Plans for Thursday’s rehearsal
6:30 p.m. – Bohemian Red rehearsal “Down on the Corner,” “Hello, Mary Lou” and “Hard Days Night”
7:00 – Chorus Warmups
Rep review:
- Down On the Corner
- I Want to Hold Your Hand
- Happy Birthday
- A Little Help from My Friends
Intro: “Things are Looking Up”
Business & Break
Tag Time: “Please Don’t Give My Daddy No More Wine”
- Things Are Looking Up
- Daddy Sang Bass
The remainder of the rehearsal will be on starting to develop performance packages. We intend to have chorus members act as MCs between songs. We need volunteers for the following songs:
- “Love Letters”
- “I Feel A Song Coming On”
Gospel Song: “If God Didn’t Care”
KTWWS.
Together in Song Chorus
Kathy Good, widow of Dave Good, a former chorus member, has contacted us about an interesting public service opportunity, helping with new chorus. They are recruiting people living with chronic conditions, their care partners, and volunteers (willing to be companion singers or do event related tasks). A printable poster with more details is located at this link: Together in Song Volunteer Flyer-Final
Steve Nurre will conduct the chorus and Mary Nurre will be the accompanist.
Practices and the inaugural concert will be held in the Hallagan Center at Mercy Medical Center, 701 10th St. SE, Cedar Rapids.
Please contact Kathy Good, Director, Family Caregivers Center, at (319) 550-2664 or email [email protected] to register to sing or to volunteer.
Thanks to John & Jennifer Hayden
The annual family picnic was a great success with good food and fellowship, and of course, a little singing. Thanks to John & Jennifer for hosting, to Larry Hlavacek for bringing the beverages and organizing, and to all the spouses and members who brought the great food.
Contest registration, lodging
Here is the link for you to make your hotel reservations for contest. http://embassysuites.hilton.com/en/es/groups/personalized/S/STLEMES-CSD-20181010/index.jhtml
In the Quick and Easy Reservation for Attendees area a button marked “Book a Room” click on this button to make your reservation. The district is no longer taking a chorus housing list so each member has to make his own reservation. If you have questions or problems send Tom Zuber an email or call him at 362-3602.
You must make your reservation by Sept 11 to get the special contest pricing.More information about the contest at https://www.singcsd.com/upcoming-convention/
Your help needed for the Youth in Harmony Event fundraising
Our fundraising continues for the 2018 Youth In Harmony Event. The Festival is going to cost approx. $2500 to host. We are asking you to consider talking with those businesses and individuals that you’ve sold Chapter Show Ads asking them if they would consider becoming a Sponsor of this event at $50.We also encourage you each as members of the Harmony Hawks of becoming a $50 Sponsor as well.
We are hoping that we can get 50 individuals or businesses to be a $50 Sponsor to support this
important event. The donation forms and checks made out to the Harmony Hawks Chorus should be returned to Bob Kerdus.
Sponsorship letter
Sponsorship Form
Healthy Men Sing
The Des Moines Chorus is sponsoring Healthy Men Sing, at the Valley High School Performing Arts Center September 29. This event includes free voice lessons in the morning, work with clinicians Storm Front and Vintage Mix and a free show that evening.
Trivia Night
Our sister chorus, Metro Mix, is running a fundraiser that looks like a lot of fun. A representative from their chorus presented information last week at break. Trivia Night is schedule for Sat. Aug. 25, at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 149 Gathering Place Lane, Iowa City. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the event starts as 6:30. We are invited to bring a team or join a table there, $10 per person. For all the details, download the poster here: 
Renewals
This week we honor Bill Moss whose 11 years of service with the chorus includes outstanding leadership. Bill served as Chapter President from 2013 to 2015 and as Immediate Past President since then. He also heads up our Nominations Committee. He has two Men of Note. In addition, Bill annual leads the chorus in soliciting ads & donations during our Spring Show sales campaign. Thank you, Larry!
News from the Iowa Presidents’ Conference Call
Chapter Updates/News:
Mason City – River City Chorus Fall Gospel Show is planned for Dec. 30 in Osage. They had several church sing outs this summer. They are discussing doing a major outing for the chorus, which they have been doing these every 7 years, the last was a trip to New York where they sang at Carnagie Hall. Discussions for the next outing include taking the chorus to Harmony College or holding their own Harmony College at NIACC. They have experienced an increase in membership when they have theses major outings.
Sioux City – This Monday night they will have their fund raiser for Lathem Park. Blue Bunny donates ice cream for an ice cream social and they are joined by the Sweet Adaline chorus. Proceeds are split between the park and the Youth In Harmony program. Their annual show will be Sept 29 at Heelan High School. Vintage Stock is the headliner and a local quartet of former Morningside students will also perform. They will do some of their rehearsals at nursing homes between Thanksgiving and Christmas with a Christmas show also planned.
Des Moines – State Fair performance, Aug 12 was well attended despite the hot weather, with an estimated 150 in attendance, 6 to 8 visiting singers from Iowa City, Springfield, MO and Hershey, PA joined in for the final portion of the show.
Denison – Report sent by email:
The chapter held its guest night on August 6. There were 14 guests (12 male and 2 female) in attendance.
The schedule included everything a guest would encounter at a regular rehearsal:
- A quick voice assessment to determine if guest would sing lead or bass for the evening.
- Stretching exercise to focus the group.
- Vocal warm-up segment employing barbershop craft.
- Performance segment of three songs with guests observing chorus and providing feedback.
- “Lily Marlene” tag with everyone learning all four parts.
- Introduction of guests with each telling the group two things about themselves.
- Introduction of “I Don’t Mind Being All Alone” using learning tracks and left/right brain steps.
- Singing “I Don’t Mind Being All Alone” as a chorus so everyone could experience success.
- Elevator Talk by a chorus member relating something that had happened in his life.
Prior Event Planning:
- All members were given contact information for 34 former members from the past 11 years.
- The 13 active members were asked to submit contact information for three potential guests.
- A letter of invitation was mailed to 30 people with 14 of them attending the guest night.
Observations:
- I encountered five individuals who told me they were there only to observe and not sing. I asked them to sit in the chorus to observe and all were singing within 30 minutes.
- There was a wide range in musical backgrounds. Three had never sung while in high school, two were high school students with instrumental and vocal backgrounds, one sang in a community chorus, and a few sang in church choirs.
- I didn’t see a single person who looked bored. Everyone participated in the two-hour session.
- The guest night was promoted as a chance to test drive the chorus with as an invitation to return as many times as necessary to see if it was a good fit for their needs. Only one guest returned for a second visit. Unfortunately, he left for college a few days later.
- The chapter board will be evaluating the guest night at its August meeting.
Doug Horton, lead, has been a member of the chorus for three years. His profession is dentistry and he is active in a practice along with his son. Doug enjoys singing in quartets and has sung Singing Valentines for the past two years. Thank you, Doug, for all your contributions to the chorus. Photo by John Hayden.
