The East York Barbershoppers would like to wish everyone a fun, safe Halloween. Unfortunately the only thing in our repertoire even close to a Halloween song is "haunting ballad" or two, but if you are in the mood for Halloween themed barbershop then check out this classic from 1995 International Quartet Champs Marquis, The Cockroach That Ate Cincinnati:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SffMiQXmzjw
Heading into this weekend's Ontario District Chorus Contest in Belleville, East York was looking forward to establishing another new level of performance. All our hard work (and fantastic coaching from the likes of Jordan Travis and Mike Slamka) was rewarded by a great reaction from the audience, and in the marks posted by the judges. Our score of 841 points marked the 4th consecutive year of improved contest results, broke the 70% barrier (at 70.1%), and resulted in a 4th place finish and two trophies (Plateau 3 Award and the Chorus Encouragement Award).
Barbershoppers around the globe know Mike Slamka as one of the finest lead singers in the society, having earned two International Quartet Gold Medals (with Power Play in 2003 and Crossroads in 2009). Now East Yorkers are also fortunate to know him as a world class coach, thanks to our full day session with him at Harmony Hall on Saturday. And what a great day it was!
The East York Barbershoppers held a Guest Night tonight, and we were thrilled with the results! 10 guests showed up to learn more about this great hobby and our chapter, and they were an enthusiastic group. Our VP Chapter Development (Barry Tripp) had everything running like clockwork, and our Music Director (Pat Hannon) and Vocal Coach (Ron Whiteside) ran the chorus and guests through a great program of vocal coaching and barbershop craft. We appreciate all our guests taking the time out of their busy schedules to spend the evening with us, and we hope to see them all back out next Tuesday!
The East York Barbershoppers spent most of the day today in a Coaching Session with Jordan Travis, and we couldn't be more pleased with the results! Jordan is a great guy and fantastic coach, and he had the chorus performing at a whole new level. Thanks Jordan!
The Barbershop Harmony Society International Convention has just wrapped up in Las Vegas, and by all accounts it was another great one! Ontario was very well represented by four quartets and the Hamilton Harbourtown Sound chorus, and they all did us proud. Toronto Northern Lights sung off their championship with their hallmark humour and great singing. Congrats to everyone who competed and performed in Las Vegas.
How can a barbershop chorus double the number of men it can put on the risers for a show or competition over the next few years? That's a great question, and one that the East York Barbershoppers are working hard to answer. We know one thing for sure - we need to attract new prospective members out to our practices, and make sure they enjoy the experience so much that they keep coming back! That is certainly a focus of every Tuesday night practice, but periodically we ramp up the effort and schedule a night specifically geared towards new guests. And that is just what we are doing with our upcoming Guest Night on Tuesday, July 15. So if you are a guy who loves to sing, or know somebody that fits that bill, be sure to click on the Guest Night Event link below for more details.
May 31 was certainly a busy day for EYBS, but it was also a ton of fun! We kicked things off by spending the afternoon outdoors at the SING! Vocal Arts Festival in the Distillery District, letting passers-by get the full "barbershop rehearsal experience". After a quick dinner break it was on to the Metropolitan United Church to perform on The Quantum Show, to a great reception from the enthusiastic audience.
The East York Barbershoppers are pleased to be performing as part of a great line-up on The Quantum Show at the Metropolitan United Church (downtown Toronto) on the evening of May 31. Come and see us and three fantastic quartets - tickets just $25!