Masters of Harmony

Masters of Harmony Update -- Fall 2009

Ron Larson, Oct 26, 2009

Over the years, Young Men in Harmony Chairman Mark Freedkin has helped make the Masters of Harmony's annual Young Men’s Harmony Festival a great success and a model for similar programs in other parts of the country. On September 19, Mark took part in the Southern Arizona Youth Festival, an all-day event held in Tucson, Arizona, and attended by about 200 young ladies and about 60 young men. While the young women worked with Anna-Lisa Glad from Sweet Adelines, Mark and 40-year barbershopper Connie Keil coached the young men. Each group rehearsed separately, performed their own songs separately, and then joined forces to sing a version of “Fun In Just One Lifetime” re-voiced for women. The success of this co-ed version of the Young Men’s Harmony Festival may inspire music teachers in other parts of the country to organize similar programs and help more teens see just how “cool” barbershop harmony really is!

The next morning, Mark caught a 6AM flight back to Orange County then, like other Masters members from all over Southern California, made the journey to the Sun Lakes Country Club in Banning to be part of a sold-out Masters of Harmony concert. Sun Lakes resident and Masters emeritus member Gary Ewald, who used commute from Banning to Santa Fe Springs every Wednesday night, made this return engagement possible. This time, the chorus came to him!

Masters of Harmony members enjoyed considerable success at the Far Western District Fall Convention held in Sacramento. The Edge took top quartet honors followed by The Crush (2nd) and The Vagrants (3rd), while Top-Notch won the Super Senior Championship. In chorus competition, The Westminster Chorus, including 24 Masters of Harmony dual members, dazzled the Sacramento audience just as it overwhelmed the huge international audience last summer in Wales when it won the prestigious Pavarotti Trophy as “Choir of the World.” Westminster’s winning score of 92.4% served notice throughout our society that it intends to bring chorus gold back to the Far Western District from next summer’s international contest in Philadelphia. Former MOH Director Dr. Greg Lyne led the Voices in Harmony to a strong second place finish, giving the Far Western District two choruses capable of achieving great success in Philadelphia.

Since the last report, FWD Chorus Director Development Chairman Dave Tautkus joined the Masters of Harmony.