GLC News

February 2008   

It’s getting closer to my favorite barbershop time of the year, Singing   Valentine’s!  The Great Lakes Chorus is getting geard up.  At   rehearsals our director Dr Curt Struyk lines us up in 4 columns of pickup   quartets as we do a round robin, singing halfway through Let Me Call You   Sweet Heart or Song Of The Rose and then another quartet steps up and   sings the other half.  Several different group combinations get tried in   quick succession this way and is a lot of fun.     We’ve updated our online Singing Valenetine order form to streamline   the ordering process.  We’re also trying something new with the cameras.    Instead of taking photos of each Singing Valentine with a Polaroid   we’re going digital and uploading the photos to our online album.     February 16th a bunch of us are car pooling to Power Play’s Farewell   Show in St Clair.     And in March some of us are heading to the Indiana Harmony Bridade to   compete.     We’ve got a date for our annual Spring Great Lakes Invitational show   for May 10th!  The same day as the BHS Singing For Life Blood Drive so   we’re looking into doing the blood drive on another day.  Our GLI show   theme is mothers and our Music Librarian Derek Hately has already   received/ordered many of the practice tracks or made them himself.     Starting out as an exciting year! 

February 2008   

by Gary Branch,   GLC & Shades Of Grey  Great Lakes Chorus   

Hi to you all.  Here it is and we are planning another Michigan   Barbershop Picnic.  This year we are holding it at Bernie and Marilyn   Poelmans.  They live in Ponta Gorda near the airport just off I-75.  The date   is Thursday, February 21, 2008 and we will plan on getting together at   12:00 noon.  I realize that I’m sending this message to many unable to   come, but this just keeps you in the know.  If any of you are planning   on coming down, email me and I will give you directions to the site.    For the rest of you, we will miss you and maybe someday you can be a part   of this.     And now the rest of the story.  Directions to Bernie Poelman’s home.    Take I-75 to exit 161 which is the airport exit at Ponta Gorda.  Turn   left or east and go about 3/4 miles to Ventura Lakes, a mobil home park.    Turn left into park and follow road to the Clubhouse which will take   you through 2 4-way stops.  The clubhouse will be on your left.  Plenty   of parking.     Although this is primarily Michigan, all are welcome.  For more info,   you can Email me Gary Branch or call 941-423-0476 or my cell,   616-540-7376.     Hope to see many there.

January 2008   

by Jim Gillette, President 

The Great Lakes Chorus is beginning a search to replace its current   director who will be leaving by the end of the 2008 calendar year. Current   director, Dr. Curt Struyk, will be retiring as director and the   chapter will need to have someone in place no later than January, 2009.     The Great Lakes Chorus is a very active chapter in the Grand Rapids   community, has become increasingly competitive in recent years, and has   begun to draw more and younger members to its risors over the past   several months. This is an excellent opportunity for anyone who has skills as   a director and a passion for barbershop singing.

December 19, 2007

by Jim Gillette, President  

2008 Great Lakes Chorus Board Members were installed Dec. 19, 2007.    The Installation Ceremony and potluck dinner were held at the Forest   Hills Presbyterian Church near Grand Rapids where we rehearse.  Our honored   guests were Pioneer District President, Raleigh Bloch, and his wife,   Jean.  Raleigh presided over the installation ceremony (pictured here)   and offered some words of inspiration to our chapter members.

President - Jim Gillette
Immediate Past President- Bud Kraft
Secretary - Eric O’Brock
Treasurer - Jack Schneider
VP Chapter Development - Bill Robbins
VP Marketing - Orson Coe
VP Music & Music Director - Curt Struyk
VP Special Events - Paul Slack
Youth-In-Harmony - Ralph Mueller
Chorus Manager and
Chorus Notes Editor - John Trestrail
Music Librarian - Derek Hatley
Webmaster - Michael Baribeau
Board Members-at-Large:
Al Smith
Doug Weaver
Derek Hatley
Jeff Chesnut
Barbershopper Of The Year- Derek Hatley

December 19, 2007

by Ralph R. Mueller,
Great Lakes Chorus 2006 BOTY

The Grand Rapids Chapter announced Derek Hatley as 2007 Barbershopper   of the Year at its Annual Chapter Banquet this past December 11.  Derek   has been an active member of the chapter for many years, serving on the   Board in several capacities, currently as Chorus Music Librarian.    Derek also produces most of the learning tracks for the chorus, and does   quite a bit of arranging for the chorus and for quartets of the chapter.    He also plays a vital part in scheduling Singing Valentines, taking   most of the orders and coordinating the times and locations for   Valentines, and providing maps for the various quartets.      The Grand Rapids Chapter just this year revised its procedure for   selecting Barbershopper of the Year, in order to  recognize contributions   that are often overlooked, and to give greater weight to members’   long-term efforts to promote, preserve, and encourage barbershopping.  As a   previous winner of the Society’s arranging contest, and as an avid   promoter of new technology in improving and refining the barbershop craft,   Derek was among those receiving the highest number of votes from the   membership.  Derek’s participation this year in sing-outs and competitions,   and his tireless work for the chapter and for barbershopping as a   whole, were taken into account by the panel of the five previous winners of   the BOTY Award.  The Grand Rapids Chapter is pleased and proud to   recognize Derek as its 2007 Barbershopper of the Year.

Norman had retired from the GLC some years ago but it was still a big part of his life and in fact compelled his family to ask if the GLC could sing at his funeral.  The last minute request came after the chorus had gone on winter break but a pick up quartet of chorus members was able to sing.
 
The visitation room had a poster board with a couple dozen photos with family and photos of Norman as a WWII Navy Officer.  There were 3 brass Fire Department badges pined to the board, Georgetown Asst. Chief, Hudsonville Chief, and Muskegon Township Chief.  In the open casket he wore his Fire Chief’s uniform and folded beside him was his awarded American Flag. 
 
Displayed at top of the board was his SPEBSQSA sticker and a photo at the Sydney Opera House of the International Chorus Runners-up, The Great Lakes Chorus.  The chorus was invited to the international Music Festival in July 2nd 1991, early into Australia’s membership in the BHS.  When I asked which one in the picture was Norman one of his grandaughters stepped up and said, “That’s easy, he’s the one with the big ears”, 2nd row, just on the director’s right. 
 
The eulogy was very sweet.  He was described as quiet, proper, appreciative and that one of his catch phrases were, “That was just dandy!”  They talked of Norman’s service in the Navy and Fire Department, that he was a left handed 3rd baseman nick named “hinge”, and a barbershop baritone for the Great Lakes Chorus. 
 
The pick up quartet with bass John Baker, bari Ralph Mueller, lead Bud Kraft, and tenor Jim Gillette sang a stirring Sweet Hour Of Prayer.  And at the end the mourners all sang Face To Face.  On their way out the quartet received from Norman’s family compliments and handshakes of sincere gratitude. 

OBITUARY GRAND RAPIDS PRESS
 
Norman Elenbaas, aged 82, of Hudsonville, passed away Monday, December 17, 2007. He was preceded in death by his wife, Estelle on March 25, 2004. He is survived by his son, Steve Elenbaas; his daughter, Noreen and Chris Midgley; his grandchildren, Erin, Becky, Andrew, and Ben; his brothers and sisters, Esther and Harris Rillema, Peter and Joanne Elenbaas, Mary Lou De Went, Eldon and Evie Elenbaas; his sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Hermina Minnaar, Twyla Elenbaas, Gert Vruggink, Lee and Gail Muilenburg; nieces and nephews. Norm was the owner of Hudsonville Dry Cleaners for over 40 years, and was a veteran of WWII. Funeral and committal services will be held Thursday at 11:00 a.m. at the VanderLaan Funeral Home with Pastor Stan Drenth officiating. Interment Georgetown Cemetery. Friends may meet with the family at the funeral home Wednesday 4 to 7 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. The family would like to express a special thanks to the staff of Sheldon Meadows for all the loving care given to Mr. Elenbaas. VANDERLAAN-HUDSONVILLE
 

by Michael Baribeau, Grand Rapids Chapter Webmaster

Attending the holiday season festivities is great fun but ‘participating’, now that really puts the rose in your cheeks and the spirit in your heart.
 
December 8th, 2007, we held our 11th annual Grand Rapids Barbershop Chapter Great Lakes Chorus Christmas Show, Christmas Eve In My Home Town, directed by Dr. Curt Sturyk and Guest Director Rev. Ralph Mueller at the St Cecilia Music Center (recently changed from Society to Center) on 54 Ransom St. NE.  It was a nearly sold out show filling the ornate Royce Auditorium’s 650 seats.  The size brings an intimate experience for the audience as well as those on stage.  I especially enjoyed the acoustics with 33 members on stage filling the place with our holiday harmonies.  Also performing was quartets Barbershop Style, Grand River Serenade, Haromony Transfer, and Wildcard.
 
The chorus and quartets wore long sleeve pullovers of red, green, or white scattered throughout the risers like Christmas tree ornaments.  We had an old fashioned town stage-set behind us complete with barbershop and pole.
 
The first half of the show was mostly secular music beginning with the show’s title song Christmas Eve In My Home Town.  We ended the first half with the always popular and fun barbershop arrangement of the 12 Days Of Christmas including an appearance by our very own elf, Paul Slack.  Instead of 5 golden rings our 5 showboat baritones got hosed into submission with a volley from several cans of silly string. And with that a roar of applause ended the first half of the show. 
 
The second half opened with performances by the very impressive 30 men and women’s member chorus Jenison High School ChamberSingers directed by Les Rowsey, Student Intern Corie Brown and accompanied on piano by Marti King.  The Jenison Public Schools had been honored as having one of the top 100 school music programs in the United States.  The gentlemen wore black tuxedos and the women in black full length sleeveless tunics over white gowns.  They sang Two Early Christmas Carols, Sing We Noel Once More-arr. Smith, Sing We Now of Christmas-arr. Prentice, and Winter Wonderland-arr. Lojeski. 

The Great Lakes Chorus and member quartets then returned, this time performing spiritual Christmas numbers such as the chorus singing The Virgin Mary and Lo, How A Rose. 

During Wildcard’s moving Mary, Did You know, all the auditorium’s winter coughs and sniffling stopped and at a dramatic pause all 650 audience members were completely silent.  Wildcard received a standing ovation for this song, only partway into the concert’s second half.  The chorus director Curt Sturyk who is also Wildcard’s baritone stepped up to the mic to introduce the next song and drew chuckles of agreement from the audience as he rubbed out the goose bumps from his arms.  But the GLC kept the emotional momentum going with a stirring performance of a sweet carol Still, Still, Still arranged by chorus member Derek Hatley who also arranged 2 other songs in the show, Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree and Once On David’s Royal city. 

We closed the show with the GLC and JHSCS choirs together on the risers singing Do You Hear What I Hear to an enthusiastic standing ovation. 

I turned to one of the young men from the ChamberSingers to shake his hand and he said after school he’d like to sing with the GLC.  Merry Christmas indeed! 

After the show the chorus mingled with the audience.  A pick-up quartet formed in the lobby and sang love songs to the gushing girls. 
 
Then for the Afterglow it was just a convient walk across icy street to the One Trick Pony for drinks and pizza. 
 
Still fired up from the show, quartets Barbershop Style, Grand River Serenade, and Wildcard sang to the chorus and their dates and wowed all the other customers as well. 
 
one young man, one of our newest members, was actually teaching tags to a large group of us gathered in the middle of the dinning room.  It was late and many of the bistro’s regulars had already gone home.  Standing in a circle we stared down at our collection of brown loafers and glossy black tuxedo shoes as we listened and learned our parts for that 20 seconds of harmony, a night of commrodery, and a life time of fond memories.  

The Grand Rapids Barbershop Chapter The Great Lakes Chorus and member quartets performed a Christmas show at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans December 5th, 2007. We started having our first snow of the year about a week ago so the ground was covered in white with the cold night air. The hall was their multi-purpose room which had a shuffleboard court on the floor and lighted bingo display signs on the walls. There was a small but grateful audience of vets, their families, and staff. Plus the rest of those in the home physically unable to attend the concert saw it on their closed circuit TVs. During the warm-up we had many early arrivals already in their seats. One vet with CD player in hand heard us singing, burst into the room and was moved to shout out a few joyful notes. Caught up in the excitement he then came up front and together with our director Curt Struyk directed us in a song. We were introduced on stage by one of our newest additions to the GLC, Fred Jost, who’s also a barbershop barber (no joke) for the GRHV. The chorus and quartets were decked out in a variety of red and green Christmas neckties with images of Santas and snowmen on them. The chorus sang several holiday songs including Jingle Bell Rock and Joy To The World. Member quartets Grand River Serenade, Barbershop Style, and Harmony Transfer each sang a couple songs of the season as well. At the end, walking off stage into the audience of wheelchairs filled with frail looking vets, we were greeted with warm hearty handshakes and merry Christmas well wishing.