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C2 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, May 23, 2001 Award-winning chorus presents its first cabaret B y C a ro l B a ld w in ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR he Circle of Harmony's repertoire struck a chord with the judges at the annual, regional competitions of the Sweet Ade lines Association International. The all-w om en barbershop chorus from Oakville brought home second prize from the recent competitions in Syracuse. Not bad for a four-year-old chorus with only two other region al competitions under its belt and 17 other cho ruses contending for the awards. The regionals included 27 choruses - 1,800 singers - from upper New York State and Ontario, competing in one of three categories under 40 members, 40 to 65 members and over 65 members. "It's the largest region in the whole Sweet Adelines organization," says Jackie Bowles, a baritone and performance manager for the Circle o f Harmony. "Within this region, we have the North Metro chorus. They won in this region and they have also won internationally. So, I would say, they're the best chorus in the world." The four judges at the regional competition one each for sound, performance, music, and expression - had the daunting task o f deciding which choruses not only sounded best, but looked best, projected enthusiasm and incorpo rated complementary choreography. Like their male counterparts, Sweet Adelines harmony choruses are divided into four singing parts - lead, tenor, bass and baritone. Bowles says barbershop music is probably written in those voice classifications because it was origi nally meant for m en's voices. But women have no problem slotting their soprano and alto voices in the appropriate vocal grouping. "I guess four-part harmony is just indigenous to barbershop," she says. "We sang with a church group a week or so ago. We did one song with them, but their music is written quite differently." W hat isn't indigenous to barbershop, she adds is old-fashioned songs. The Circle of Harmony doesn't just sing songs from the '30s and '40s. It tackles anything written in four-part harmony, from golden oldies to movie favourites such as Footloose and Can You Feel the Love. And the number of singers in the chorus does not have to T Photo by Ron Kuzyk The Circle of Harmony chorus, which recently earned second prize at the regional competitions, is now practising for its upcoming cabaret. divide evenly by four. "The bass and the baritones should be stronger. So, you probably need more o f those than you would tenors, because the tenors' notes are so high and piercing, you really don't need as many," she explains. "The only criteria for join ing our chorus is the vocal tests in which you take the songs and make sure you can hold your harmony p art.. .You have to sing a song with the three other parts." So, Bowles says, the chorus is always looking for women who like to sing. Their voices, she adds, will improve with practice, since chorus director Carol Shields is a teacher at heart, mak ing sure each member is breathing and singing correctly. And the choristers seem to get hooked on the barbershop style, which adds to the enthusiasm that makes for an award-winning chorus. In fact, says Bowles, two nursing mothers went to the regionals, babies in tow, because they didn't want to miss the competition. Bowles, who sang as a child while her mother played piano, was drawn into barbershopping inadvertently when she went to read and sing for a part in a play. Although she didn't get the part, she did meet someone at the audition who belonged to a singing group and suggested she give it a try. And she's never looked back. "I decided I wanted to sing. I wanted to harmo nize...I decided that it would be fun to do this. I've been doing it now for 25 years," she says, explaining that she originally belonged to Metro North's "best chorus in the world," but prefers O akville's more intimate environment. "The standing ovations were wonderful but I like the energy of this chorus...You can't get lost and it's not as claustrophobic. You have a better barometer (See `Love' on page C 3 ) Catcl> A Dream QaiaAM^ 1 gkopp^ I U P oaJ ^ z ^ O a J iiu lle ^ b ia e M £ cu! mz JleM osil Z a jg Q g 7 a i 3 Childcare and Development Centre MONTESSORI SCHOOL We are a brand new facility offering a wide variety of programs for all ages Toddler Care, Preschool, JK/SK, Before & After School and Summer Camp W Licensed through (tie Ministry of Community and Social Services Transportation to and from local schools Healthy nutritious meals and snaclis prepared on the premises OPENING SEPTEMBER 2001 ABBEYWOOD MONTESSORI The most important years for learning are from birth to sixyears of age Montessori shows how children acquire the skills to answer their own questions, learn to manage freedom with responsibility and maintain a high level of intellectual curiosity. · Casa Program ages 3-6 · Full-time k part-time enrollment morning or afternoon · Fully trained Montessori Instructors (AMI Certified) · Classroom atmosphere that encourages social interaction · Outdoor plaxground · Healthy snacks & lunches prepared on site · Wide variety of Montessori materials, activities & experiences · Bright, clean & pleasing environment TUttHctioHi Oakville Pick the prize of your dreams in the Oakville Waterfront Festival Raffle. p re s e n ts All staff are Early Childhood Educators and qualified licensed caregivers ^ Language classes Arts focused n/ith musical and theatrical productions Exercise & Fitness ^ C o o k in g classes A ? 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