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Vol. 64, No. 08

ENCHANTED MOUNTAIN CHORUS 65TH CONSECUTIVE ANNUAL SHOW

What to Wear, and When to Where & What?

The plan for evening wear on show night is: long sleeve white shirt, white jacket, black vest, black pants, and red bowtie, do we need to say, black shoes, okay then black shoes, and someone always asks, and the answer is black socks. That would be for the first half of the show, and then during intermission, we change into blue vest and long blue tie, but keep your pants on. If you are missing any of these items please come forward now and see Louis. We should have enough white jackets to accommodate everyone, even if it is not a perfect fit. Black vests are found on the reverse side of your red vest. If you have neither then see me ASAP as we may have a few, but not a lot to choose from, some may need to be ordered, and if we have to send out an order it has to be soon, plus it costs postage, so one order would be the wise thing to do. Please check at home and let me know by September 20th which will be the deadline for ordering vests if any are needed. If you need

a vest and are issued one it would be very nice if you would kick in $10 bucks towards it, as the chapter has been very generous in subsidizing uniforms for everyone, but everyone should also pay their fair share. Wearing uniforms makes us look uniform; another thing that makes us look uniform is if we all know the movements that are in the songs, not to mention that we all need to know the words and music. So far we have only two songs with movements, Chordbuster and Yona. It is really, really important that everyone start coming to all rehearsals, to get uniform in the music and motions. We had a really good turnout the last rehearsal on Aug. 30th; I hope that continues to the show. Also please try to sit where your seat is assigned, it makes no sense to sit in different seats and then go to your assigned place on the show night. Please get used to your seating arrangement now rather than when we are on stage. Maybe you can adjust really quickly, but what about the other people around you, where you are missing, and where you are assigned. I realize our seating has been disrupted with the church sale going on, and having us meet upstairs etc. The seating chart has been sent out on e-mail the chart is also available at each meeting. Your cooperation is appreciated. Don’t forget to look out your wardrobe to make sure you have each item. Thanks! - Louis

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An Extremely Brief Commentary on our Chapter’s 65 Year History

On the very first show in 1947 there was a community sing of 6

songs listed with all the words in the program. The community

sing continued to be a very important part of all the shows in the

first decade. We are missing a few programs from the second

decade; as a matter of fact we only have 2, the worst

representation of any of the decades. If anyone has any of those

programs from 1957-1966, please let us scan them and they will

be returned to you. We do have the 1964 & 1966 programs.

In looking over the programs some quartet names caught my

eye, and made me laugh. 1947 show my #1 favorite quartet

name out of 13 quartets listed on the show is the Melody

Mutilators, second favorite – Frequently Flat Four. How about

the “Withered Four” in the 1948 show. In 1952 my favorite

quartet name is; the Four–Maldehydes, from Pittsburg Pa.

international finalist in ’52. Another favorite name “Village

Idiots” from Cleveland Ohio, sang on our 22nd

show in 1968. The

“Note Wits” in 1980, the year we brought the “Boston

Commons” to our stage.

In the 1952 program the chorus is referred to in the program as

Olean “Plaster-Busters” Chorus. It is hard to tell when that name

faded out since we don’t have program 1958 – ’63. Today’s

equivalent name would be the Sheet-rock Smashers, I guess.

Olean Chorus Seneca Land District champions in 1951. We must have gone on to win in 1955; why else would the chorus go to Miami in 1955. I don’t know what we placed in international, but I do believe we finished high if not first. None of the program information I can find tells. (Maybe the Sharps & Flats Editor can chime in here if he has the info.) 1955- 10

th of 10 - Olean NY VE ARR HA BB SPC TOTAL

Scores 414 387 324 404 428 1957 The guys in the early years certainly were not lacking in humor

here follows a note in the 1951 program: “If liberties are taken

with historical events, please do not call our attention to them.

Any resemblance to actual persons, places or incidents, is solely

unintentional and due to ignorance on our part.”

I found this interesting; in 1948 the second show lists a quartet

by the name of “Buffalo Bill” singular. The baritone is Hersch

Smith, and in 1950 they are listed as the Buffalo Bills with Dick

Grapes listed as the baritone.

David Dunbar was among the Olean Barbershop Scholarship

Winners which began in 1950 and received one in 1963, he is

founder of the Keynote Chorus. The last reference I can find to

music scholarships is in the 1977 program.

Surely we can’t ever look as awful as the 1976 Chorus did with

(I’m guessing the color are black and white as it is not a color

picture) black and white check pants. The white shoes are nice,

but the pants are tragic for the eye! Oh-ho! Just found a color

picture, not as bad as the black and white picture, it turns out the

checks are in tan outlined by brown squares, doesn’t look too

bad when they are kneeling. Okay I stand corrected; maybe the

uniforms did get worse before they got better. I’m looking at a

1985 full color picture of the chorus in their red jackets and red

pants, with huge black bowties, and the jackets have white

outlines on the lapels which are quite wide, and the pockets a

partial rectangle, and a white line around the wrists. I had seen

some of those uniforms around, the last of them were only

recently given away. Probably someone will look at our chorus

picture 30 years from now and comment how garish we look.

Went to see Chorduroy sing at a service at Trinity Church this

summer, and a fellow by the name of John Brook filled in for the

pastor. I spoke to him briefly and he intimated he couldn’t carry

a tune. Well he is in the program for 1976, pictured with his

quartet the Street Corner Four, he was baritone. So I guess he

was truthful when he said he couldn’t carry a tune. (Some of you

know Bill Weidner; he sang tenor in that quartet.)

Beginning in 1978 there were four categories of sponsors:

Golden Barbershop Boosters, Silver Harmony Helpers, Choral

Aides, and Melody Makers. The Choral Aides category was

dropped in 1983 (gee I wonder why) and replaced with two other

categories, Tune Supporters and Music Patrons, which were both

smaller print than the Melody Makers. Tune Supporters

morphed into Tune Tellers, and Music Patrons turned into Music

Mates in 1985, and Music Mates was dropped altogether in

1986, and Tune Tellers made their last appearance in 1987.

The show program went through many changes over the years;

many are elaborate booklets of different sizes, one early program

in 1954 attempts to simulate a leather cover! Some are large,

some are smaller, some are thick, some thinner. Our present day

look for our programs began in the year 1978. The 1981 program

took on the look and format of the program we use today. Some

contained inserts, as we continue to use inserts today.

(cont pg 3)

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(cont from pg 2) (Not as brief as first expected…)

It is interesting to see who the different directors are, and Master of Ceremonies, and even

presidents. Those of you that know John Stohr maybe don’t know or don’t remember that

he directed the chorus for one year, 1970. Brett Heintzman who will be our guest director

this shows for “Dixie I’m Comin’ Home” was director for one year, 1988, annual shows

number 42. He never directed the song with th chorus, although it was performed in

subsequent years, but he did sing it on that show in ’88 with “The Harmonichords”, with

Zeke Burr as tenor of all things, Jim Terrien, and Dick Nawrocki. Dick Nawrocki is listed often

in those years in the 80’s as MC and Chapter president. In the 1980’s program he was in a

quartet called the Four Get Me Nots with Zeke Burr (just one of the many quartets that Zeke

was in.) One MC that you may not know about was Bob Sader in 1989! I see Don Derx pop

up a lot as well as President in 1992 and 1993, not to mention the few more years served as

Pres. in the more recent past. Greg Bell and Harold Pierce were directors in 1984, and Bob

Robbins who stopped by our chapter just recently, co directed with one Bruce Keller in 1983.

I could go on and on, but all this research is making me thirsty. I hope this brief introduction

to our past gives everyone some appreciation of the history of our chapter, which of course

we will be celebrating on this upcoming show.

-Lp

Sept 30 SLD Convention Rochester Oct 15 Olean 65

th Anniversary Show

Oct 22 Coudersport Show (chapter only)

The board has discussed the following items for the last several meetings;

1. Ad receipts MUST be turned in to Marshall by Tue Sept 13th!

2. An ad committee was formed (Louis, Phil and Pat) to discuss and handle the appropriate modes of cutting costs but still maximizing our show advertising.

3. The show uniform was discussed and decided and can be found on the front page of this Sharps & Flats.

4. Larry Brennan (SLD VP of Fun) will be the Emcee for our fall show. Larry’s co-hosts will also be Charlie, Gladys and Jack. He hopes that everyone who does NOT know JACK will know Jack when he is through with his ventriloquism routine.

5. The featured quartet for the show will be Geneva Convention with Keystone Express and Chorduroy rounding out the evening.

6. The chapter will be having a benefit show for “Loaves & Fishes” in December at the Hillside Wesleyan Church in Olean. This will be accompanied with a Holiday Season Chorus to begin in November, with open invitations to all men who want to sing.

7. The importance and benefits of members getting off of the music was discussed and we need to rehearse without the music as soon as possible.

8. Yards signs are still available! If you would like one or more, (and we NEED you to) put out on your lawn or anywhere you might have permission to do so, please see Pat to get the sign and stakes.

Olean N.Y. Chapter

of the

Barbershop Harmony

Society www.Oleanbarbershopchorus.org

Rehearsals every Tuesday at 7:00 PM Trinity Methodist Church

131 N. Ninth Street Olean, NY 14760 Bob: 716-378-3525 / Ted: 716-372-4536

Chapter Officers Chapter President Marshall Allen Chapter Immediate Past President Harris Fitch Chapter Secretary David Ross Chapter Treasurer William Ford Chapter VP Marketing/PR Pat Close Chapter VP Member/Development Phillip Farris Chapter VP Music/Performance Ted Norton Chapter VP Program Harris Fitch Chapter Board Member at Large Ronald Washburn Chapter Board Member at Large John Ross Chapter Board Member at Large George McCune Chapter Chorus Director Louis Petroni Chapter Bulletin Editor Pat Close Chapter Webmaster Pat Close Chapter Historian Pat Close Chapter Chorus Contact Marshall Allen (585-968-2137) 2010 Barbershopper of the Year

John Ross

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SINGnic at Painted Post with Olean and Elmira

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SEPTEMBER 2011 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2 3

4 5 LABOR DAY

6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 Happy Anniv Harris.Sara Fitch

14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 Happy Bday Louis Petroni Claude Conklin Dave Hauber

22 23 24

25 26 Happy Bday Mikki Johnson

27 28 29 30

OCTOBER 2011

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Happy Bday Monty Jennings

9 Happy Bday Bill Baldwin

10 11 12 13 14 15 Olean 65th Anniversary Fall Show 730

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Coudersport Annual Fall Show

23 Happy Bday Nova Ross

24 Happy Anniv George.Bev McCune

25 26 27 Happy Bday Jim Sortore

28 Happy Anniv Peter.Nancy Kurzdorfer

29

30 Happy Bday Mike Heroux

31 Halloween