This page is maintained by Tom Arneberg ( toma@arneberg.com)
(Last modified: $Date: 2003/10/23 20:31:41 $)
For more info about MHBQA, email Kim Orloff at korloff@ix.netcom.com
(Last modiied: $Date: 2003/10/23 20:31:41 $)
We had some interesting times - like the first two rehearsals during heavy seas with the boat moving so much we couldn't stand to sing... we sat in chairs, and director Scott Werner, also battling motion sickness, directed from a stool in front of us! But the seas soon calmed down, each rehearsal got better, and eventually we did ourselves proud in two performances.
The first was on the island of St. George, Bermuda, where we were hosted in an evening performance at Ebenezer Church by several island residents who were former barbershoppers. There was quite a turnout, both locals from St. George and music lovers who had driven over from Hamilton - plus a few people from the ship who couldn't wait until our shipboard performance. The acoustics in the church were splendid; really improved our sound! And we got a standing ovation on our final number, The Battle Hymn of the Republic. Then chorus and audience gathered in the church's social hall for home-made cookies and lemonade, with lots of friendly chat and some impromptu quartetting on tags with the locals. After that, chorus members and our island barbershop-fan hosts all walked back to the White Horse Saloon, just at the entrance to our ship, where a table for 35 had been reserved. We proceded to sing and make merry into the night.
During the rest of our stay in Bermuda, we played tourist - sailing, swimming, SCUBA and snorkeling, sightseeing tours, and of course golf... being back on board each day at 4PM for a pre-dinner rehearsal. Although it was a small group - 34 total, with only 19 singers in the chorus - it had its advantages. With two tenors, five leads, four baris, a gazillion basses, and the inspiring direction of Scott Werner, we had a lot of fun. We got to be good friends with everyone in the group - we look forward to sharing more cruising adventures with each other in the future.
The second performance was on the final day at sea, during the return voyage to Boston, and we were ready to sing our entire repertoire. It was a standing-room-only audience (it had been listed in the Ship's Daily Newsletter, so many of the passengers attended - some were even there half an hour in advance to get front-row seats!) We included the audience in some singing; they did really well on I've Been Working on the Railroad and had a hilarious time singing Let Me Call You Sweetheart trying to leave out the pronouns. Scott and the chorus also did a demonstration of just what the barbershop parts sounded like, using Heart of My Heart.
To illustrate just what barbershop is all about, we pulled a quartet from the chorus, and explained to the audience how these four men were from different parts of the U.S., but that all barbershoppers had certain songs in common, and anywhere you went, you could find others to sing them with you. Mike Fultz (tenor from Virginia), Scott Werner (lead from Virginia), Bill McGonegal (bari from Connecticut), and Jerry Orloff (bass from California) introduced themselves, explained what they did for a living, and that they had never sung together before - then they did a great job on My Wild Irish Rose. The audience loved it.
Wearing their green and tan shirt as a uniform, the chorus performed 9 songs (music and learning tapes went out three months prior to the cruise.) Those songs were Darkness on the Delta, Lullaby in Ragtime, Heart of My Heart, This Is My Lucky Day, Bye Bye Blues, Softly As I Leave You, Coney Island Baby, Wait 'Till the Sun Shines Nellie, and Battle Hymn of the Republic. Just as in the church performance, our last number received a standing ovation. We had enthusiastic comments as people left the theatre, with even some inquiries about where they could find barbershop in their home towns.
Wonderful memories - a week of luxury with barbershop friends and the opportunity to sing barbershop... the perfect vacation!