PRESIDENT’S  PIECE     

 

Quite a lot has happened since the last edition of the Herald: Our Annual General Meeting has come and gone with only one change to the make-up of the Committee. Sadly, we lost Harm but happily gained Bob Stein who stepped forward to take control of the Club’s purse strings. With him coming from North of the Border it may be a wee bit more difficult to squeeze a few ‘bawbees’ out of the bank, but I look forward to working with Bob, and I am sure he will do a good job. We must all be thankful that he has offered his services to carry on where Harm left off.

 

Our trip to the Caves of Canalobre was a great way for all the members and partners to enjoy a day out in each others company. We really should have someone to organise events like this more often. Do I hear a volunteer?

 

Now, what about the Convention! TBH can now call themselves ‘Bronze Medalists’, coming third in the first Chorus Competition organised by SABS; a great achievement, with all the hard work paying off at last. Maybe it wasn’t as easy as some of us had first imagined it would be, and without the perseverance of Gail Grainger and Peter Field, we might not have got the same result, so, many thanks to them and to the Section Leaders who put in so much extra work.

 

There is a lot in the pipeline that should all come together very soon, and I will keep you all informed so that you will know what is happening.

 

With the resignation of Eddy van Steenkiste our website has lately been dormant, but I am happy to tell you that our Absentee Tenor, Steve Horsfall, has volunteered to redesign it and keep it up to date. Remember, it is your website, and you can forward any article that you feel appropriate to TBH, for Steve to add.

 

Don’t forget: this is the last Herald Jim Collins will be bringing out, so if you are literary-minded, or have a journalistic bent, why not try your hand at composing it. If you are interested, just let me know.

 

Tony Wagstaff  President, TBH.     

 

 

                           M.D’s DELIBERATIONS

 

BRONZE MEDALISTS!

 

How exciting was it to have our 3rd SABS Convention on our doorstep, in San Pedro de Pinatar last weekend. Guests from all over the world were welcomed, together with members from around Spain and Portugal . The quartet contest came first on Friday evening, with everyone covering their nerves and doing their best. TBH’s own members of ‘Eufouria’ did themselves proud. Saturday morning was the big day for choruses. TBH were 3rd on stage, and although nervous and excited all at the same time, Peter held them together and they came off stage having given a wonderful performance. You could feel the tension as the results were announced: “Torrevieja Harmonisers 3rd!” It was an excellent performance, especially for the first competition ever.              

 

On Saturday evening SABS presented a show with most SABS members performing. It was held in the Cine Moderno in San Pedro de Pinatar, and TBH had the honour of opening the show. It was an almost full house, and everyone loved it.

 

‘Hanfris’ from Barcelona walked away with a well-deserved Gold Medal in the quartet contest, followed by ‘Melomans’, new to barbershop, winning Silver, and the Torrevieja quartet ‘Fourmidables’ taking Bronze.

Onward and upward for next year in Benalmádena on the Costa del Sol .

 

Although SABS is just over three years old, it was proud to have already been accepted as an affiliate member of the Barbershop Harmony Society in America , the home of barbershop, and we were delighted that their Director of Education, Paul Wietlisbach, was able to attend the weekend’s convention.

 

It was great to have visiting choruses from the UK: Crystal Chords ladies’ chorus, and Grand Central men’s chorus from Greater Manchester, as well as the current gold medal men’s quartet, ‘Steel’, and the ladies’ gold medal champions, Miss-Demeanour. How lucky we were to have such an illustrious guest list at our 3rd convention.

 

Gail Grainger. Musical Director, TBH.

 

 

                                   EDITOR’S  ESSAY

 

I’ve given everyone else a new heading, so why not the Editor. In this case ‘Essay’ doesn’t mean one of those compositions so beloved of English teachers in school, taking instead the other meaning: ‘An attempt’, so if it turns out to be rubbish, just think of it as a brave try. 

 

As Tony said in his piece, this will be my last Herald. I really do think seventeen years is enough, so it’ll be up to you lot from now on. I launched this news-sheet, and I should be very sad to see it just die, so please, someone, take it on and grant it another lease of life. I’m very aware that the Herald could do with an upgrade, perhaps including a few illustrations, but my computer skills aren’t up to that. I’ll bet one of you lot can do a better job, and all it takes is for you to give it a go. I’ll help, if help’s needed to get it off the ground, and I assure you, bringing out the Herald is not an onerous task – a little time consuming maybe, until you get into the swing of it, but that’s all.

 

Tony and Gail have left me with little to add concerning the Convention. All I can remember when the chorus competition results were announced was the vivid sun-burst of emotion when I heard, ”In third place with Bronze: Torrevieja Harmonisers”, and I found myself jumping around, cheering and waving my arms in the air! I’ve never thought of myself as an emotional sort of bloke, but that was marvellous. Lord knows what I’ll do next year in Benalmádena when we get gold! I’ve registered already, and I urge you to do the same. It’s going to be just great!

 

Jim Collins, Outgoing Editor and chalk monitor.

 

 

Now, here’s something to interest musical newcomers:

 

Have you ever wondered why we sing ‘doh, ‘re’ ‘me’ ‘fa’, ‘soh’, ‘la’ ‘te’ ‘doh’? It was something that had puzzled me for some time, but a while back, when the Herald was still a squalling infant, I did manage to discover a wee hint or two.

 

It seems an 11th century Italian monk, Guido d’Arrezo, thought it up as an aid to singing, and although there have been a few modifications over the years, the scale is basically the same. Guido had the idea of dividing all musical notes into groups of six – the ‘Hexachord’ which has its present day equivalent in the eight-note Octave – and when seeking names for the notes in his ‘scales’ he decided to use the first syllables of a Latin hymn to St John, which was chanted in consecutive rising notes of his hexachord. The hymn goes as follows:

 

                                                Utqueant laxus

                                                Resonase fibris

                                                Mira gestorum

                                                Famuli tuorum

                                                Solve pollutes

                                                Labilis reatum.

 

Many years later, ‘Doh’ was introduced to replace ‘Ut’, the new version being considered easier to sing. Where ‘Te’ came from is still open to argument.

 

There, aren’t you glad you know that? Just imagine the pub quizzes you might win!

 

 

 

Sometimes I lie awake at night and I ask, “where have I gone wrong?”

And a small voice says to me: “This is going to take more than just one night!”

THE SECRETARY’S REPORT ON THE 2011 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

 

The meeting opened in a timely manner with the Chairman welcoming those members present.

 

The apologies for absence were noted and the approval of the minutes of the Meeting held in 2010 and also the minutes for the Extraordinary Meeting held in the same year were quickly approved.

 

The Chairman reported on his first year in office which had not been without incident and included the resignation of Graham Lewis and the subsequent successful appointment of Gail Grainger as Musical Director. The Pig Roast had been a disappointment clashing as it did with an England World Cup football match and would not take place again given the low attendance. There is the possibility of a change in the administration at the Rojales Town Hall which would mean having to re-establish the Club’s relationship with new authorities.

 

The Chairman bade a fond farewell to Harm Reddingius who had done excellent work as Treasurer and also acknowledged the work done by our Past President Dudley Jones in the audit of the Accounts over the years which may well be the last audit undertaken by Dudley given the requirements imposed on the Club by the Statutes.

 

The Secretary much to most members’ pleasure had as usual nothing to report. The Accounts were presented by Harm Reddingius and showed the Club to be in a good financial position although post the Annual General Meeting there are some potential significant spends coming through which will require prioritizing and careful consideration by the committee and the new Treasurer.

 

The Musical Director presented her first report since taking over the role in the autumn of last year reminding members of the commitment which they had shown not only to singing in general but with regard to the two songs chosen for the chorus competition at the SABS Convention in April and how in her position as Musical Director of both Spangles and TBH she would love to be able to lead both choruses to Gold and Silver medals next month. How many members noticed the comment made by the Musical Director regarding the absence of tenors and her future involvement with the Club in the absence of progress being made in the training and identification of people to sing this particular part? The Committee is now actively putting in place a plan which it is hoped in the long term will help to resolve this particular problem and retain the much needed and appreciated Musical Director’s services. 

 

The Musical Director then spoke about the Barbershopper of the Year Award and in doing so acknowledged the work done by Peter Field following the resignation of Graham Lewis without which the future of the Chorus would have been very uncertain indeed. She however went on to say that on this occasion the award would be given to  Rob Serle who inter alia is totally committed to the chorus, always has the best interests of the chorus at heart and puts in a lot of time and effort in away from the chorus. Rob Serle expressed his appreciation and gratitude.

 

The Statutes as amended together with the revised Rules covering disciplinary matters were approved by the members without comment or question. How times change when I recall the rancour and subsequent rejection of the suggested disciplinary procedures at the Annual General Meeting in 2009. The Past Chairman Dudley Jones and I together with Carlos Allemand an Honorary life Member spent a not inconsiderable amount of our free time on these documents which was made more difficult as the Statutes are written in their original language. Meetings took place with the Communidad’s lawyer in Alicante and other separate meetings with Carlos were held at his home in Alicante . 

 

The process is nearly complete and all that remains to be done (I hope) is the successful lodgment of the new document with the appropriate authorities in Alicante together with the minutes of this Annual General Meeting translated into Spanish. (Members should be aware that this work has been achieved to date without any costs being incurred apart from travelling expenses and the non involvement of solicitors on our behalf which would have had a detrimental affect on club funds. I must at this stage thank Dudley for his assistance and wise counsel over the last two years without which I could have been reporting very differently. Thanks must also be passed to Carlos Allemand for the giving up of his time and helping to arrange and attending the necessary meetings with the lawyer).

 

The Chairman reminded everyone that Harm Reddingius was returning to Germany ; in his place Bob Stein had kindly offered his services and allowed his name to go forward for the position of Treasurer. The officers and members of the committee were elected for 2011/12.  i.e. President Tony Wagstaff, Secretary Christopher Ibbetson, Steve Harper taking on the role of Membership Secretary and Rob Serle serving as Voting Member. Bob Stein was duly elected as Treasurer. Gail Grainger was formally confirmed as Musical Director.

 

The Chairman then reported on the details of the Chorus Support and Show/Music Committee indicating at the same time that a website manager remained to be identified. The Past Chairman Dudley Jones said that he would take on the role of Section Leader of the Baritones.

 

After a poll the Award for Special Achievement was presented by the Chairman to Richard Biurnse-Powell who is a long time supporter of the Club, regularly travels long distances to attend rehearsals and is also currently fighting health issues. Richard Biurnse-Powell responded with thanks and gratitude.

 

The meeting was declared closed by the Chairman at 10.50am.

 

 C H Ibbetson

16 April 2011

 

 

 

Here’s another interesting thing:

 

When you hear a politician or a banker use the word ‘Billion’, think on this….

 

A billion seconds ago it was 1960.

 

A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

 

A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

 

A billion days ago there wasn’t a single warm-blooded creature walking on two feet on this planet.

 

A billion pounds ago was only 13 hours and 12 minutes at the rate most governments spend it.

 

 

And talking of money…

 

“Having money doesn’t amount to much, but having a LOT of money…ah, well, that is quite another thing.”

 

(Anon.)

Contribution to Harmonisers Herald

 

‘A view from the other side.’

 

A few days have now gone by since the SABS convention in San Pedro and we have all had time to catch our breath and reflect on the weekend’s activities.

 

A number of us were wearing two hats over the weekend, both as organisers and participants, but this did not stop us getting involved in the Competitions/ Shows/ Coaching/ Afterglows/ AGM and the Socialising; we had a great weekend and even found a few hours to sleep !!

 

It was clear from the reaction of members who stayed for the AGM and approved our application to become an affiliate of the Barbershop Harmony Society, to increase the annual SABS subscription from January 2012 to 15 euros and to hold our 2012 En Armonía convention in 2012 in Benalmádena on the Costa Del Sol, that they also had a great time.

 

On top of this TBH won the Chorus bronze medal and our MD’s other Chorus, Spangles won GOLD, so we have every reason to celebrate a successful weekend.

 

Your convention team has received many complimentary emails about En Armonía but we are not complacent and recognise we have lessons to learn to make 2012 an even greater success.

 

In 2012 we will be using one hotel, The Sunset Beach Club on the sea front in Benalmádena, for all SABS members and our guest choruses; why not have a look at the hotel and its great facilities on

www.sunsetbeachclub.com

 

The only other location we will be using will be the Fortuna Theatre, at the five star Hotel Torrequebrada, for our Competitions and Shows. This theatre is only 8 minutes walk away from our hotel.

 

These location choices will ensure we have excellent building blocks on which to create a memorable convention which will run from Thursday 22^nd March to Sunday 25^th March 2012 .

 

If you register for En Armonía 2012 before 31^st May, we have an ‘early bird’ registration fee of only 25 euros, from 01 June this will cost 32 euros, a saving of 28% !!

 

Please make a note of this date in your diaries and register early, we promise you another great Convention.

 

Tony Colgrave.

 

 

And now, while we’re on the subject of holidays…

 

Two holidaymakers, making their way through Wales and having reached Llanfairpwllgwyn..etcetera, decide to stop for a burger. They’d been arguing about the proper pronunciation of the place-name, and so, as they went up to order their meal, one of them said to the girl on the till, “would you mind telling us where we are, and please, would you pronounce it slowly, carefully, and clearly?”

 

The girl sighed and rolled her eyes heavenwards.

 

“You’re in Bur-ger-king.”

 

 

A news item – not to be taken seriously:

 

In one of the tabloids the other day (so it might almost be true) I read that Muslims in one of the presently turbulent North African countries were protesting vociferously because a Royal Navy ship had been sent to evacuate stranded British people. Apparently they considered it an insult that the vessel bore the name of a PORK sausage - HMS Cumberland!

 

 

 

A woman driving in America spots an elderly Indian woman hitch-hiking, and stops to give her a lift. They drive on for a while in silence before the old Indian, looking over her shoulder, sees a box on the back seat. 

 

“What’s in the box?” she asks.

 

“A bottle of very good wine,” the driver tells her. “I got it for my husband.”

 

The old Indian lady is silent for a while, then she nods sagely. “You made a good trade.”

 

                                 WHAT  A  RESULT

                              

                                  By Peter Field

First, I must thank the SABS committee and our own Club committee for all their hard work in actually getting us there to compete in San Pedro. Gail was heavily involved in all aspects of the weekend from the very beginning, and had in addition the responsibility of preparing two choruses for the contest. Despite all the trials and tribulations she suffered with TBH, I am sure she is well satisfied with the overall result. Having said that, many, many congratulations to Spangles for achieving Gold status.

 

From our own point of view I was delighted, not only with Bronze, but with our performance in general. Going into the weekend, my biggest fear was that we would not get either tune-up or start notes. I couldn’t sleep on Friday night, and at 3am Saturday morning I stood on my balcony and decided to try blowing the Lead start note. Thankfully it worked, and my confidence increased! The only remaining worry was the re-vamped ‘key-change’ in ‘Come Fly’, particularly ‘lovely day’. Despite all Gail’s, mine, lead’s and tenor’s efforts, we never managed to quite make it gel. Then up came that Gold-Plated tenor Andy, from ‘Steel’, who suggested I should get the leads to sing ‘weather wise’ a little lower, and after 4or5 duets I think the word ‘Eureka’ would be appropriate.

 

Once we arrived at the Collegio the organisation was excellent, with a small transition from changing to contest stage. In the warm-up room it was again ‘step forward that Golden Nugget from Steel’, advising me: “Peter, once you’ve got the tune-up right, swell it, and it will sound more confident.” How right he was.  

 

At this point in the proceedings Directors will, from my experience as a singer, remind everyone to ‘smile, use your faces and bodies, and commit totally for your six minutes on stage’, and once again – not actually on stage of course – I received words of encouragement from Andy and rallying calls from within the chorus.

 

It has been a great step forward for TBH, setting a bench mark from which we should spring forward. The Music Team can provide direction and sectional support, but each and every one of you must play your part. In your own homes and in sectional practices is where you learn words and notes; rehearsals are for putting it all together and fine-tuning any discrepancies.

 

Your commitment is needed, starting NOW, if we are to compete next year.

 

In closing I would like to thank all of you for your support and attention on the day of the contest, with a special thanks to Andy, not only for singing with us, but for the confidence he instilled in us all in such a short time.

 

Peter.

 

Now, here’s something you might not have noticed:

 

Look in your diaries, and you’ll see that this year’s July has 5 Fridays 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. This only happens once in every 823 years and in traditional lore is known as ‘Money Bags’. Don’t ask me how it comes to be a tradition if it happens so very infrequently!

 

And finally, from me anyway….

 

Sex and Insurance

 

Sex with your wife……………..Legal and General.

 

Sex with your future wife………Mutual trust.

 

Sex with your secretary............Employer’s Liability.

 

Sex with a prostitute………..…Commercial Union.

 

Sex with a girlfriend…………...Standard Life.

 

Sex with someone different…..Go Compare.com

 

Sex with a transvestite………..Confused.com

 

 

A little observation with which to bid you all adieu:

 

“My cat’s pretty old now. He’s beginning to lose his fur, so he’s taken to combing his tail over the bald spot.”