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Now that it’s September, as a chorus, we shift into contest preparation mode. Though it seems that we practice the same two songs over and over, is that really true? Sure, to some extent it is. However, I know that Director Hayden does not want the chorus to become bored and tired, singing the same two songs and nothing else. That’s why John will make sure that there is variety in our rehearsals while at the same time making our two contest songs as good as we can make them. But why do we emphasize contest this way? In my opinion, the primary reason is to progress in our musical development. If we didn’t work hard to perform a couple songs to the best of our collective ability, would we ever improve our techniques and skills? Obviously we try to make good music for each annual show, but for the show we have many new songs to learn each year and we simply cannot concentrate on them all to fix as many shortcomings as possible. But we can do that to prepare for contest Participation in the contest also provides a chance to watch our fellow CSD choruses performing at the top of their games. It gives us a chance to see our CSD Gold Medalist friends from St. Charles, as well as our current International Quartet Champs. Don’t forget that they will be expected to perform quite a bit during the show weekend. |
CONTEST
PREPARATION 2006
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Contest attendance also gives a chance to meet old friends from other choruses, such as guys like John Whitehead who now sings with Fremont, and Jason Ryner who directs Mason City, just to name a couple examples. It gives us a chance to socialize among ourselves, to get to know each other better, to try out new restaurants and watering holes. And it is a tradition for the Harmony Hawks to be active contestants. In the years since I joined in 1980, there was only one year I can remember that the chorus declined to participate in contest. That was not because contest was in a town a long way away; instead it was because we had a new director who wanted the chorus to be better prepared than he thought we would be. What made that year and that director memorable was the fact that we did not participate in the fall contest experience. Though we’ve cried in our respective beers after many a contest, and sometimes wondered aloud what one judge or another was thinking, each experience has helped us grow in some way. And we have to recognize that the competition level continues to rise and we have to keep striving to stay with the better choruses in our district. So, I’m eager to get ready for contest. I’m eager to take that weekend trip to Wichita. I’m looking forward to watching the Ambassadors of Harmony, and the Voices of America (alias American Barberboys), the Heart of America Chorus, the Pathfinders from Fremont, the River City Chorus, and all the rest who will be scrapping to come out on top. And then I can’t wait to see Vocal Spectrum perform, and 12th Street Rag, and our guest chorus for next April, Three Men and a Melody. It’s one of each fall’s highlights for me. Harms continued on page 3 |