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1. Anaheim Bostonshrimp Notes - Part 4
Posted by: "Rosalind Frizzell" bostonshrimp@... bostonshrimp
Date: Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:36 am ((PDT))

Dear Harmonet,

What more can I possibly say about the Anaheim International
Convention?  The weather was perfect, the competition was a
nail biter and there are more and more young people attending
the conventions with their families than ever before. 

Who could ask for anything more? 

One thing is certain, we wish everyone could have attended the
Anaheim Convention in person instead of staying home, working or
missing out on all the fun.  That's why we have The Harmonet,
Web casts and next year's convention right? 

Hopefully we'll all see each other in Philadelphia in 2010. 
I'm sure the Mid-Atlantic District will be rolling out the red
carpet and let's not forget about that cheesecake! Sign me up.

One thing's for sure, the old songs are still alive & well and
being sung on the International stage.  As the familiar tunes
were sung by the newer crop of quartets and choruses, I couldn't
help traveling down memory lane to the times spent at former
conventions and to the quartets who made these songs famous.

Frank Sinatra's All The Way was sung no fewer than three times:
The Narragansett Bay Chorus from Providence, RI and singing #23 &
#25 respectively by X-Factor and On Demand in Wednesday afternoon's
quartet session.

My favorite rendition is by Acoustix with Rick Middaugh on lead
but THAT'S just me.

In That Tumbled Down Shack in Athlone reminded me of The Sundowners
and Crazy Words-Crazy Tune was a 139th St. Quartet favorite...voh
vodeo doh. :)

The Gentlemen's Agreement were known for Just A Cottage Small
By a Waterfall (which was performed by Lucky Day) and Ma-She's
Making Eyes at Me.

Oh You Beautiful Doll was sung by Bristol, England's Great Western
Chorus but I always think of George Davidson's Classic Collection
Quartet whenever anyone sings it.  Lots of quartets stole that
number right off the record  in the 1980's, but the Classic
Collection quartet put it on the barbershop map.

Give Me One For My Baby & One More For the Road, There I Said It
Again & Time After Time takes me back to the Arcade days every
time.  Rick Taylor used to do those parrot jokes and Bob Disney
was witty and classy and always 'smooooth' on the lead notes.

The Dealer's Choice classics are still contest favorites as
depicted by Latest Edition's What'll I Do, Who'll Take My Place
When I'm Gone (sung by The Edge) and The Voices in Harmony
performed A Nightingale Sang In Barkley Square.

Just the sound of these individual songs transports me back in
time to a show, a contest or an event.

Barkley Square takes me to circa 1973 and the Yale University
Campus on a very foggy evening.  The Dealer's Choice were in
town for a barbershop show but were invited to listen to the
Whiffenpoofs Chorus perform in New Haven, Connecticut.  Each
ensemble were impressed with the other. It's still a lovely memory.

Who doesn't think of Nightlife when the Mobile Medley is
sung?  Jeff Baker - John Sasine...their faces and fun on-stage
conversations shoot straight to the forefront of my memory
banks. It always puts a big smile on my face!

Lover Come Back is synonymous with Revival as much as The Sunshine
of Your Smile is to The Four Statesmen and decades later with
Power Play.

The Regent's lead: Joe Mazzone would sell the song every time. 
One of his best was I'm Afraid the Masquerade is Over.  This
time the British Collegiate quartet Monkey Magic honored us with
this ballad, as well as a medley of Why Don't You Fall in Love
with Me/Undecided Now.

But as expected the top picks with which the competitors chose
their strongest arrangements fell between The Boston Common &
The Bluegrass Student Union.

If you're going to steal (ok - enhance) an arrangement, then take
it from the best!

The 65 South quartet performed The BSU "Sugar Medley" in
Wednesday's Quarter-Finals, 4-Way Stop from JAD performed I've
Got a Crush On You, 76 Trombones (performed by The Ambassadors
of Harmony Chorus), Broadway Rose as well as The Porgy & Bess
selections - Bess You Is My Woman/There's a Boat That's Leavin'
and I Got Plenty of Nothin' (as sung by Voce), Summertime (done
in parody by Lunch Break), I've Got a Crush on You, Lida Rose
Medley and the ever popular Margie. That's ten tunes from the
1978 Champion Bluegrass Student Union.

Now what about another fan favorite...

The Boston Common: The Old Piano Roll Blues was the other
selection chosen by the Lucky Day quartet.  (Roger Ross-tenor/Eric
Bell-lead/Paul Gilman-bari and Bryan Ziegler-bass.) Since returning
from the International, Jay Hawkins is now the new Bass in place
of Bryan.

Melancholy Baby (performed by The William Kraft Chord Company
Quartet: aka the inventor of the pitch pipe), If All My Dreams Were
Made of Gold (sung by Kentucky Vocal Union Chorus), Sentimental
Journey, Anytime at All, Moonlight Becomes You (sung by Three Men
and a Melody), That Old Feeling, Daddy's Little Girl, There'll Be
No New Tunes On This Old Piano (beautifully sung by Old School)
and Forgive Me (sung on Thursday night by Men in Black.)

That's ten (count 'em - 10) songs made popular by yet another
barbershop quartet.  Just goes to show how important it is to
preserve and encourage these arrangements.  Though The Common
won in 1980 their show and contest songs are very relevant today.

Let's continue to record and promote these classic song styles
for generations to come.  These great songs have all stood the
test of time and I can't wait to hear them again!

More to come next time...

Keep a song in your heart,
Rosalind Severs-Frizzell