Alberta Harmony Cabaret Makes History
Mini-Platoon Champions: Lavonne and the Do Do’s - Jon Lundstrom, Red Deer; Maja Weibe, Chinook Winds Chorus; Doug Spensley, Stampede City Chorus; and Lavonne Fuller, Calgary
By Phyllis Davis, Region 26 & Greg Verhappen, Evergreen District
What do you call a mash up between an Afterglow for SA and BHS barbershoppers and a one-day Harmony Platoon?
That would be a Harmony Cabaret! And that’s what happened on October 1, 2022 when sixty members of the SA and BHS world made history for an event that was the first of its kind; a day of fun, socializing and singing.
The idea of a Harmony Cabaret is to celebrate the roots of our barbershop culture; camaraderie, harmonizing, and sharing a few laughs. An Afterglow and a Harmony Platoon celebrate all these things. An Afterglow lets people socialize, sing, and eat. In a mini-Harmony Platoon, our singers learned three short and easy songs prior to the event. On event day 25 participants were randomly assigned into pick-up quartets and given just a short time to practice before they ‘sang-off’ against each over two rounds. After a delicious dinner, the top three winners from each round competed for final bragging rights. In the spirit of the day, some of our more experienced barbershoppers helped out with informal judging. There was even an opportunity for each of our audience members to ‘choose’ their winning quartet with some online voting.
Before the first pick-up quartet took to the stage, nerves were all a jangle for “the newbies”, including a few people who had never even sung in a quartet before! But by the end of the first round there were only smiles and song filling the stage, even with the occasional false start and ‘original interpretation’ of the music.
Of course, what would an event like this be without some tags and quartet performances sprinkled here and there throughout the day? Topping it all off was a mass chorus performance for anyone who had purchased the sheet music with their ticket and learned our three songs: Under the Boardwalk, Side by Side, and Can You Feel The Love Tonight? (shortened versions). You can find the mass chorus performances at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtVAtq4IRtdDoRoitEAkXCw.
As the day drew to a close, a common sentiment expressed was that the relaxed pace and warm atmosphere of the Harmony Cabaret was a great way to celebrate barbershop. Everyone could focus on the roots of our hobby: to visit, eat, and harmonize with like-hearted individuals.
The important question that everyone asked as they were leaving was, “When is the next one?”
So thank you to Stampede City Chorus in Calgary for helping to host this first-of-its-kind event! It was a spectacular day that is well worth your time. If you’d like more information about the day’s agenda or how a Harmony Cabaret works, you can contact Greg Verhappen: gverhappy@shaw.ca (587) 288-5226. Or, have a chat with one of the participants.
U.B. deJudge Award Winners: (None Too Sharp!)
Bob Robson, Acappella RoadChorus
Lavonne Fuller, Calgary
Chris van der Baaren, Stampede City
Cynthia Strem, Chinook Winds Chorus