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

A young lad of 12

By Rod Shepherd, Oakville Chapter member

In 1995 a young lad of 12, showing a keen interest in music and barbershopping, joined the Oakville Entertainers with his dad. It was not long before he was singing tenor with the chorus and in pick-up quartets.

Shortly thereafter he entered Cawthra Park School of Fine Arts where he collected several awards for his musical prowess.

He took a hand in directing the Entertainers chorus and soon became the youngest front line director in Ontario.

He entered the University of Toronto Faculty of Music and continued to direct the Entertainers, sing in several competitive quartets at the district level. He also sang in a collegiate quartet at last year’s International contest. Oh, by the way, he is directing another fine chorus in Hamilton (Harbourtown Sound).

He graduates from the U of T this spring, having majored in Vocal Production and plans to go on to a career in Opera. Jordan has a lot on his plate to be sure.

Realizing that something has to give, and that you can only teach these old dogs (The Entertainers) just so many new tricks, he has decided to part company with Oakville.

Jordan Travis is naturally very near and dear to our hearts and we could not let him leave without a token of our appreciation. So, on Saturday night, February 26, 2005, before an audience of 500 of his friends and Barbershoppers at the conclusion of “A cappella Festival 2005,” the Oakville Entertainers Annual show, we honoured him.

It was with a great deal of pleasure that we marked this occasion with a gift from the men of the Entertainers, a painting by the renowned Greg Backwell, International silver medallist of the Night Hawks and director of several fine choruses himself, duly signed by all the Entertainers and presented by his father, John Travis, to our dedicated director and barbershopping buddy with our best wishes for a long and happy musical career.

Photo – Kathy Shepherd

Jordan Travis proudly displaying painting  k