The Pitch Pipe - January 2009 - (Page 22) The Japanese Connection By Judy Douglas, Metro Rhythm Chorus, Region 15 Early in November 2007, my husband and I decided to take a photo safari tour of Japan. Having met a Japanese Sweet Adeline who visited my chorus when I was a director in the mid-1990s, I decided to email her chorus (The Chiba Chorus) to see if she was still a member there. The e-mail contact person from that chorus returned my e-mail and the rest of the story has changed my life in so many wonderful ways! Yumiko, my contact, and I e-mailed over several months and a plan began to emerge. She and her director, Naoko, and the director of the Tokyo Chorus asked if I might be willing to coach a group of both choruses. They arranged to get the group together on a night that allowed me to do this before leaving on the tour to the Northern Island of Haikido. I agreed and the plan went into action. Music was faxed back and forth. Arrangements were made to get me to and from the rehearsal. I arrived in Tokyo and called Yumiko who, I found out, had taken the day off from work so she could meet my husband The women were so anxious to learn and so willing to try new things. What we worked on was incidental to me. They taped the rehearsal and that will always be there for them. What I learned from this was that our craft is alive and well and ringing in Japan. After rehearsal, I presented each of them with a highlighter and water bottle holder with the Sweet Adelines logo. It was as if I had given them gold. They gave lovely, Japanese trinkets and a homemade card of thanks. Knowing I would be back in Tokyo in eight days, they asked if I could return for another session. We made plans to get as many members from the Tokyo and Chiba choruses together as possible. At this meeting, there were about 10 new women and about 15 who had been before. It is a wonderful feeling to be able to go almost anywhere in the world and know you have sisters wherever you go. We’ll Meet Again was one of the songs we worked on. All of the Japanese choruses were represented at International in Hawaii and performed at Showcase. I was so honored to “meet them again” in Hawaii. and me and take us to many of the wonderful, historic sites of Tokyo. After these months of corresponding, it was so nice to put a face to a name. The day was spent walking, seeing a beautiful temple, going to market, seeing the Imperial Palace and eating new foods. It was when we were eating that we got a chance to talk about Sweet Adelines and all of their plans for International. Our plan was to get to rehearsal at 7 P.M., but we were a little late and when we walked in, everyone cheered! It was at this moment that I realized that Sweet Adelines everywhere are all basically the same — warm, friendly and smiling. 22 January 2009
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