Summer 2004
Reprint from “Way Out West” Region 21 Newsletter
What did you do for Summer vacation? If you were like the Harborlites Chorus, you spent a lot of time singing!
Before the summer months began, however, we had a great time hostessing the hot Phoenix regional contest. We were glad to be there to help each performer bring her personal best to the stage — and then perform our own "swan song" for our Region 21 friends. It was a wonderful end to our year as Region 21 champions.
Back in Anaheim on Monday nights we've been learning music, taping and qualifying as part of our "road to Indy." Our "Fitness Gold" program is progressing and the chorus is working on becoming more fit with better stamina — and, as a side benefit, we've lost over 500 pounds collectively! In addition to our ongoing vocal instruction, we're also adding a one-day program dedicated to improving our visual package including classes and one-on-one visual coaching.
Speaking of coaching, we've had all-day rehearsals with Joni Bescos, Erin Howden, and Dale Syverson. All three are putting us through the paces to help us improve our performance and have been invaluable to the chorus.
We will be bringing a new costume to Indianapolis...but we've only seen elements of it so far. This is what we know: it's black, it's sexy, and the costume committee promises "we're going to look hot!" And it's being sewn by San Diego's Sandi Aramian with finishing touches by Gerry Papageorge, so we know we'll all look our best.
After all this rehearsal and preparation, it was a treat to give a "preview" performance to the region at the Summer "Go for the Gold" seminar. We'd like to thank everyone for their enthusiastic response and the opportunity for some "rug time."
We would also like to thank Region 21 for their generous love gifts, participating in the "Go for the Gold" raffle, and buying our cookbook to help us on the way to Indianapolis in a more tangible form. We'd also like to a give a special thanks to the anonymous donor who gave us an autographed copy of Caroline Kennedy's book to use as a future fund-raiser.
So what's coming up as the Summer heads toward Fall? More performances. We'll be joining the Fullerton Men's Chorus and the Westminster Men's Chorus at Pearson Park in Anaheim on August 21. One week later, we're participating in the "Music for an Angel" charity concert to benefit the family of Jessica Motzkus, tragically killed at the age of two. Her parents have been barbershoppers for many years and we are joining with the barbershop community to help them meet medical expenses. Then, on October 16, we will be holding our annual show at the La Mirada Theater. We hope you'll join us at one (or all!) of our performances.
If you'd like to buy tickets to our shows — or find out anything about the Harborlites Chorus — please come check out our new website at www.harborliteschorus.org. We're very proud of its new design and hope it will be yet another way to reach our audience, our community, and our friends in Region 21.
We are looking forward to representing this great region at contest in Indianapolis along with the fabulous San Diego Chorus, One Voice, and SparX! — which is now a Harborlites quartet with the addition of Dawn Anne Gladden as the quartet's new tenor! We hope all our practice will allow us to put a performance on stage to make Region 21 proud!
— Kathy Wright for the Harborlites Chorus
