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

Musical Memories of Markham

By Waldo Redekop, Editor/Publisher, The Trillium

Ross Sutherland recently called to invite Donna and I to attend the Suburbainaires Annual Ladies Appreciation Dinner. During the conversation, Ross mentioned the book “Musical Memories of Markham” and asked me if I had seen a copy.

I said that I hadn’t. Ross said he would bring a copy to the dinner for me.

What a fascinating book!

The research, interviews, organization of information and gathering of pictures must have taken many hours. As the book says, “It was Ross, after all, who suggested the idea for this book and who has done the lion’s share of research for it.”

Another Barbershopper, Bob Burrell (who now is organizing the SONGFEST gatherings), researched and interviewed a lot of the people in the church music section. Living in a small village (Hillsburgh) I can identify with a lot of the anecdotes that have been included.

Barbershopping, of course, is mentioned, as are other Barbershoppers such as John Anderson and Roy Keys. The Thornhill Barbershoppers, the Markham Men of Harmony, the Suburbainaires and the Markham Melody Makers Ladies Barbershop Chorus (who later joined Harmony Inc.) are just some of the choruses discussed.

Many great band name members, soloists and musicians that I have read about or had the pleasure of seeing in concert also were mentioned. The mention of the Huggett Family sure brought back memories of another time, as did names such as Rob McConnell, Ellis McLintock, Art Hallman and Phil Nimmons with his Nimmons ‘n’ Nine jazz ensemble that we saw in London at the UWO Sunday 9 O’Clocks.

In barbershopping, you often don’t know very much about the person standing next to you on the risers, and even less about people in other chapters.

I knew Ross Sutherland was instrumental in starting the Markham Men of Harmony and the Suburbainaires, but there was a lot more information about Ross that I didn’t know about. As the book says, “It’s hard to find a development in popular music in Markham or a charitable activity since the 1960s that does not somewhere, somehow bear his imprint.”

Maybe it is time to have more inter-chapter visitations, more often. Those were the days! Not only was it fun to meet other Barbershoppers and see how they ran their meetings, but we always had fun and good fellowship. Also, good musical memories!      k