[From the Ontario District's newsletter, The Trillium, issue 60-03, July - September, 2006 , Waldo Redekop, editor.]

Jim DeBusman visit was excellent

By Bill Vermue, Eastern Division Co-ordinator

The Eastern Division was the recipient of a great visit from Jim DeBusman immediately following HCN. Jim made his way from Guelph to Brockville on Sunday and shortly after arriving did a two hour coaching session with a novice Brockville foursome.

After dinner he worked with Adirondack Harmony Company. This long established quartet from Senecaland, AHC now has a new baritone in the person of John Hamilton, director of the Cornwall Chapter. By both Jim’s and the quartet’s accounts, the coaching sessions were excellent. At some point on Sunday, Jamie Marr also joined Jim in Brockville.

On Monday morning at 9, Play It Again! met Jim and Jamie at their hotel and headed for Kingston for a youth activity at Ernestown H.S., just west of Kingston. This school has a very active music program with a dynamic and very open minded music director, Andy Rush.

Arriving in the middle of a band practice, we listened to the band strut their stuff and then some 50 students reconvened to listen to Jim and PIA! Among them was their 25 voice choir, who did a beautiful job on an a cappella number.

Later in the day some 120 Barbershoppers from all Eastern Division chapters attended Jim’s townhall meeting. The evening was electric and full of fun and camaraderie.

Thank you to Jamie Marr for making this visit happen in Eastern Division and for attending; to Jim for making it such a wonderful day and a half; and to Ottawa, Eastern Division’s premiere chorus, for supporting the event.     k