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

Harmony College North, 2007
— New date, new location

By Ken Fisher, Dean, Harmony College North ’07

It is a long, hard, and wonderfully fun weekend. At Harmony College North, Ontario Barbershoppers get to sing their brains (and feet and back) out and learn new skills. About 22 years ago, Peter Hughes and I decided that the men of our great district needed an opportunity to grow their personal skills with the teachings of the best in the Society. From that humble beginning Harmony College North, at the University of Guelph, has enriched the district for a generation.

Virtually all of the Society guru’s have been on faculty. Many gold medal quartets and other great entertainers have shared their unique skills with us. Choruses have come to be coached by the best in the business.

In the photo, look at the concentration of the Peterborough guys as they absorb information from Bill Meyers.

Tag singing with gold medalists at xxx o’clock in the morning  is another special HCN  treat; just ask Eric Deland.

We have now come to a branch in the road. The 2007 HCN has both a new date, June 8-9, and a new location. Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo has just opened new residences and gone after conference business. All residences and classrooms are air conditioned. In residence, everyone has a private room. Bathrooms are shared between two adjoining rooms.

The Maureen Forrester Concert Hall is stunning in appearance and acoustics. The Saturday night show will be awesome! Many of you will be aware the WLU has a distinguished history of training musicians so the campus facilities are superb for our kind of school. Why our very own Chris Arnold is an alumnus, as is Joel Rutherford, the bass of The Acoustix and still a member of the Ontario District. Best of all — the price is right!

Preliminary plans for classes include: Sight Singing; Speech Level Singing; Advanced Vocal Technique; Movement – Be a presence on stage; Director of the Future; Motivation and Planning; and more.

The quartet and chorus coaches already lined up are outstanding.

Now here is a thorny issue. As human beings we get complacent about events that happen year after year. “Oh well,  I’ll go next year.”

Twenty-two years is a long time but guess what — there are many Ontario Barbershoppers who have never participated in the fun of HCN.

Medical advice tells us that if we do not use our muscles or brains they atrophy. “Use It or Loose It,” they say.

The same is true for HCN. Now  would be a good time to get organized  to participate. Individuals, quartets and/or choruses will find learning treats at HCN.

As in the past, there will be a General Session on Friday night. It has always provided lots of singing and off-the-wall learning. The school proper is all day Saturday.

Our spectacular Onta-Fame Show is Saturday night and it is open to the general public (at $15 per ticket).

You can commute for the day or stay overnight. Live a little — grow a little.

Come on out and celebrate the new venue and the new lower prices. A list of classes and the registration will be given out at the House Of Delegates in April.         k