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Grand Rapids Great Lakes Chorus
Chapter History

GLC Album (active)- Recent History Photos and Articles

GLC News (retired)- Recent History Photos and Articles



2010 Oct GLC- 2010 Award To 1953 Chorus Champ Survivors And Their Families
John Baker, Pioneer Historian, "Recently with help from Roger Lewis and BHS Historian Grady Kerr, after 57 years the Society (the BHS aka SPEBSQSA) would like to recognize The Great Lakes Chorus and its surviving members Ted Wietke, Al Bytwork, and Ed Bloom on their 1953 Chorus victory."

They were then pinned as Gold Medal winners.


2010 Aug Preservation- 1953 Great Lakes Chorus International 'Convention' Championship Chorus
*Article corrections, Al Bytwork and Ed Bloom were in the 1953 GLC.  Ted Wietke is the correct spelling. Jack Schneider wasn't in 1953 chorus (correction noted in issue #4). Also Editor confirmed on 12/15/10 that both the original AND new Chorus Championship Trophies have the 1953 Grand Rapids Great Lakes Chorus engraved on them.


2010 Oct Preservation- Award To 1953 Chorus Champ Survivors And Their Families

2009-2005 Retired Director Curt Struyk

2009 Feb GLC- Showtime At Int Sr

2009 Winter Troubadour- Showtime Sr Int Reps (*wild card drawn)

2009 Winter Troubadour (b&w hi-res)

2009 May GLC- GLC 70th Anniversary part 1
1- GLC 70th Anniversary and the 66th Annual GLI with Special guests Indiana Harmony Brigade.

2009 May GLC- GLC 70th Anniversary Part 2
2- GLC 70th Anniversary and the 66th Annual GLI with Special guests Indiana Harmony Brigade.

2009 Aug Harmonizer- GLC 70th Anniversary

2008 Summer Troubadour (hi-res abridged)- Wildcard Wins Int Rep

2008 Oct GLC- Wildcard 2008 Int Reps

2008 Summer Troubadour (hi-res abridged)- Wildcard Int Report

2008 Summer Troubadour (hi-res abridged)- GLC Blood Drive

2008 Summer Troubadour- GLC Chapter News

2008 Summer Troubadour- GLC Derek Hatley 2007 BOTY

2008 Dec GLC- Derek Hatley 2007 BOTY

2008 Summer Troubadour- GLC High School Barbershop Competition & Spring GLI Show

2007 Nov/Dec Troubadour- Showtime caputures Bush League trophy

2007 Nov/Dec Troubadour- Michael Baribeau Troubadour Editor

2007 May/June Troubadour- Derek Hatley offers barbershop arrangements, learning tracks

2006 May/June Troubadour- QCA Profile: Wild Card, 2004 champs

2007 May GLC- 1st Annual High School Barbershop Competition and GLI Show

2006 May GLC- GLC 2006 Pick Up Quartet Contest part 1

2006 May GLC- GLC 2006 Pick Up Quartet Contest part 2

2005 May/June Troubadour- James C. Horton passed away

2005 May/June Troubadour- Wild Card proves dedication

2004 Nov/Dec Troubadour- Wildcard District Champs

2003 March/April Troubadour- GLC New Director Curt Struyk

2003 Jan/Feb Troubadour- GLC New Director Tom Wheeler page 18

2003 Jan/Feb Troubadour- GLC New Director Tom Wheeler page 19

2002 Aug/Sep Troubadour- GLC Int. 21st page 1

2002 Aug/Sep Troubadour- GLC Int. 21st page 15

2002 Jan/Feb Troubadour- GLC Int. Rep page 1

2002 Jan/Feb Troubadour- GLC Int. Rep page 20

2002 Sep Harmonizer- GLC Int. Rep Photo page 19

2002 Sep Harmonizer- GLC Int Rep Funniest Chorus page 25

2001 Aug/Sep Troubadour- GLC Reflections page 27

2001 Aug/Sep Troubadour- GLC Int. Rep page 1

2001 Aug/Sep Troubadour- GLC Int. Rep page 18

2001 June/July Troubadour- GLC Chapter Report page 30

2001 June/July Troubadour- GLC Pickup Quartet Contest page 29

2001 Dec Troubadour- Dan Casamatta 2000 Barbershopper of the Year page 24

2001 Dec Troubadour- Dan Casamatta 2000 Barbershopper of the Year page 25

2000 Dec Troubadour- GLC 2000/2001 Int Rep page 1

2000 Dec Troubadour- GLC 2000/2001 Int Rep page 25

2000 Dec Troubadour- Mike O'Donnell Hall Of Fame page 6

2000 Dec Troubadour- GLC Chapter Report

2000 June Troubadour- GLC 1999/2000 Int Rep Report page 1

2000 June Troubadour- GLC 1999/2000 Int Rep Report page 19

2000 June Troubadour- GLC 2000 District Champs page 1

2000 June Troubadour- GLC 2000 District Champs page 13

2000 Feb Troubadour- Dale Mattis 1999 Barbershopper of the Year

1999 Dec Troubadour- GLC 1999 Int Reps page 1

1999 Dec Troubadour- GLC 1999 Int Reps page 14

1999 Dec Troubadour- GLC Champs page 19

1999 Dec Troubadour- Shades Of Grey Sr Champs page 19

1999 Dec Troubadour- Shades Of Grey Sr Champs page 23

1999 Dec Troubadour- Shades Of Grey Sr Champs page 33

1999 Dec Troubadour- Shades Of Grey Sr Champs page 34

1997 Sep Harmonizer (photo)- One of the 1st Women BHS Int Chorus Directors: Ann Jarchow
(the 'very' first was the Houston Tidelanders' Betty Tracy in 1995)

1997 Sep Harmonizer (issue with photo but no report)- One of the 1st Women BHS Int Chorus Directors: Ann Jarchow page 23
(the 'very' first was the Houston Tidelanders' Betty Tracy in 1995)

1991 Nov Harmonizer- GLC toured New Zealand and Australia

1988 Nov Harmonizer- The Mystery Foursome with Ray Hall of the Harmony Halls and G. Marvin "Marv" Brower (see 1987 Nov Harmonizer)

1987 Nov Harmonizer- GLC Chapter Hall Of Fame
The inauguration of the Great Lakes Hall of Fame with induction of Harmony Halls quartet members Ed Gaikema and Gordy Hall (and posthumously Ray Hall and Bob Hazenberg), and tenor of the Pitch Pipers Emerson Sperling


1987 Nov Harmonizer- Upper left of cover The Mystery Foursome with Ray Hall of the Harmony Halls on far right(see 1988 Nov Harmonizer)

1987 Sep Harmonizer- The Ritz Audio Tape Ad

1987 Jan Harmonizer- Touch Of Clash! photo1986 District Champs

1982 May Harmonizer- At the Grand Rapids SPEBSQSA convention in 1942 Episcopalian blessing.
He said "Boys, you Can do it better than I can. Just sing the Doxology." Whereupon, and without hesitation, 500 voices sang it in good old· barbershop harmony. A newspaper reporter wrote about the incident: "It was onc of the most stirring things I've ever heard."


1981 Sep Harmonizer- The GLC Int Rep Photo

1980 Sep Harmonizer- B&L Exchange 1980 International Reps Photo

1980 Sep Harmonizer- Sounds Around 1980 International Reps Photo

1977 GLC- 1977 Pioneer District Chorus Champions Great Lakes Chorus

1974 Jan Harmonizer- Galaxies 1973 Pioneer District Champions

1966 March Harmonizer- the Presidents register. Past presidents of the Grand Rapids

1965 March Harmonizer- 1950 Harmony Halls USO/Barbershop Troop Tour

1964 Jan Harmonizer- Pete Elkins "Harmony Barber Shoppe" tonsorial parlor

1962 March Harmonizer- 1940 First Official State Contest Of Quartets Grand Rapids MI 1940

1954 GLC- 1954 Great Lakes Chorus posing with future President, Gerald Ford

2010 Oct Preservation- Award To 1953 Chorus Champ Survivors And Their Families
Report of 1953 surviving Great Lakes Chorus members pinned their Gold Medals 57 years later.


2010 Oct GLC- 2010 Award To 1953 Chorus Champ Survivors And Their Families
John Baker, Pioneer Historian, "Recently with help from Roger Lewis and BHS Historian Grady Kerr, after 57 years the Society (the BHS aka SPEBSQSA) would like to recognize The Great Lakes Chorus and its surviving members Ted Wietke, Al Bytwork, and Ed Bloom on their 1953 Chorus victory."

They were then pinned as Gold Medal winners.


2010 Aug Preservation- 1953 Great Lakes Chorus International 'Convention' Championship Chorus
*Article corrections, Al Bytwork and Ed Bloom were in the 1953 GLC.  Ted Wietke is the correct spelling. Jack Schneider wasn't in 1953 chorus (correction noted in issue #4). Also Editor confirmed on 12/15/10 that both the original AND new Chorus Championship Trophies have the 1953 Grand Rapids Great Lakes Chorus engraved on them.


1953 Dec Harmonizer- Why The 1953 Chorus Contest was not the 'first', page 9
"Chorus Contest At Washington- Last June at Detroit the winning chorus (Great Lakes Chorus of Grand Rapids, Mich. Chapter) was crowned Convention Chorus Champion. This title was decided upon because not all the Society's Districts were represented and not all the competing choruses had won the honor of competing by first winning a contest in their own District. This year at Washington, D.C. will be different. Each District has the privilege of entering two choruses, BUT they must be chosen by an intra-District Contest. In that way, the twenty-eight choruses competing at Washington, D.C. will be as nearly as possible the best the entire Society has to offer. Then, it will be justifiable to crown the winning chorus-SPEBSQSA International Chorus Champions."

Because of these distinction the 1953 International Chorus Contest was considered a onetime separate competition of those since 1954. For this reason the winning Chorus had the annotation "Convention" added to their title International 'Convention' Championship Chorus by the SPEBSQSA (now the Barbershop Harmony Society) to distinguish that contest from future ones. Therefore in 1953 the Grand Rapids Michigan Chapter Great Lakes Chorus was recognized as the first 'and only' winner of the International 'Convention' Chorus Championship while in 1954 the Washington DC Singing Capital Chorus was recognized as the first winner of the still running International Chorus Championship, and titled International Champion Chorus. Because of these subtleties the 1953 victory's place in history has been confusing. They're considered winners of 'a' BHS International Chorus Championship Contest but not 'the' BHS International Chorus Championship Contest. Although their name is engraved on both the original and replacement Chorus Championship Trophies used in the 'the' International Chorus Championship Contests since 1954, they did not receive their Gold Medal pins and the BHS Barbershop Harmony Society's history officially recognizes the following year's 1954 International Champion Chorus as the first. One update, in 2010 on behalf of the BHS the surviving members of the 1953 Great Lakes Chorus were presented with their Gold Medal pins, 57 years later, and also made available posthumously to the rest of the 1953 members' families.


1953 GLC- 1953 Great Lakes Chorus

1953 Sep Harmonizer- (photo) First International 'Convention' Chorus Championship

1953 Sep Harmonizer- (article) Grand Rapids Michigan Wins 'Convention' Champion Chorus

1953 March Harmonizer- Update Of Upcoming First International Convention Chorus Contest, page 7
There's been some debate as to 'when' the decision was made to distinguish the 1953 International winning Chorus (Grand Rapids Great Lakes Chorus) from all those to follow. Here is a quote from the rules 'before' the contest was held and is even quoted in an earlier Dec 1952 issue.

"Title- The title bestowed on the winning Chorus will be 1953 International 'Convention' Championship Chorus, not International Champion Chorus"

The reasons are stated in the 1953 Dec Harmonizer but some are also hinted here in this March issue that it was an 'invitational' with choruses chosen by their District President and not necessarily by District contest.

"Eligibility-Not more than two Choruses from each District will be eligible to compete. These may, or may not, include the current District Champions, according to the decision of the District President."


1965 March Harmonizer- 1950 Harmony Halls USO/Barbershop Troop Tour

1950 March Harmonizer- Tribute to Michigan (Pioneer) District
Includes a tribute to members titled "Michigan Hall of Fame" but this term seems to be being used loosely and not an officially recognized designation since it's regarding all the highlighted officer of those recent years.

1946 May Harmonizer- GLC's GLI show for 5000 people at Civic Auditorium

1946 Nove Harmonizer- Harmony Halls recording ad

1944 Sep Harmonizer- Harmony Halls 1st International Champs

1962 March Harmonizer- 1940 First Official State Contest Of Quartets Grand Rapids MI 1940