[From the Ontario District's newsletter, The Trillium, issue 59-01, January - March, 2005 , Waldo Redekop, editor.]

A night to remember

By Chuck Alexander, Ontario District Executive Vice President

The headlines in the Orillia Packet & Times were three inches high as they read “Height of Harmony, Barbershoppers hit all the right notes.”

The Orillia Opera House box office phoned to tell me that they were “Sold Out.”

While I always take a positive approach to the shows I produce for the district, I had a concern with this year’s show for COTS. Ticket distribution and sales were solely dependent upon media coverage and flyers distributed in the city as well as the local barbershop chapters of Sweet Adeline International and Harmony Inc. as well as our own organization.

My fears were unfounded as 105.9 Jack FM, The Orillia Packet & Times, The Orillia Today and The Orillia & District Arts Council and Rogers Cable TV provided coverage beyond my wildest expectations, all at no cost. Tickets were being purchased by members from chapters as far away as Owen Sound, London, Kitchener and the GTA. Huntsville even chartered their own bus which was filled to capacity and then some.

The show, A Barbershop Extravaganza, featured Power Play, the Society’s 2003 International quartet champions who were at COTS coaching the Top Gun quartets, along with our very own Toronto Northern Lights. These two headliners complimented all five of the Top Gun quartets who were The Fixx, our reigning 2004 Ontario District  champs; Mirage, the 2003 Ontario District winner; and Play It Again!, Sound Association and Silver Threads, the three quartets representing Ontario District at the Midwinter convention in Florida at the end of January.

Compared to last year when we had to transport everyone in minus 38 degree weather, moving the 250 attendees at COTS this year was a breeze thanks again to Rob Arnold, who not only acted as a traffic cop but did a great job in directing the Joe Barbershop Chorus.

Again, Paul Tamblyn did a masterful job of leading the audience in song while the JBS chorus returned to their seats. And, what about our emcee, Neil Aitchison, who kept the audience in stitches throughout the evening.

As for the show, the number of standing ovations that took place throughout the evening speaks for itself. Whether it was the “Rhythm of Life” as performed by The Fixx or the “Circle of Life” finale as performed jointly by Power Play and TNL, the Gordon Lightfoot Auditorium has never heard or witnessed the sounds of harmony like it did that night.

To all of the performers as well as those who helped me back stage and in the lobby of the theatre, I say “thank you” for making this “A Night to Remember.”

And so, the question now put to me is “What are you going to do next year?”

Well, I’m hard at work putting together another show. So if you want a good seat, we’ll see you at COTS next year.

Taken from the front page, section B1 of the
Orillia Packet & Times,  Dave Dawson, editor.
Reproduced with permission.
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