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!
The East York Barbershoppers are looking forward to singing at the SING Festival in the Distillery District on May 31. Watch for us on the outdoor stage (main square), where we will be running a workshop and performing at various times between 2:00 and 5:00. Activities on the outdoor stage are free, but see the SING Festival website for more details on performances and workshops.
We have had no shortage of great practices lately, but tonight was particularly fun. Not only did we feel good about the progress we made getting ready for our big shows on May 31, but we had 4 enthusiastic guests show up (1 returning and 3 new). Great momentum!
The East York Barbershoppers would like to thank all of the donors and guests that helped make our Charity Auction on May 2 so successful. We have tentatively booked May 1, 2015 for next year’s event, so save that date in your calendars!
If you missed the Ontario District Spring Convention this past weekend in Toronto, then you missed a great weekend of barbershop singing. Four quartets won the right to go to the International Competition in Las Vegas this summer, two in the Collegiate Contest (Shoptimus Prime and Yonge Guns) and two in the main Contest (Test Drive and Supertonic). They join the Harbourtown Sound chorus from Hamilton, who won the right last Fall to compete in Vegas.
Each year at the Spring Convention the Ontario District of the Barbershop Harmony Society inducts a few new members into the prestigous ranks of Barbershoppers of Renown, to recognize "outstanding contributions at both the Chapter and District levels". This year East York was thrilled to see Chapter President Greg Shields be one of three Ontario Barbershoppers to receive this honour.
Last night's Ontario District Quartet Competition saw East York's Replacement Parts win the Woodstock Chapter Novice Quartet Trophy, which is awarded to the highest scoring novice quartet. To qualify the quartet has to have at least two members that have not previously competed with a registered quartet, and this year rookies Geoff Shields (Lead) and Brendan Espin (Bass) rose to the challenge with experienced quarteters Pat Hannon (Bari) and Steve Fast (Tenor).