Spring 2006
Reprint from “Way Out West” Region 21 Newsletter
The Harborlites Chorus was officially dark over the holidays, but that seemed to mean more opportunities for chorus small group performances. Our "learning" quartet -- Dawn Anne Gladden, Pam Pieson, Carol Krenek and Merideth Emley, sang the National Anthem to open a Mighty Ducks hockey game at the Anaheim Pond. Groups of 10 Harborlites, plus an "ambassador" to serve as a liason to the public, sang Christmas carols up and down the luxe sidewalks of Rodeo Drive for five nights. Another small group of 10 performed and answered questions about barbershop music for the Philharmonic Society.
But our first big event of the year was one that involved our entire chorus as well as fellow barbershoppers and our local communities: the first annual Harborlites "Diva Day." This Young Women in Harmony festival involved approximately 200 high school singers from across Southern California, and even a few who came in from Las Vegas. The girls and their teachers participated in a day-long program to learn about barbershop performance from vocal production to choreography. The "Diva Day" culminated in an evening performance featuring the students singing as a barbershop chorus, special guest quartets, and a performance by the Harborlites Chorus. The grand finale: all the singers united on stage to sing "My Guy."
With Charla Esser serving as the lead faculty, the Young Women in Harmony event was a great success -- so successful, in fact, that the Southern California Vocal Association has just sanctioned our festival! We hope this will mean even greater participation from the young singers as we begin to plan our February 2007 Diva Day!
The Harborlites Chorus was thrilled to join the Masters of Harmony Chorus, the current Barbershop Harmony Society International Champion, on their 2006 Spring show, "Medal Madness." The Harborlites performed a set of audience favorites as well as joining the Masters of Harmony on-stage for several numbers and a grand finale, filling the risers with men and women joined together in song.
Speaking of concerts, save the date for the annual Harborlites Show, to be held to be held on September 30, 2006 at the beautiful, newly remodeled La Mirada Theater in La Mirada. With the addition of medalist quartets and other outstanding entertainers, it's an evening the whole family can enjoy. For show updates or information on any Harborlites event, be sure to visit our website at www.harborliteschorus.org.
In recent months, of course, our main focus has been contest. We've been working on our set and had a fabulous retreat with the combined talents of Erin Howden and Joni Bescos to prepare us for the Phoenix contest stage.
And we are very happy to announce that members of Harborlites have already participated in Sweet Adeline Regional contest and have done very well. Patty Cobb Baker and her quartet, Shimmer!, competed and won first place in the Region 11 contest in March and will be heading to International in Las Vegas. We would also like to congratulate 4th place medalist quartet Sky High as well as a.k.a. and Stay Tooned, all of whom did a stellar job in the Region 11 contest.
We would also like to congratulate Xtreme and the San Diego Chorus for their combination of class and excellence as our outgoing regional champions.
Harborlites would like to take this opportunity to wish all the contestants a peak performance on stage in Phoenix. And we'd like to send special good luck wishes to "our" quartets competing in the Region 21 contest: Q.com, Premier, Vocalteez, Orange Crush, Three and 3/4, Commotion, and SparX.
May your voices soar!
-- Kathy Wright for Harborlites Chorus
