The Pitch Pipe - January 2009 - (Page 32) chorus beat I Feel the Earth Move! Driving back from a barbershop event together, Region 31 Education Coordinator Valerie Taylor and Events Coordinator Emma Riley discussed education plans for the Quartet of Nations Region. Wouldn’t it be great to have some education especially focused on smaller choruses? We can learn a lot from faculty who have experience directing choruses of 100 or more members, but how well does this resonate with choruses of 40, 30 or even 20? We want our education to be just as relevant to them. Valerie and Emma had an idea — their good friend, Åse Hagerman, directs a small chorus in Sweden and they seem to be pretty successful! Why don’t we invite Åse and Alba Show Chorus over to Region 31? Alba Show Chorus was fresh from its recent successes as the 2007 Harmony Classic Division A gold medal winners, plus the Division A and overall gold medals in the Nordic Lights Region 32 convention in May 2008. Plans were made for Åse and 30 members of Alba to travel from Sweden to England. They would take part in the Region 31 education workshop. In fact they would pretty much run it! The chorus arrived in England on Oct. 17 and launched almost straight away into a twohour rehearsal. Members of Region 31 started arriving from all over the UK and the Netherlands, and by that night the hall was packed with more than 300 people excitedly awaiting the start of something magical. Åse opened the workshop with her class, “AFRODITE,” a holistic approach to vocal production and performance. On Saturday we were treated to a fabulous explanation of how you can use the four elements (earth, wind, fire, water) as tools for tuning, resonance and unity of performance. Åse used Alba as a demonstration chorus — what role models! The two assistant directors from Alba, Åsa Fagerström and Carina Bakke, directed the workshop chorus and two quartets from Alba –MATCHBOX and DOWNTOWN– also ran classes. Throughout the weekend, members of the Region 31 faculty also ran specialist classes in parallel sessions. The highlight of the weekend was the Saturday night show that featured the workshop chorus, STORM Quartet (proud to be Region 31’s first wildcard quartet) and Alba Show Chorus. Their highly original show was a sight to behold. Boy, did we feel the earth move! This has to rate as one of the most memo- Valerie Taylor (left) and Åse Hagerman make lifetime memories during a Region 31 educational workshop. rable education weekends in Region 31. It’s not every day that you ship a whole chorus from one country to another! Åse was full of energy, vitality and fun, as always, and of course is an outstanding educator. Alba was just delightful and they worked so hard, with scarcely a minute to themselves over the weekend. Many new friendships were made and we have memories that will last a lifetime. Crossing borders, oceans and languages — nothing could stand in our way. This is what Sweet Adelines is all about! Submitted by Valerie Taylor, Surrey Harmony Chorus, Region 31 Gateway Chorus Sings Backup for Kenny Rogers in Edmonton O 32 On Nov. 21, Kenny Rogers brought his time honored “Christmas and Hits” show to Edmonton as part of his world tour. Gateway Chorus was part of the five-song Christmas Medley finale that closed the festive evening. Songs included such favorites as O Holy Night and Joy To The World, during which time the chorus took the stage front and center with Kenny and rang the rafters with a rousing eight-part final chord. Kenny then told the packed coliseum that Gateway would be performing at Carnegie Hall in February, which initiated a standing ovation. This performance was a wonderful start to an exciting 12 months that will see Gateway in New York in January 2009 Front row, pictured left to right: Darlyn Hayduk, Karen Congdon, Lisa Hunszinger, Kenny Rogers, Director Marlene Greenough and Team Coordinator Judy Traynor. February, in Calgary in April for Regional Contest and finally in Nashville as contestant #2 in the Harmony Classic Competition. Judy Traynor, Gateway Chorus, Region 26
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