Everything is Relative!
Family Chorus Saskatoon

by Yvonne Bauer-van Dommelen

Everything is Relative was the name for the Family Chorus that came together and sang during the Region 26 Contest weekend in Saskatoon (April 27-30, 2023). And it was at this conference I found out how aptly named the Family Chorus was! 

I emigrated from the Netherlands in 2009 and joined the Hearts of Harmony Chorus Red Deer in 2014. Together with Cathy and Pam, we joined the Family Chorus. We are, for this time, soul-sisters, and cousins, and to us it feels like we are a family. The three of us were here again to sing with the conference’s Family Chorus. 

To be part of this group, you have to learn two songs. We even did some zoom-rehearsals in April where we only saw a handful of people from the total group. We finally saw most of the family-chorus members during our two in-person rehearsals at the conference in Saskatoon. 

As everybody knows: talking on the risers is not okay.  But there are moments that you have to say something. Well, that is exactly what I did. As we were standing on the risers, I needed to determine my position and I asked the person at the left side of me what part she is singing. Her name is Thecla and she sings bass. Since I am a baritone, I asked her if she wanted to move to my ride side, to be with the bass section part. She agreed and we switched spots. Nothing interesting about that, right? I’m so glad we hadn’t really started singing yet. It was Thecla who ask softly if I was from Germany, because she noticed a soft accent. And yes, I do have an accent, but it is Dutch, I told Thecla. You should have seen her face when Thecla she said that she was from the Netherlands, too! And when I asked her what part of the Netherlands she was from, you should have seen our faces when we figured out that we both lived in a small town called Twello. If you try to find it on the map, it will show that this is a very small town. Thecla left Twello when she was nearly 3 years old and she emigrated with her parents to Saskatchewan. We have to share that Thecla is 2 years younger than I am! We never met when we lived in this same town. How exciting to find such a connection at a Sweet Adeline Conference rehearsal! 

After the rehearsal we stayed a little longer and talked and shared our maiden names. Thecla’s maiden name is “Harleman”, and my maiden name is “Van Dommelen”. When I heard the Harleman name, I instantly realized that I went to school with one of Thecla’s cousins; Albert. Yes, we were in the same class during grade 3 until 6! 

Once Thecla posted our picture on Facebook, Thecla got a message from Twello from her cousin Mirjam and I got a message from my youngest sister, Angelique, who also lives in Twello. Mirjam and another cousin from Thecla, Suzanne, are Angelique’s clients at her hair salon.  Angelique also told me that Suzanne and her were neighbours in a different city and stayed friends when my sister and her family moved away. Apparently, she knew that a cousin of Suzanne lives in the area of Saskatuan (or something like that). And when I emigrated to Alberta, Angelique thought that it would be impossible for me to know that person in Saskatuan (what is Saskatoon of course). 

The funny part is that I went back to the Netherlands in February and March of this year to be at my sisters’ 50th birthday and for the open house of her new hair salon “Sfeer Kappers” in Twello. At this open house I briefly met Thecla’s cousin, Suzanne! 

Since the conference, I now know that my dad and one of Thecla’s uncles, Jan Harleman played cards for many years (My dad passed away in 2010). And I know that the day before my dad got a severe stroke, he played cards with his friends. Perhaps one of them was uncle Jan Harleman. Thecla has also found out her cousin Mirjam’s husband knows my mother as they are in the same bicycle club! One a final note, I was reminded that the name of my elementary school in Twello was ‘de Kleine Wereld’ (The Small World)! A small world it has proven to be. 

Agreed, it is a complicated story. But we are so glad we broke the rules and talked a little on the risers. Otherwise, we never would have known about this story. Everything is Relative and now it feels like I have some family living so close to me.