[From the Ontario District's newsletter, The Trillium, issue 61-01, January - March, 2007 , Waldo Redekop, editor.]

Brockville Chapter has new music director

By Bill Vermue, Eastern Division Co-ordinator

Brockville Chapter

The big news for Brockville of course, is the fact that they have a new, permanent director in the person of Mary Wonnacott-Hills. While she does not have any barbershop experience, Mary has a great deal of experience in directing community choirs.  She has had fairly extensive experience in Broadway musicals with the local Operative Society, singing lead roles and coaching and directing. She has also directed a local children’s chorus, to some acclaim.

If any of you would like to e-mail congratulations to her, her e-mail is in the new directory.

One issue the Melodymen have had to contend with is, to once again, change meeting nights. Effective immediately, they are once again meeting on Monday.  Same time and location.

A second, big change for the Brockville Chapter is that president Dan Sunderland has had to resign his position for personal reasons. He will remain active with the chapter. Effective immediately, Richard Woodland is the new president of the Brockville Chapter.

One member attended COTS, and their BOTY for 2006 is Richard Woodland.

Brockville will enter one quartet in the Eastern Division Novice contest.

Cornwall Chapter

C-Way Sound had a successful show, “Daddy Sang Bass” at Aultsville Theatre,  Cornwall, on November 18, 2006, on their newly acquired risers.They have performed at numerous nursing homes and malls this past fall. They have several new members on their executive and have ambitious plans for building membership and quartets.

There is one new quartet developing, with a prospect of one more in the wings. We have so far this year (2007) contributed $3,000 to the Harmonize For Speech Fund.

Cornwall also has a change in the presidents chair, with Doug Hill becoming the president. They also have a new membership chairman, James Essex-MacIntyre. He is young, and very keen.

One member attended COTS.

Cornwall plans to enter one quartet in the Eastern Novice contest.

Kingston Chapter

The Townsmen were very successful in their singing valentine campaign, delivering 42 valentines with four quartets.

They are working very hard on new music for their 25th anniversary show on May 25, 2007. The headline quartet will be Chameleon.

Four members attended COTS, and Kingston plans to enter one quartet in the Eastern Novice contest.

Their BOTY for 2006 is Ron Treadgold.

Nepean Chapter

Unfortunately, no one from the Nepean Chapter attended COTS. Nepean plans to enter one quartet in the Eastern Novice contest.

One quartet participated with the Ottawa Chapter in their singing valentines program and one quartet attended the Northeastern District’s music education day in Montreal.

Their annual shows are planned for May 4-5, 2007.

Ottawa Chapter

The Capital City Chorus continues to lead the way in the Eastern Division with initiatives and membership. Since the fall, there have been guests attending virtually every rehearsal and membership is steadily growing.

Ottawa held two very successful Christmas shows in early December with two sell-out audiences as well as several other Christmas performances.

The Capital City Chorus’ 50th anniversary year started off with a bang. They had eight men attend COTS, and had two quartets, Common Interest and Play It Again!, participate in Top Gun, for a total of 16 members at Geneva Park.

Singing Valentines continue to be a huge fund raiser for the CCC as well as a great public relations exercise. This year they delivered 138 valentines, with 11 quartets (including one from the Nepean Northern Stars) taking part.

They are heavily into preparations for their show at the National Arts Centre on June 2, 2007.

Guests will include Bob’s ‘Yer Uncle and a youth choir will be featured on the show.

The latter is a result of another CCC initiative. They have organized a high school quartet contest, offering prize money, music and other assistance to quartets. As of this writing it appears they may have a dozen or more quartets participating.

Ottawa has also taken on the task of organizing an Eastern Division novice quartet contest, to be held on March 5, 2007.

Twelve men (including two quartets) attended the Northeastern District’s music education day on February 3, 2007, in Montreal.

Their BOTY for 2006 is Rod McGillivray, the tenor of Play It Again!.

Note:

Going into my fourth year as the Eastern Division Co-ordinator, I feel it is time for fresh eyes, ears and ideas. In this vein, I have secured my replacement in the person of Tim Rutherford of the Ottawa Chapter. Tim has agreed to shadow me for 2007 with the intent of taking over in 2008. He has already been forthcoming with ideas and I hope you will all have the opportunity to meet him this year.

We also held an Eastern Division executive committee meeting on February 17 with 14 people (and representatives of each chapter) in attendance.         k