It was a real Rocky Mountain High -- that's what the RMD's "Aspen Barbershop Harmony Celebration was advertised to be, and boy, they weren't kidding! It was over the Memorial Day weekend, with good weather, spectacular scenery, and a hotel (and restaurant) not only first class but dedicated solely to the barbershop event! How on earth did the RMD get them to give us such a cheap rate? I understand "between season" rates, but... $60/night? They were open JUST for us! My kind of hotel!
I had wavered on going; I wanted to hear the mixed quartet competition, since it was the first time ever that a mixed quartet contest had been judged on real barbershop criteria. However, I've been to lots of barbershop events -- Bolton Landing, the Buckeye, and quite a few others including foreign affiliate barbershop conventions over the years... BABS in England (several times), NZABS in New Zealand (3 times), and once to SNOBS in Sweden. I'd always known pretty much what to expect... and this was a total unknown. BOY, AM I GLAD I WENT!
It was total immersion in barbershop, combined with a fabulous place to stay. Everyone stayed (and partied) at the Silvertree Hotel. From there to the front door of the Convention Center took half a minute! My hoteI room had a balcony with a log railing (and not a branch, but the whole doggone pine tree!)--when I left the balcony door open at night, the sound of the stream below chortled me to sleep; when I walked out on the balcony, the view of the snow-capped peaks was spectacular. Relaxing in the outdoor pool and saunas, floating on my back in the sun, gazing between pine trees at mountains while I listened to a quartet rehearse around the pool. YES! Getting to know judges at breakfast, lunching with quartets... people I'd seen and admired from afar, but never really met. It was a great "sharing" experience... I hope it never gets too big to lose that special quality.
For the contests, there was a full panel each of Society and Sweet Adelines judges:
SPEBS SAI Contest Admin...........Sam Barger (Nevada) Music....................Sylvia Alsbury (Arizona) Music...................Jim Kahlke (Washington) Sound....................Sharon Babb (Colorado) Presentation............John Coffin (Colorado) Expression (Ch)..........Mavis Burtness (Colorado) Singing.................Phil DeBar (California) Showmanship..............Tori Postma (Utah)
In between woodshedding in corners at odd moments (everybody -- judges, contestants, audience... everyone mixed and sang), there were three nights of shows. Bobby Gray Jr., the bari of TNT and director for the AIC Shows at SPEBS International each year, was Stage Production Manager for each of the three shows. Four headliner quartets appeared on each of the shows: the 1997 Sweet Adelines Queens of Harmony 4 Star Collection," SPEBS 1997 4th place medalists Bank Street, my favorite comedy quartet, Expanded Sound, and Chicago-area mixed quartet (and MHBQA member) Silver and Gold. Who all was there from the MHBQA?
Well, besides myself:
Photos can't begin to capture it all... here are some "word picture" memories:
And yes, there WERE other quartets of the non-mixed variety there... but for that, check out the RMD website page!