QUARTET OF NATIONS NEWSLETTER, REGION 31, SWEET ADELINES INTERNATIONAL
AUTUMN 2007
HARMONY RAG birmingham, baby and bournemouth Birmingham
and I was able to fully appreciate the quality of the singing back in the hotel bar as the night wore on, eventually at 3am hotel security decided that they had heard enough and moved us on. So that was the convention over - I returned home relieved that I had got through the weekend I had managed to squeeze my bump into my costume, squash my ever swelling feet into my chorus shoes, and survived our front row ‘red arrows’ cross over move without colliding on stage. So back to our rehearsal, the next event in Spinnaker’s calendar was Bournemouth Music Festival so we were practising hard when I felt the urge to visit the ladies - with the sound of ‘Can you feel the love tonight’ in the background let’s say I had a sensation - and no the resulted in a coach company agreeing to singing wasn’t that good! So I sat in the take us at short notice. The rest is history – after a particularly trying day we were overjoyed to receive the top marks in the mid-size chorus section and ended the evening on a tremendous high, clutching our gold medals. The saying goes that ‘out of every adversity there is a seed of equal or greater opportunity’ – how true this is. Because of the coach’s non-arrival we were featured in the local newspaper – twice! - and subsequently interviewed on ‘The Quay’ (they even played our ballad ladies contemplating what to do - fairly on air) – each gave us a marvellous sure that this was a false alarm as I opportunity to publicise Spinnaker Chorus was only 36 weeks pregnant I headed in particular and Sweet Adelines in back out to the risers having decided to general - lots more people now know make a discreet getaway in the break. who we are and what we are about, a The minutes ticked on and on and the tremendous positive from a perceived song wasn’t getting any shorter, the negative. prospect of my waters going in front of 50 encouraging women and Mike was Baby too much, so trying to be as casual as 30th May 2007 may have started possible I grabbed my bag and with a out as just a normal Wednesday night quick shout of ‘sorry I’ve got to go’, was rehearsal at Spinnaker, little did I know I out of the door. I was so glad I did, as would be pushing more than the ends of by the time I got home my jeans were the phrases by the end of the night! soaked to the knee! The contractions Being heavily pregnant meant the started and when they got too much we convention was a sober affair, however made our way to the hospital, one hour that didn’t stop me enjoying the party later and several bass like groans our You may remember the fiasco that took place on Convention day for Spinnaker when our coach failed to turn up to take us from Portsmouth to Birmingham - the day was saved by the local evening newspaper and ‘The Quay’, a local radio station. They broadcast an SOS which
second son was born weighing a healthy 7lb. We contemplated Roger, Norman and Marvyn but finally settled on naming him Ned Thomas Rees. I would like to thank all my friends at Spinnaker for their best wishes, cards and presents Jo Rees Well, we all try not too make too much fuss giving birth, but come on Jo, you’re making it hard for the rest of us - the next thing you know men will start talking about ‘shucking peas!
Bournemouth
As a chorus we’re very happily going from strength to strength. After our fabulous result at Convention we competed at the Bournemouth Music Festival and were awarded the Egbert Mudge Memorial Cup for ‘Songs from the Shows’ eclipsing a little known ladies barbershop chorus called Surrey Harmony. It has to be said however that Surrey took their revenge in the barbershop section by scooping a very well deserved second place to The Royal Harmonics, and Spinnaker were delighted
that Sweet Adelines had been done so well in both categories – ‘Sisters in Harmony!!’ Sandy Bury, Spinnaker Chorus
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