake Following the example of our ‘brother’ chorus Harmony Lincs, would be somewhat limited but we obviously tapped into who ran a very successful recruiting course, we decided to a local need because after a fairly slow start, there was a run a free 10-week ‘Sing in Harmony’ course aimed at all veritable flood of e-mails and calls from interested ladies those secret would-be singers in Lincolnshire, introducing county-wide who usually started the conversation with ‘I them to the joys of ‘ringing the chord’. don’t think I can sing, but . . .’ and over 50 ladies returned their ‘Expression of Interest’ forms.

Having obtained a grant from Lincoln Community Development Project Community Chest to run the workshop, the organis- The course was held at the beginning of our regular rehearsal ing team comprising Alyson Chaney (nee Allan) our MD from sessions at the Joseph Ruston Technology College and Nottingham who also acted as the main facilitator, Debbie included the members of Lincoln Sounds, giving them the Watson, Elaine Megit, Brenda Wilkinson and Jan Moore got opportunity learn or revise their own techniques as well as together (in a local pub, as it happened - very sociable) and offering support to the less confident participants. agreed the format, using a combination of ‘Divas Wanted’ and the Harmony Lincs set-up.

Each of the ten 11/2-hour sessions concentrated on one specific aspect of barbershop singing, together with tags, vocal

QUARTET OF NATIONS NEWSLETTER, REGION 31, SWEET ADELINES INTERNATIONAL

WINTER 2005

exercises and song learning (and lots of laughter of course).

On arrival the course members were given an information pack which included teach-tapes and sheet music for the three songs they would learn and then sing to their invited guests at the ‘Sing in Harmony Concert’ at the end of the course.

By the end of the workshop, everyone was looking forward to the concert in front of their family and friends - a touch of nervousness for some but general excitement about the prospect of singing in a 60-strong chorus. As one member was heard to say: ‘My knees are knocking’ (a touch of that ‘Convention feeling’ here). And what a buzz they got when they were presented with their certificates and then again There was a universal ‘Wow!’ when they rang their first when they heard the applause and cheering from the audichord and although some members dropped out as the ence for their performance. course progressed, the level of enthusiasm and confidence of those who remained grew, thanks to the excellent facilitat- So was the course a success? We think so. Not only have ing by Alyson and our two guest facilitators, Glenn Chaney we encouraged confirmed ‘non-singers’ to have the confifrom Lace City and Tony Chapman from Harmony Lincs. dence to sing in places other than those associated with housework, but it has persuaded a number of them to conOur decision not to run the course as a recruitment cam- tinue singing in a chorus or choir - something which previpaign paid off as, by the halfway point, we were being asked ously they would never have considered doing. by a number of participants who initially thought they would never have the confidence to join a chorus, how they could As one course member wrote on her Course Evaluation continue singing.

Form: ‘This course has given me confidence because for 10 weeks nobody has told me not to sing!’ – I think that says it all.

“Spinning” with Success!

We are very confident we will have increased our numbers following the course. The newcomers are excitedly preparing for auditions and looking forward to learning our repertoire so that they can join us at the sing-outs we have booked in.

At the end of October, eight of our chorus had the privilege of Following our first successful convention in Plymouth this singing to a warm and generous audience at the Octoberfest year, Prospective Spinnaker from Horndean in Hampshire workshop. A fabulous weekend of education was organised held a singing course throughout October. We were over- by the RMT, and our girls loved it. joyed to welcome 27 guests (“prospective new members”) to the first night of the course, taught by our director Mike Taylor; a very experienced barbershop singer, educator, director and arranger!

For 7 weeks, our new friends learnt all there is to know about barbershop style singing. Well nearly everything there is to know! We covered posture, breathing, freedom, support, resonance, and lots, lots more.

On 2nd November along with all our new ladies we held a Friends & Family night. Wow - what a turn out! Our hall was packed to the rafters (with standing room only left) for a night filled with fun and laughter. The entertainment factor was very high. Not only did we sing some of our repertoire, but joining us for the evening were Merlin, a four-piece group starring our own June Samson; specially reunited for the occasion, former BABS silver medallist quartet High Fidelity; It all goes to show that with hard work and determination, plus our local friends from LABBS - the Pitchpipers. barbershop remains very much alive in Horndean and we look forward to continued success in the years to come.

When Spinnaker and guests performed their debut of “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” (made famous by Marilyn In Harmony Monroe) we discovered that we had quite a few Marilyn’s amongst us. Those diamonds - they just dripped off us! Our Debby Rogers new ladies loved the show, and it gave them a thorough PR Spinnaker Chorus insight into performing and entertaining in great style.

WINTER 2005

QUARTET OF NATIONS NEWSLETTER, REGION 31, SWEET ADELINES INTERNATIONAL

OCTOBERFEST 2005

event represented good value for money and the catering was generally well received.

We will certainly take note of the suggestions made about a bigger venue (honestly, we didn’t think we would have so many attendees!) and future faculty. Some of you wanted Our Regional workshop weekend “Octoberfest” was held more of Britt-Heléne but we used her as much as we could this year in Birmingham at the Martineau Centre in the leafy and it would have been wrong to timetable her for every suburbs of Harborne. Almost 200 memclass! We will also enable our next Pick bers came to marvel and learn from the and Mix event to be more inclusive for the amazing Britt-Heléne Bonnedahl, Master general chorus member, which will mean Director of the Rönninge Show Chorus, more choices for each slot.

Stockholm and Certified International Faculty. As well as Britt-Heléne, we introThanks also to all of you who took the duced for the first time some classes trouble to congratulate the Regional taken by our own Regional Faculty and Management Team for arranging the these were a great hit with you all. On workshop. It represented a new venture top of all that education, there was also for our Region but you all seemed to a chance for attendees to perform in a enjoy it!

Workshop Chorus under the direction of 3 of the Region’s top directors, Jenny Thanks again to Britt-Heléne and also to Lawson, Suzi Marshall-Hasdell and our own workshop Faculty : Anne Cargill, Glenn Chaney.

Alyson Allan (Chaney), Glenn Chaney, Elaine Hamilton, Dorothy Main, Mike A change in format meant that we were Taylor, Michelle Walker and Helen Willis. able to include a barbershop-style pub And finally, another big thank you to our quiz on the Saturday night (with the winworkshop chorus directors Jenny, Glenn ning team, comprising mainly of Vocal and Suzi.

Zone members, walking off with the first prize of....Vocal Zone’s first CD!!). Sunday morning was Show Time - with all 3 workshop choruses performing, together with performances from 2 of our top quartets and special appearances by our 2 prospective choruses “Spinnaker” and “Hillfoot Harmony”, plus a cameo performance from Surrey Harmony.

Our Regional workshop Ably emceeing the show was Anne Cargill together with tal2006 will certainly go off ented members of her MC class who did a brilliant job! with a bang as we welcome the sparkling duo from the Thanks to everyone who took the trouble to fill in evaluation Melodeers’ Chorus JIM forms. We value your comments enormously and really do ARNS and RENEE PORZEL try to take these on board when we plan our future education to be our Guest Faculty for events. the weekend. Mark the dates in your diary - this will be a You loved Britt-Heléne and were inspired by her presentacompete sell-out! Watch out tion on “The Art of Possibility”. We are hoping to buy this for registration details in the video and book as a regional resource so that choruses may New Year. borrow it in the future. Her vocal production classes were simply fantastic and you loved her classes on resonance and breathing. The talents of our Regional Faculty pleasantly surprised you and you were all very complimentary about having home-grown members delivering classes - which Does anybody know of a they did so effectively. The Pick and Mix format was a hit, suitable venue that wil take although some of you commented that there wasn’t much 400 people, preferably someof a choice if you weren’t a director or quartet member. You where central and with good liked performing in a chorus and for many of you it was the travel links? If so would you big chorus experience (each chorus had over 60 members) please let Deborah Wheeldon which you appreciated so much. Our directors Jenny, Suzi know. deborah.wheeldon@ and Glenn were paid many compliments for their patient and tiscali.co.uk inspiring directing. The new format was well liked although some of you thought the quiz went on too long and would have preferred more time to sing together. You thought the

A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY 3-5 NOVEMBER 2006

QUARTET OF NATIONS NEWSLETTER, REGION 31, SWEET ADELINES INTERNATIONAL

WINTER 2005

OCTOBERFEST WEEKEND OCT, 2005 Riversiders, Thank you so much for providing the funds for Jacky and myself to go to OCTOBERFEST in Birmingham last weekend. We were accompanied by our fellow ‘quarteters’, Sheila and Lynne and as you might guess, a fantastic time was had by all. Classes over the weekend were taken by the Regional Faculty and a special guest all the way from Sweden, Britt-Heléne Bonnedahl (Rönninge Showcase Chorus).

The Art Of Possibility Those of you who attended the Octoberfest workshop will have watched the remarkable video “The Art of Possibility”.

This moving and inspiring video was lent to us for the workshop by Britt-Heléne Bonnedahl. The RMT had so many comments and requests for the video that we have decided to use the profit made from the workshop to buy the video for the region. “The Art of Possibility” will be added to the region’s library of resources, along with Lori Lyford’s video on breathing techniques.

If you would like to use these resources for your chorus or quartet, please contact Alyson Chaney, the Education Coordinator at: alysonchaney@yahoo.co.uk

Need a holiday?

France, Dordogne

If you would like to rent a 4 bedroom house (sleeping 8) with pool, in a delightful setting in the Lot area, not too far from the Dordogne River, please look at my site www.gitevisit.com where you can see photos and further details, especially availability. The house is in the countryside with fine views. Canoeing, fishing, pot-holing, walking, cycling, lazing by the pool and gastronomic eating are local pursuits; the lovely local medieval towns of Autoire and Rocamadour merit visits and there are other interesting places to see. £390-£690 a week depending on season.

Tel.: 01323 736575; Email: rgmb55@yahoo.com

Obviously we will be using our experiences to help the chorus progress over the coming months and you will be hearing a lot more detail soon. Educational highlights included a wide variety of new warm-ups, both physical and vocal, a particularly inspiring class called THE ART OF POSSIBILITY (check out Rule #6!), very helpful classes on improving your BREATHING and RESONANCE and a class taken by Elaine Hamilton (Choreographer at Forth Valley and Director’s Co-ordinator) called SET YOURSELF FREE! We made many acquaintances, both old and new, and really feel as if we were welcomed as experienced Sweet Adeliners and valuable members of Region 31. We were able to re-connect with Glenn and Alyson Chaney again as our coach/mentors and are looking forward, as we’re sure you are, to having him back in November. We also made enquiries, on behalf of the chorus, into engaging Elaine Hamilton as a coach with a possible visit in February (watch this space!)

Apart from the education being brilliant we all enjoyed the experience of singing in the workshop choruses numbering about 65 voices, directed by Jenny Lawson (Surrey Harmony), Glenn Chaney (Lace City) and Suzi MarshallHasdell (B Natural) bringing back new tips and ideas as well as three new pieces of music with ready-made teach-tapes.

You’ll also be pleased to know we gained a very respectable score in the BARBERSHOP QUIZ on Saturday night and were thrilled to discover that Riverside even appeared in one of the questions! (So did Cottontown Chorus, but we got that one wrong much to Sheila’s embarrassment! Sorry Mary - we’d had a lot to drink by then!) The evening continued well when Jacky won a bottle of Pink Champagne in the raffle and we were the last to leave, continuing the afterglow Riverside style - until we were kicked out!

In conclusion we think you’ll find the money for the course (£45 each) was extremely good value and you as a chorus, we hope, will reap the rewards.

Many thanks, Sue (Director)& Jacky (Ass’t Director), Riverside Harmony

WINTER 2005

QUARTET OF NATIONS NEWSLETTER, REGION 31, SWEET ADELINES INTERNATIONAL

Aberdeen, 1980 ~ 2005 Aberdeen Chorus celebrated its 25th birthday party with present and past members together with many friends from other choruses. The company enjoyed many reminisces of the past years as well as some very entertaining party pieces. The Chorus would like to thank the many friends who have supported us over the years and who helped to make the party such a success.

Anne Cargill, Publicity Officer, Aberdeen Chorus.

Calling All Quartets!

For all you quartetters (and prospective quartetters) out there, Emma Riley from Surrey Harmony is the Quartet Liaison.

She is your point of contact, if you have any questions about competing or anything else quartet related.

You can contact Emma via e-mail at: emma.riley@lexisnexis.co.uk

Spotlight on Eileen Milne

hours later I was hooked - 11 year later I am the Sweet Adeline bore. In fact being in the Adelines has given me the opportunity play some fascinating roles I have been a member of The Aberdeen within the Aberdeen Chorus namely: Chorus for the past 11 years. Initially I was introduced to barbershop by two friends (Debs and Frances) during a social event. The conversation was totally dominated by their enthusiasm for all things Sweet Adeline. At the end of a LONG evening MY enthusiasm for their conversation had waned and I had become bored. On seeing this they badgered me to come along to a Monday rehearsal, which I did and three

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Please make us an offer.

Please contact 01733 266027

International and attended another two as a spectator, one of which was the 50th Anniversary in New Orleans.

Joining the Regional Management Team in May has been a great way to become more involved within the structure of the organisation. Having just completed my first event ( The Octoberfest in Birmingham) it was such a pleasure to work alongside such a talented team of ladies.

In my other life I am married, have two daughters and one wonderful granddaughter. Two years ago I retired having owned the Belhaven Private Hotel for 11 years. During that time I was honoured to play host to many of our international faculty - Kathy Carmody, Sharron Babb, Betty Clipman, City Lights and of course your dear friend and mine Britt-Helene from Swedeen. When City Lights were The ‘Mirror’ in Snow White and the 7 staying I was unlucky enough to be on !!!!! holiday however a lovely quartet from Edinburgh was also staying in the hotel A ‘Toad’ in Almost the Wizard of Oz (fol- and they all had a wonderful time trying low the yellow beaked toad). on the CROWNS. Of course not forgetting the RMT members during their And this year as Mrs. McGinty in meetings in Aberdeen.

Brig’O’Don. I look forward to serving as your Finance I have worked on most of the admin- Co-Ordinator and should you feel I can istration posts on the board and I am help in any way please do not hesitate currently a member of the music team. to contact me.

During my years in the Chorus have been lucky enough to attend all the con- Ps My photos come in a range of colventions in the UK, competed 3 times at ours – I was blonde now I’m red.

QUARTET OF NATIONS NEWSLETTER, REGION 31, SWEET ADELINES INTERNATIONAL

WINTER 2005

We want your views In recent years we have been fortunate in securing a number of funded venues for our regional competition. Derby, Southport and more recently Plymouth have all been provided to us free of charge through the local councils’ budgets.

This has also had the added advantage of generating income to fund larger more impressive venues, such as Glasgow in 2003 and 2004, and Birmingham in 2007 and 2008.

However, as our region has grown, finding suitable free venues is proving increasingly difficult. Not only have we physically outgrown most of the available sites, but also our expectations for what we require from a venue are becoming more sophisticated.

Another consideration would be to adopt the Swedish method of funding their regional competitions, which is to include the cost of registration in the regional dues payable by each chorus member. On one hand, this helps to spread the cost but on the other it means paying out whether or not you attend.

Good idea or not?

Having a free venue also has its flaws. It would mean that we wouldn’t have to increase the registration cost so significantly, but an extra £10 is negligible when you offset the extra cost of travel to less accessible venues.

We discussed this subject at our recent Regional Management Team meeting and felt it appropriate to get the views of our So we have a dilemma: Do we continue to seek out free sites members before making this strategic decision. So over to on our traditional 2 year cycle or do we find alternative ways you... of funding the bigger more accessible venues?

Email: deborah.wheeldon@tiscali.co.uk with your views by If we were to go the route of paying for a venue every year, 31 December 2005 and we’ll report back in the next issue of Convention Registration would have to increase by approxi- Harmony Rag. mately £10 each, i.e. to £45 per head, by 2008. That would still represent good value (the equivalent cost of LABBS con- Regional Management Team vention registration is currently over £60) especially as the registration fee has remained static for a number of years.

Our Website

* Octoberfest workshop - handouts from each faculty member, including BrittSome of you may have visited the new Helene’s vocal production techniques, look website for our region. We are try- are available for download. ing to get lots of new material on there to make it as up-to-date as possible. * “How to” Guides - if you ever wanted Did you know you can find the following to know how to get all that great material that you recorded on your mini disc information on the website? player onto a CD, this article tells you

how! Future guides will look at how to set up a chorus or quartet website, and tips about copyright and how it applies to performances.

So if you haven’t looked at the region’s website for a while, now’s the time! You can find it at www.sweetadelines.org.uk

CALLING ALL ASSISTANT/ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS

We want to hear from you, so that we can provide you with opportunities for education, specifically geared towards your needs. We also want to provide a forum for you to share your ideas, suggestions, hints and tips and have the opportunity to network with each other.

To start the ball rolling, please initially contact Elaine Hamilton, Directors Co-ordinator, by email at elainemrssh@ aol.com. If you do not have email, please ask a friend to send a message on your behalf.

We look forward to hearing from you!

WINTER 2005

QUARTET OF NATIONS NEWSLETTER, REGION 31, SWEET ADELINES INTERNATIONAL

Finance Report from Eileen Milne, RMT Finance Coordinator The bank balances are in a healthy state with all Convention expenses having been paid, except the £1000 award to Surrey Harmony. This will be paid when I receive the registration for their forthcoming trip to the USA.

excellent. I’m sure if we run the same type of weekend again we can expect an even bigger response.

Please see the attached statement of accounts to October 2005.

A small profit was made from the Eileen Milne, Finance Coordinator Octoberfest workshop in Birmingham and it was encouraging to see so many people there, and the feedback was

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS INCOME

£

EXPENDITURE

£

January

29.13

January

400.00

February

724.96

February

2763.93

March

59.96

March

127.99

April

33624.05

April

7013.74

May

6759.98

May

5218.70

June

3391.71

June

3384.59

July

694.15

July

4740.90

August

5121.79

August

4838.55

September

3611.77

September

2815.45

October

1246.38

October

2942.60

Total

55263.55

Total

34246.45

REPRESENTED BY:

10

Balance January

30749.70

Balance at current account

26503.99

Less 2 cheques 2004

30590.25

Less unpresented cheques

1880.79

Plus Income

55263.55

Treasurer Account

24623.20

Total

85853.80

14 Day Business

19086.90

Less Expenses

34246.45

Money Manager

7897.25

Balance at October

51607.35

Balance at October

51607.35

QUARTET OF NATIONS NEWSLETTER, REGION 31, SWEET ADELINES INTERNATIONAL

WINTER 2005

Report from the Regional Management Team The RMT met in Edinburgh on 11-13 (Must be something to do with our November. Here are some of the key education!) points that were discussed: • There are 3 International Faculty Associates who are progressing towards full accreditation. They are Alyson Chaney, Michelle Walker and Anne Cargill. Further training for regional faculty is planned.

• Visits to all choruses by RMT members or regional faculty are planned for 2005/6.

• There are 5 members currently enrolled on the Director’s Certification Programme.

• Three new choruses have expressed an interest in joining Sweet Adelines.

Our region is one of few in the organisation that is still growing in numbers.

will also be a novice quartet award, a most-improved quartet award and a YWIH quartet award.

• Starting in 2006, the winning chorus at regional competition will receive £2000 towards the cost of competing at international convention. Seeded regional quartets (i.e. those who have placed 2nd to 15th at international) will have their international registration fees paid. The winning (unseeded) quartet at regional competition will receive £1000 towards the cost of competing at international convention and the second place quartet will have the following year’s regional contest registration fee paid.

• Plans are well underway for convention in Plymouth 2006 and also for Birmingham in 2007. A block booking of 400 hotel rooms has been made

by Jackie Mumford for 2006 at Jury’s • International are proposing changes to hotel which is next door to the venue in the structure of Regional Management Birmingham.

Teams, taking it from 8 to 6 members.

The RMT will provide feedback to • Small and mid-sized chorus numbers International on the proposals. have been changed by International.

Small choruses must have 30 or fewer • The RMT revised the region’s 5 year members and mid-sized choruses are plan as many of the goals have been between 31 and 60 members. met (master director, chorus in the top 15 at International, regional and interna• Starting in 2006, medals will be tional faculty...). This will be published awarded to the second and third placed when the plan is finalised. small and mid-sized choruses. There

Keep in touch...

ruses did not receive details of the Octoberfest workshop until they appeared in the Harmony Rag, because their conPart of the job of the Communications & Technology tact details were out of date.

Coordinator is to keep contact details for each chorus and quartet. These details are used by the RMT to get in touch If any of the members of your Board or Management Team with you. It is really important that we have current contact changes - maybe your Treasurer steps down part way through details so that we can make sure that important information the year and you appoint somebody else to that role - please and messages are delivered to you. For example, some cho- can you let me know. Just drop me an email with the name, address, telephone number and email address of the new person. I need details for the following positions: • • • • • • •

Director President/Team Coordinator Vice President Secretary Treasurer/Financial Manager Membership Public Relations

Thank you!

Valerie Taylor Communications & Technology Coordinator valerie.taylor@privacysolutions.co.uk 11

WINTER 2005

QUARTET OF NATIONS NEWSLETTER, REGION 31, SWEET ADELINES INTERNATIONAL

Regional Convention Dates:

Regional Faculty 2005 – 2006

12-14th May 2006 Plymouth Pavilions

Regional Faculty listed below are available for chorus or Quartet coaching. Please feel free to contact them to see what they can do for you.

Alternatively if you are unsure who to contact, your Education Co-ordinator, Alyson Chaney can advise you on who would be best for you.

Dorothy Main Aberdeen Chorus mwmainjoiners@tinyworld.co.uk Elaine Hamilton Forth Valley Chorus elainemrssh@aol.com Michelle Walker Lace City Singers Chorus shelbywalks@yahoo.co.uk Alyson Chaney Lace City Singers and Lincoln Sounds Chorus alysonachayne@yahoo.co.uk Glenn Chaney Lace City Singers glenn@lacecity.org Anne Cargill Aberdeen Chorus acargill@lochside.fsbusiness.co.uk Gwen Topp Aberdeen Chorus gmtopp@tiscali.co.uk

DEADLINE for the next issue

FEBRUARY 26th

May 2007 Birmingham’s Symphony Hall May 2008 Birmingham’s Symphony Hall

Regional Management Team 2005 – 2006 Alyson Chaney Education Co-Ordinator Lincoln Sounds Tel: 01636 814377 alysonchaney@yahoo.co.uk Sheila Doherty Team Co-ordinator Surrey Harmony Tel: 020 8395 2765 shortscot@aol.com

Other Diary Dates: 10th -14th October 2006 International Convention Las Vegas Surrey Harmony in concert SING INTO SPRING Wednesday 1st March Chequers Mead Theatre, East Grinstead Surrey

Got a show?

Let us know the details and we will print it here. Swell those audiences for free!

Elaine Hamilton Directors’ Co-ordinator Forth Valley Chorus Tel: 0131 334 2372 elainmrssh@aol.com Moyra Strachan Chapter Co-ordinator Forth Valley Chorus Tel: 01592 771645 alexander.s@blueyonder.co.uk Eileen Milne Finance Co-ordinator Aberdeen Chorus Tel: 01224 742453 ge@cromar26.demon.co.uk Valerie Taylor Communications/Technology Co-ordinator Surrey Harmony Tel: 020 8660 8037 valerie.taylor@privacysolutions.co.uk Deborah Wheeldon Events Co-ordinator Lace City Singers Tel: 0115 963 0114 deborah.wheeldon@tiscali.co.uk Jeanette Yuile Marketing/Membership Co-ordinator Aberdeen Chorus Tel: 01330 820034 jyuile@muir-matheson.com

Editor - Deborah Lamble 72 Sopers Lane, Christchurch, Dorset BH23 1JF Tel:01202 487287 Email:deborah@lamble.plus.com Advertising Rates ~ 25 pence per single column centimetre 12