Home -> Events -> Latest News ->
ArchivesArchive Index 1
Top
Brisbane convention 2006
Our quartets really 'cooked up a storm' in Brisbane
in May 2006... here is a story from just a couple of them ...
 Wicked
Women had a ball for 15 months preparing for Brisbane,
though nothing really prepares you for the rampant butterflies and the
inability to catch your breath after finally getting on stage. “Next
time around” you think, we’ll be more prepared for that. However, real
life intervenes and two of our members are unable to continue with us,
so ‘next time around’ will have to be in a reincarnation with other
crazy singers who are prepared to challenge themselves and their nerves
in this Xtreme way. And there are dozens of other quartets all going
through this same process every year. Just think how much of an effect
this extra singing is having on your chorus sound – a wonderful
contribution from all of you.
Quartets are the cutting edge of the organization
so keep up the good work all you gals.
Juliana Kelly Lead – Wicked Women
 BlackJaQ
Another Convention come and gone! It’s true - time
really does fly when you’re
having fun… And Always Too Fast! I think we should
have a weekends’ preparation and a years’
celebration! Hmm…Okay, probably not a good idea,….
but worth a try!
J
Brisbane is certainly a beautiful place and the City
Hall was a great place to listen to and see the convention performances. It is so much fun meeting up with
friends we often don’t get to see for a year. Well-done to all the quartets and choruses that were there, often
the effort we make just to get up there on that stage deserves reward.
J
To the organisers, the RMT and behind the scenes members, thank you for
your hard work. To our 2006 winners, “Accolade Quartet” and
“Endeavour Harmony Chorus” Congratulations! You will both be excellent representatives of our
ever changing and growing region.
Our thanks to you all for the support you have shown
BlackJaQ, especially with our debut CD
“The Nearness of You”.
(which, by the way, you can still purchase, just contact us!
J)
www.blackjaq.com.au We have had a terrific year and we’re already looking
forward to seeing you all again in Brisbane, 2007! We may even see some of you at the November ‘Rumors’
Workshop! Hope so, til then, Sing well… x x x x
Jess, Kali, Carole and Linda
BlackJaQ
-2006
Silver Medalists
International Convention
Detroit 2005
In October PHC competed at the International SAI convention in
Detroit, Michigan. The convention was to be held in New Orleans, but
following the unfortunate devastation brought about by Hurricane Rita, a
huge effort was made by the International organising committee and
within 5 days, we were told that the convention had been relocated to
Detroit. After the many hours of hard work that the competing chorus had
put in, they were relieved that they could be on their way. 48 members
therefore packed their glitzy costumes, sparkling earrings and makeup,
and headed for Detroit. 
We had 5 days of fun, friendship and harmony, meeting and singing
with members of choruses from throughout the US, The Netherlands, the UK
and New Zealand. Old friendships were renewed and new ones were made and
we left Detroit with a feeling of satisfaction after a job well done.
Back to Top
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Barbershop Spectacular
On Saturday 10th
September, Perth Harmony Chorus joined  Men In Harmony, Vocal
Evolution and quartets Global Achord, BlackJaQ, Alliance and Nexus, in a
Barbershop Spectacular. On
that occasion PHC decided to join ‘The Fonz” at Arnold’s Diner for
a night of Rock ‘n’ Roll. We
all had a great time dressing up for the part and singing our 50’s
package to a packed house at Penrhos College.  We were
supported on stage by ‘The Jets’ from
a Northern Suburbs Dance Studio. The
kids rocked and rolled and even danced ‘The Sandman’ when we sang
the latest song in our repertoire ‘Sandman’.
It was a fun concert and thoroughly enjoyed by all.
Back to Top
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Five years of planning were finally realised at the beginning of
August. PHC had been after Kim Hulbert as a coach and she arrived on the
1st August. What anticipation there was on the risers and we were not
disappointed.
From the first rehearsal with Kim on the 3rd until the final one on
the 7th we were amazed at the skills of this dynamo who is the Master
Director of the International Champion Chorus, the San Diego Chorus. Kim
had us fine tuning our two competition songs paying so much attention to
every single note and chord. I guess that is the way she has lead her
chorus to the top.
 We moved to the Point Walter Convention Centre for a weekend of hard
work and play beginning on Friday 5th with an information session about
the art-form, chorus and individual responsibility, competition and life
there after and a myriad of other topics. Saturday morning was the start
of more intensive work on the two songs that the Chorus will take to New
Orleans in October. By the end of the day we were amazed at the sound we
were able to produce thanks to Kim's coaching. She has the most
wonderful ear for picking the point of error, the most wonderful voice
for demonstrating what she wants and the most wonderful manner when in
front of the chorus. Saturday night was something else, something
totally different - A Bourbon St Party complete with Pina Coladas and
Strawberry Daiquiris! Karaoke was very popular with groups and solo
performances throughout the night. Well done to our new Social Chair,
Aimee and her band of helpers.
Sunday morning it was back to work again. Kim further fine tuned our
songs and left us with the challenge of adding to her work and taking to
New Orleans a package that will knock everyone's socks off.
We were also very lucky to have the help of two lovely ladies from
the east in Robyn Naylor and Lorraine Stackpole. They worked their
fingers to the bone taking note of every word Kim said and producing
many documents that our members can refer to when practicing. What great
sisters in harmony we have.
Every coach who visits us from the States leaves us with so much of
themselves and Kim is no exception. We look forward to meeting up with
her in New Orleans and hopefully having her return to Perth in the
future.
Back to Top
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Well.... this was my first time attending a convention and not
competing. It truly was memorable, less stressful - YES; less tears -
NO!
The quartet contest was awesome. BlackJaQ was magnificent and their
win well deserved - they were all just beautiful and brought a lot of
people to tears! The girls did PHC so proud and I was sad that a lot of
our members couldn't be there to enjoy their performance, but PHC was
well represented and it was wonderful to have the company of those who
were there.
The feeling at the quartet competition was amazing. The whole
audience participated in the chants for all the quartets. The judges
LOVED the chant that erupted for 'Mad about yyyooouuuuu'. Mad About Ewe
looked gorgeous in their red dresses and sang a fantastic rendition of
'How You Gonna Keep Her Down on the Farm'. Intuition and Audacious from
PHC both did so well. Louise Richardson was great in her quartet debut
with Intuition and it was wonderful to see Jo Oosterhoff on stage after
some trying times. Western Australia was represented so very well and in
terrific style. Every quartet did an amazing job and it was great to see
the improvement in Batavia Coast.
 Not only did we enjoy the West Australian quartets
immensely, but
Accolade was terrific and as for Pitch Black - they came out of the
blue!! Harmony in Paradise was excellent. The Vibe (my old quartet from
Wagga) performed well on stage. The nerves were there with two of them
having never competed previously, but stuck to their plan and did
themselves and Murrumbidgee Magic very proud!!
The chorus competition was fabulous but over far too quickly. You
could hear the sigh in the audience when it finished - we all wanted
more!! Melbourne was amazing and took our breath away with their 603
point winning performance. Yarra Ranges was terrific and their newest
member, our very own Cathy Rainey, never missed a beat. I was very
honoured to present 5th place to Adelaide City Sounds. The work they
have put in certainly showed on stage.
 Other choruses that performed over the
weekend included: · The
Microphone Testing Chorus · The Quartet Chorus (what a treat when they
sang for us following the Quartet Competition and on Showcase) · The
amazing Directors' Chorus who sang Sound Celebration - this was a real
hoot. Andrew, the Director of Harmony in Paradise, dressed as a woman
and wore a gorgeous black dress, high heeled shoes, a wig and
accessories, and performed like you wouldn't believe - sporting a very
hairy chest and showing off his equally hairy armpits. It was FANTASTIC!
· The Regionettes (consisting of past and present Area and RMT members)
- we sang at the afterglow and did a hammed-up version of 'We Go
Together' with tiaras, black & glitzy, pink socks and joggers. We
had a ball and anticipate this chorus will grow in numbers by
approximately 4 members each year.
This was our very first annual convention and even though it was
small, it had a very intimate and special feeling. I wish you could all
have been there ...... thanks for the memories.
Yours in Harmony
Annette Connolly
Perth Harmony Chorus
Back to Top
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Forty-one members of Perth Harmony headed "down under" to
Darkan over the weekend of the 26th February to participate in the
inaugural A Cappella Exposure hosted by Mad About Ewe. Judy Cooper,
Jacquie South, Michelle Gooding and Loman South received grants from
Lotteries West, Healthways and Country Arts WA to stage the show
featuring PHC, Vocal Evolution, Audacious, Bad Habits and the Bill Mac
Trio.
Under a clear sky, the sound of a cappella singing rang out
captivating an audience who had travelled from surrounding districts
including Busselton.  Mad About Ewe opened the show that showcased the
variety of a cappella songs being sung around Perth. To conclude the a
cappella part of the show, all singers gathered on stage to sing an 8
part arrangement of Lida Rose/Will I Ever Tell You from The Music Man.
The show concluded with the Bill Mac Trio playing jazz for all to swing
to.
It was a wonderful weekend of music and fellowship and Perth Harmony
would like to thank and congratulate Mad About Ewe for having the energy
and courage to stage such a wonderful event.
Back to Top
January 25 was a special day for Perth Harmony as
they performed at the Australia Day OZ Concert held in Government House
Gardens in the evening. Joining a cast of around 400 was a thrill. The
organization was like a military exercise with artists moving on and off
the stage with speed so that the show appeared seamless. We donned our
Aussie flag shirts and performed our Voices Down Under Medley then
joined the cast in singing Advance Australia Fair in four parts. It was
a magical night, with the audience relaxing under the stars, waving
Aussie flags and appreciating the mix of cultural performances
throughout the evening. It was televised on Access 31 and broadcast live
on the internet. It is to be televised on SBS at a later date.
Back to Top
If you happened to have been in the city during the two weeks leading
up to Christmas, you may have seen a group of ladies dressed in bright
Mambo shirts wandering the streets. If you stopped to listen, you would
have heard them singing carols - some old, some new and some Australian.
Perth Harmony was once again thrilled to be associated with the City of
Perth and to be given the chance to share their music with the people of
Perth.
On the Sunday before Christmas PHC was invited to sing at the
inaugural Carols in the Cove presented by the East Perth Development
Authority. What a wonderful night it was and even though the audience
numbers were small, the spirit there was wonderful. Hopefully by next
Christmas the word will have spread and there will be a greater number
of boats at Claisebrook Cove to join in the celebration. Wouldn't it
look a picture if the boats were decorated!
Back to Top
What started as wishful thinking many years ago has
happened - an international barbershop educational event was held in
Perth. Voices Down Under saw the coming together of both the men’s and
women’s barbershop communities from around the world for five days of
education, entertainment and fellowship. Delegates from England, Canada,
USA, New Zealand, interstate and country WA and metropolitan Perth came
to soak up education presented by the 2001 Queens of Harmony of Sweet
Adelines International - Fanatix and Saturday Evening Post, 2004 fifth
placed medallists of SPEBSQSA.
From the opening barbecue around the pool at
Burswood Resort, there was excitement in the air from knowing that
something wonderful was happening. The Mucky Duck Bush Band got the
delegates moving and when the quartets sang, we all knew we were in for
something big.
Friday saw the education program begin and the
attendance of local music educators from both State and Private schools.
The evening’s entertainment had a definite international flavour with
the Cultural Exchange Concert for delegates. The STAR Chorus from the
USA performed, along with the He Tangata Chorus from New Zealand, the
Big Aussie Chorus from Australia, Perth Harmony Chorus, Men In Harmony
and Vocal Evolution all from Perth.
The education and rehearsals continued on Saturday,
culminating in the Voices Down Under Concert at the Burswood Theatre on
Saturday night. Our
international guests - Fanatix, Saturday Evening Post, STAR Chorus and
the He Tangata Chorus, joined our very own Perth Harmony and Men in
Harmony to treat the audience to a feast of barbershop harmony. The
finale saw individual members of the public from throughout Perth and
Regional WA join PHC and MIH to sing eight part harmonies. This was the
first time many of them had sung barbershop or performed on the stage at
Burswood.
There was a change of pace on Sunday for the
delegates. After a special church service, they headed to a Barbershop
Festival held on the Esplanade in Fremantle. The stage was graced by
many of the performers from the Saturday evening concert
and there were special appearances by groups from MLC and
Greenwood Senior High. What
a treat to see such young performers enjoying the art form – there’s
no doubt we will see more of them in the future.
A Gala Dinner at the Burswood was next on the
agenda on Sunday evening. What
a treat being piped into dinner by the Pipes of the Perth Army Band and
then dancing the night away with the Perth Army Band.
Monday morning came all too soon. The last
education classes were held and the farewells and thank you’s said.
All we are left with now is the mountain of information given to us by
the quartets, the gratitude of the delegates for having the courage to
stage such an event and the knowledge that barbershop is alive and well
in Australia.
Below are a few of the comments we have received
since Voices finished.
From Ellen Tominello from the STAR Chorus,
“We will all be forever thankful for YOUR invitation to come to
Australia and be a part of the Voices Down Under Cultural Exchange.”
From Connie Noble, Fanatix, “I can't begin
to tell you what a treat it was to be there for The Voices Down Under
"Happening". The Event, the people, the country, I
can't find the adjectives to describe how I personally feel about having
been there, how we were treated, how much fun we had, how classy the
event, every detail, working with Saturday Evening Post. It was
unbelievable!!!!!!”
From Pearl Webb, delegate, “Thank you for
all of the work and planning for a wonderful time in Perth. We had a
really awesome time and we would never have made the trip if it wasn't
for the 'convention'.”
From Heather Douglas, Brindabella Chorus,
“The teaching quartets, 'Saturday Evening Post' (SEP) and our own
wonderful 'Fanatix' worked so professionally, performed to their medal
winning best and would offer assistance every time they could - to
anyone. The classes were sensational - those not present will
encounter STRAW BREATHING before you know it. - Just wait!
I have never experienced such generosity and sharing of our craft
between both men and women at every stage of barbershop skill level. We
had so much fun as well - laughter and song (in great harmony) pervaded
every nook and cranny of the venue whether tags, scratch quartets or
voice matching and one on one assistance or quartets having practice.”
From Jennifer Squires, Lennox Headliners,
“More! More!! Oh what a blast. Who will forget moments like the sun
setting over the bush band by the Burswood pool, the slow motion pitch
taking lesson, the New Zealander’s Poi, conga lines to the fabulous
swing band, performing on stage with Perth chorus, the MLC girls,
singing with Fanatix, seeing the crowns and so much more. And what's
better than a superb international medal-winning quartet? TWO superb
international medal winning quartets!! With a ton of talent, knowledge
and warmth between them. Still
on a high and I'm yet to mention the fact that the education was
excellent and the hospitality and organisation of Perth chorus was
wonderful. Surely one of (if not THE) best events in my ten years of
barbershopping. As the sole representative from the north east quarter
of the country (and therefore chorus-less) I was wholeheartedly welcomed
into every circle. Thank you."
So if you missed it this time, don't miss it next
time the opportunity comes along. It might be in Perth or it might be in
New Zealand - keep your fingers crossed!
Back to Top
|
