The Pitch Pipe - January 2009 - (Page 33) TROPICAL HARMONY SINGS ITS WAY THRU ITALY chorus beat T Tropical Harmony, a chorus made up of Sweet Adelines from as far east as England, as far west as California, north from Canada, south from Florida, and many states in between, shared their love of barbershop harmony and travel by touring Italy in June of 2008. Our talented and lovable director, Patsy Meiser, an International faculty associate, organizes a tour each year. We know that in addition to seeing the sights and learning about another culture, we’ll be making lasting friendships along the way and spreading our love of harmony in every conceivable venue. We each learn our music on our own using tapes, CDs, sheet music, and videos of choreography that Patsy organizes and sends to us. Then we meet about four times a year to rehearse at regional meetings or scenic weekend spots to renew acquaintances, practice our songs, hear about places we’ll be visiting, and just have a great time harmonizing. Since we are spread out worldwide, rehearsals are usually planned by geographical area, and Patsy makes it a point to travel to as many as she can. This year, our destination was Italy! We were so excited on June 7 as our 58 voices joined together at our hotel in Rome, Italy. The next morning we entered the ancient walls of the old city, were inspired by the regal church in St. Peter’s Square, and waited in the rain for the Pope to appear. Patsy led us in a song while we waited under our umbrellas, and we were rewarded by a multilingual message from the Pope. We saw so much more. Venice, where we rode the gondolas, shopped for Murano glass, and sang in St. Mark’s Square. Burano, where we feasted on local seafood and sang for the chef. Florence where the criss-crossed green pastures of the Tuscan countryside were as breathtaking as Michelangelo’s statue of David. Being allowed to sing in the chapel of the 1800 year-old Certosa Monastery was such an unexpected thrill that it brought tears to our eyes as we performed. Our field trip to the tiny village of Firenzuola was one of the highlights. Patsy had arranged for our chorus to meet and share the stage with an Italian women’s choir there. Although it was pouring rain that evening, the church was full to capacity for the performance. The choir sang beautifully in both Italian and English and we sang for them in English and Italian. We returned to Rome to sing under the Pantheon Dome, taste our last gelato and fulfill Patsy’s dream of singing at Trevi Fountain. What a dream come true! We traveled the glorious countryside, taking in the mar- Tropical Harmony harmonizes Italy. vellous sights and sounds of Italy, tasting the best of local cuisine along the way, and sharing our love of barbershop music every day with many who had never heard it before. We all love our own choruses, but Tropical Harmony gives some of us an additional opportunity to “Harmonize the World.” We welcome friends and family members and Sweet Adelines from any region who wish to join in the fun. If this is your kind of travel dream, why not come along next year. Tropical Harmony will be touring Germany, Holland and Luxembourg in 2009. Visit our Web site at www.tropicalharmony.com or e-mail Patsy Meiser at patsymeiser@embarqmail.com. Submitted by Carol Ann Guthrie, Spirit of the Gulf Chorus, Region 9 and Chapterat-Large, Region 3 A Historical Performance The Wamego Dutch Mill Chorus, Region 7, was one of three groups invited to appear at the grand opening of the newly restored C.L. Hoover Opera House in Junction City, Kan. We eagerly accepted the invitation and cheerfully donned toy costumes to present our 12th annual show, Trouble in Toyland, for this notable occasion. Originally opened in 1882 as the Junction City Opera House, this beautiThe Wamego Dutch Mill Chorus sings at the beautiful C.L. Hoover Opera House in Junction City, Kan. ful venue has hosted such American icons as Gilbert and Sullivan, George M. Cohan and John Phillip Sousa. The Opera House also hosted a memorial service for President William McKinley in 1901 and the 1994 funeral for James Harvey, fifth governor of Kansas. The chorus was honored to be a part of this celebration, and intends to make sure this was merely the first of many opportunities to perform at the C.L. Hoover Opera House. Submitted by Peggy Crubel and Sally Vonada, Wamego Dutch Mill Chorus, Region 7 January 2009 33 http://www.tropicalharmony.com http://www.tropicalharmony.com
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