Hey Antony,

How 'bout an update from Israel? I started coaching here last year, and
got the proverbial "offer you can't refuse", so am now living here and
working with all types of amateur choirs. It's great fun, despite the
tensions and security issues. On the barbershop front, there are three
adult choruses in Israel, one student chorus based in a local high
school, and one new quartet of Americans that I started just a few weeks
ago.

The Jerusalem Barbershop Ensemble, or JBE, is the oldest chorus in the
country. It started as a quartet about 20 years ago, and today has only
8 members, ranging in age from the early 30s to the early 60s. The guys
in JBE like to keep it small, and they have a great time together.
There are 2 or 3 of them that have been singing in JBE from the start,
including Alex Eshed, the "founder" of barbershopping in Israel. JBE is
currently directed by Chuck Hunter, Jr., an American (some of you may
know his dad, Chuck Sr, a past Society Board Member) attached to the US
Embassy. They sing very well, and have a good variety of music, ranging
from serious "contest" barbershop to songs like the Rigoletto Quartette
and Chordbusters March (in Hebrew).

Barberina is the only women's chorus in the country, and it is based in
Ramat Hasharon, a suburb of Tel Aviv. Barberina, directed by Alex
Eshed, is a Prospective Chorus in SAI (I think that's the correct term).
There are 15 or 16 members of the chrorus now, with an average age of
about 35. They also sing a good variety of music, and are currently
working Hey Look Me Over in Hebrew, as well as some 50s stuff. They are
having a great time learning the choreography to these.

The third chorus, 12 Tones, is the Tel Aviv men's chorus, that also
meets in Ramat Hasharon. Alex is also the director of 12 Tones, which
has 21 or 22 members. It is also the "best choir in Israel", as judged
at the Sulam MILA, the annual choir rating competition of MILA, the
association of Israeli choirs. They have won the Sulam MILA for the
past 2 years (both times they have entered it), and they also competed
in the IABS International Chorus Contest last October, finishing fourth
but only 15 points out of first. Their mix of music ranges from basic
barbershop to Israeli popular music (I just did an arrangement for them
of Ma Hadawin Shelach?, or What's Your Story?, sung by a guy to his
girlfriend who has the proverbial "champagne tastes on a beer budget" -
very funny song).

The final group is the "all-American quartet" comprised of a
Floridian/Texan, an Ohioan/Floridian, a Texan, a West Virginian. The
tenor and baritone sing with JBE, the bass with 12 Tones, and I'm
singing lead (back "home" after 1.5 years singing bass in Grand Parade
in Cork). We're still getting our quartet legs, so don't have any firm
music set yet, but we're having a great time.

That's about the size of things here, gang. Hope to hear about what's
happening in your neck of the woods soon.

Hummmmmbly,

Pat


-----------------------------------------
Patrick Kelly, Vocal Coach
Tel Aviv, Israel
pkelly@...
+972 3 6474533 (home)
+972 66 607464 (mobile)
-----------------------------------------

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Antony Currington [mailto:acurri@...]
> Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 1:20 AM
> To: NZbbshop@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [NZbbshop] How are your choruses doing?
>
>
> Hi all,
>
> Just thought I'd send out a quick message to the NZBBShop group to
> see how you all are going with your choruses...
>
> What new music are ya learning? Are you growing? How many young
> guys/girls have ya got involved?
>
> I realise it's competition time for the Sweet Ad's choruses, but
> how's that going? Comps are always a fun time. And lots of hard work!
> Good luck to all competitors coming here to the Capital in the next
> few weeks..
>
> At the HCC, we're having a great time right now. Tonight is our
> first Guest Night for the year, and it looks like it's going to be a
> very successful one. I'll keep ya posted...
>
> We've also got a YMIH chorus started and there's currently about 12
> members in this, including the current YMIH champ quartet "Musical
> Island Boys". They sing so well, it's amazing - they definately show
> up us old guys.
>
> Anyway, enough about us, how about you? Let's get some messages going
> in this group...
>
> Cheers,
> Antony
>
>
>
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