[From the Ontario District's newsletter, The Trillium, issue 61-02, April - June, 2007 , Waldo Redekop, editor.]

Capital City Chorus 2007 High School and
Novice Invitational a huge success

By Denis Laflamme,  Ontario District V.P Marketing and P.R.

On May 7, 2007, the Ottawa Capital City Chorus (CCC) held a quartet invitational at its rehearsal hall. In all, seven high school (including a mixed quartet) and 11 novice quartets registered for the event.

The high school quartets were given access to five different barbershop arrangements and learning tracks on the CCC web site www.capitalcitychorus.org and had to choose two for the contest.

This event had been masterfully promoted by Ken Lantier, the V.P. Marketing for CCC. He contacted over 40 schools (most of them in person) and received a remarkable welcome from all. Canterbury High School, whose primary focus is arts, sent three quartets.  

With the help of Play it Again! and Common Interest they visited the schools and sang for music classes. Ken developed relationships with the music teachers and he hopes to facilitate the promotion of barbershop in the nations capital.

The winners of the high school contest, Gibbe and the Supertonics  from Canterbury, took home a cheque for $600 and a donation of $500 to their school’s music program. In addition they had the privilege of being the first to have their name on the Wellington Street High School Trophy donated by the quartet of the same name.

Second and third-place took respectively $400 and $200. Each competing quartet will also receive a DVD of their performance for prosperity. All prizes were donated by CCC.

This project was developed with the intent to give the bug to kids before they get too busy to find out about this wonderful hobby.

The enthusiasm and sheer courage with which some quartets performed created an electrifying mood for all chorus members and parents in the audience. To see an 82-year-old Barbershopper jump up and cheer after four 15-year-old students rang the tag is something to be seen. One member said “They gave us way more joy then we ever wanted to share with them!”

Pictures and video recordings of the event are available at www.capitalcityshorus.org . k

Gibbe and the Supertonics L-R: Lead Adrian Zeyl, Baritone Zander Galbreath, Bass Estan Beedell, Tenor Gibbe Russell. k