Music, Music, Music

As most of you know, I like to try and visit Sweet Adelines choruses when nearby, and Orlando happens to be home to two, but since I prefer not to travel more than 30 min. to a rehearsal (mainly because of the ride home in the dark in an unfamiliar area), only one of them fell within that range.  Of course, with Orlando area traffic, that 30 min. could very well stretch much longer!  Fortunately my visit to O-Town Sound (http://www.otschorus.com/) only took about 40 min.  They were

only a couple weeks away from their Regional contest so this particular night was Friends & Family Night (in other words a dress rehearsal open to the public).  I arrived early enough to watch them warm up before they changed into their costumes (in fact a fellow former Sweet Adeline and I sat in the back of the room quietly joining in!)  This is a relatively new chorus that chartered just two years ago, and under the direction of Kay Webb, took home 2nd place in the Small Chorus

Division their first year competing.  This year their numbers have grown to the point where they will have to compete in the Mid-Size Chorus Division (31-60 onstage), but I have no doubt they will rise to the occasion.  Along with performances by the chorus, we were also treated to the competition package of the Crosstown quartet.  Though it wasn’t a typical rehearsal, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to such a fine chorus of excellent singers and wish them all the best at contest.

Now it just so happens that a few weeks ago I read a notice in the paper about another chorus called the Sisters of Sound (http://www.sistersofsound.org) who are members of Harmony, Inc. (http://www.harmonyinc.org/) another women’s barbershop organization.  Sweet Adelines was founded in 1948, and in a nutshell after many years of discord among some members over policies, several ladies left and a new organization was founded in 1959 called Harmony Inc. It more

closely mirrors the men’s Barbershop Harmony Society in song selection, performance, and competition standards (so some of the terminology was different to me).  As it turns out, Sisters of Sound were also only a couple of weeks away from contest so again I didn’t plan on getting a chance to sing but that’s ok.  When I arrived, 3/4 of the In A Chord quartet was rehearsing in the parking lot (their tenor was out of town), and I was privileged to listen to their contest songs…wonderful blend and sound!  Rehearsal started with everyone reciting the Harmony, Inc. Creed, and then it was time to sing.  This small

chorus is also relatively new, only having chartered about 5 years ago and is directed by Shannon Elswick, who immediately made me feel right at home inviting me to join in as they ran through some of their repertoire.  Once they started rehearsing their contest package, I stepped out and at his suggestion became an adviser and coach!  Instead

of standing on the risers to sing, they have opted to tell a story through their songs.  Having never visited a Harmony, Inc. chorus or contest before, I’m not sure how typical this is but I really enjoyed it.  Shannon does very little directing during this set and is in fact part of the “sketch”.  At first he had to fill in for the lady who plays “mom” (top right photo), but when Carol arrived, he reverted to his role as “dad” in the story.  Occasionally he stepped out to watch, listen, and chat with me.  It's

always amazing to watch a director make one slight change in where a singer stands (as evidenced in photo above left) and then hear how greatly it effects and enhances the sound.  Not all members were present that night, and the missing tenor is the only tenor for the entire group, but they still did a wonderful job, and I wish them all the best at their contest, too.

Back at Epcot, up next as the entertainment for the Flower Power Concert Series weekend was The Turtles… featuring Flo & Eddie (http://www.floandeddie.com/). In case you didn’t know, Mark Kaylan and Howard Volman (aka Flo & Eddie) are the original founding members of the The Turtles. Due

to contractual restrictions made early in their career, Mark and Howard were prevented from using the name The Turtles, as well as their own names, in a musical context so in 1984 they started performing as "The Turtles...featuring Flo & Eddie”. (Evidently it’s ok to use

“The Turtles” name in that context.)  We arrived for the 5:30 show, and having seen them before, we kind of knew what to expect.  However, they surprised everyone by coming out onstage with glittery jackets/ vests doing the Gangnam Style dance…what a hoot!!  Of course, they made fun of that, removed the glitz, and said

they were going to do some real music…music from the 60s!  They sang such hits as Elenore, Gas Money, and of course Happy Together, which had everyone on their feet by the end of the set.  Though their voices are not what they once were, they still do a nice show…fun and full of energy. Eddie can still hit those high notes, but Flo’s (above right) voice has definitely seen better days and is a little shaky.