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ARCHIVED
NEWS:
December 12,
2008 – Christmas Show with Rhythm of the Rockies
2008
seemed to be the year for snowstorms on show days! A joint
Christmas Show was held on Dec 12th at McDougall United
with Rythmn of the Rockies, Stampede City Chorus, and chapter
quartets singing on the program. Although the snowstorm caused some
people to stay home, there was some great music performed by the
two choruses. At tremendous way to celebrate the season!
May 31, 2008
- Evergreen District, Division III Convention - Red Deer
The
Division III Convention included the regular fellowship events on
Friday Night and the Afterglow on Saturday night, but the Saturday
Show was different by including all Choruses in Division III and
not just the top 3. The Stampede City Chorus had an increase
in 30 points and captured 2nd - Most Improved Chorus was Medicine
Hat with a 40 point increase. The top two quartets had tied
scores of 400/600 and were tied in the Singing category, but since
the Music marks were higher, Trademark including Kevin Robertson,
Doug Robertson, Doug Marwood, and Darcy Fraser were awarded the
Division III Quartet Trophy. Both the Stampede City Chorus
and Trademark have been invited to the District Convention in
Boise, ID but only Trademark will be making the trip to compete at
the 2008 District Convention.
April 19,
2008 - 53rd Annual Show - Harmony Cafe
The 53rd
Annual Show nearly didn't happen – a freak April snowstorm
blew in and kept some people away, but as they say, the show must
go on! Harmony Cafe took the Stampede City Chorus back to a cafe
where the bowling team would normally gather but this night the
curlers stop by to check out their cafe. The Chorus was
joined by special guests "Antique Gold", the 2006
International Seniors Quartet Champs, and Doug Arden, comic and
ventriloquist. The local quartets Trademark, Close Encounter,
and GOLD also performed on the show.
March 28,
2008 - McDougall United - SCC Concert
December,
2007 - Christmas Shows
The
Stampede City Chorus has a number of singouts this Christmas
season. The chorus started by singing for the volunteers at
Samaritan's Purse as they packed boxes to send to kids overseas and
also sang for the Huntington Hills Manor, at Wild Rose United, for
the Francis Kline Manor Christmas Party, at the annual VRRI
Christmas Party, and for the Royal Oak Manor.
October,
2007 - 2008 SCC Board Announced
At the
Annual Meeting for the Chapter, the 2008 Board was announced.
David Bruce was re-elected President, Pat Sproule continues as Past
President, Wes Hartman continues as Treasurer with a search
continuing for his replacement, David Hicks takes over as
Secretary, Jim Dallman continues as VP Marketing & Performance,
Ray Falk joins the board as VP Membership, Doug Spensley joins the
board as Member at Large, and Angus Norman joins the board as VP
Music.
March 17,
2007 - Annual Show - It's A Great Day for the Irish
On St.
Patrick's Day, the Stampede City Chorus was joined by OnCue
and the Possak Irish Dancer for our Annual Show, "It's A Great
Day for the Irish". The show also included the local
quartets Trademark, Close Encounter, MountainAires, and GOLD.
Oct 11, 2006
- 2007 SCC Board Announced
At the
Annual Meeting for the Chapter, the Board for 2007 was announced.
David Bruce was elected President and Pat Sproule becomes Past
President. Wes Hartman continues and Treasurer, Don Judd as
Secretary, Jim Dallman as VP Marketing & VP Performance, and
Kevin Robertson as VP Music. Non-board positions include Jim
Fellows, Webmaster; Bob Miller, Noteator Editor; Bob Parker,
Uniforms; & Don Clarke & Doug Spensley, Librarians.
September
28, 2006 - Evergreen District Convention - Spokane, WA
SCC
travelled by bus to Spokane, WA to participate in the Evergreen
District Convention. As displayed by the faces before and
after singing "Give Me A Barbershop Song" and "Irish
Lullaby", the guys were excited to be on stage and thrilled
with their performance. Unfortunately, due to the contest
being held in a convention hall without a shell for the chorus, the
Judges did not reward us for our efforts. The quartet Brief
Encounter with Keith Sveinson, Chris van der Baaren, Doug Spensley,
and Leon Buchamer also competed at District.
July, 2006 -
Music Leadership Change
April 1,
2006 - 51st Annual Show - Survivors In Harmony
The
Stampede City Chorus held it's 51st Annual Show under the direction
of Kevin Robertson & Chris van der Baaren. The show
featured the guest quartet the Boon Brothers, the dance troupe MC
Dancers, and local quartets North 40, MountainAires, and GOLD.
2006
Barbershopper of the Year - David Bruce
October 2005
Evergreen District Convention - Calgary
On
September 30th & October 1, the barbershoppers of Evergreen
District converged on Calgary for the annual convention. In
addition to the 850 registrants, there was great support from the
people of Calgary and surrounding area as the 2300 seat, newly
renovated Jubilee Auditorium was filled to capacity for the Show of
Champions on October 1. The show featured the newly crowned
quartet champions, "Vocal Magic", the new chorus
champions "Northwest Sound" from Bellevue, WA, and the
100+ man ABC Chorus. The Stampede City Chorus was thrilled to
host this event and promises that it won't be another 14 years
before we do it again!
SCC
participates in the Alberta Barbershop Centennial (ABC) Chorus
During
2005, members of the Stampede City Chorus joined 100+ men's
barbershop singers from across the province to participate in the
Alberta Barbershop Centennial Chorus. The performances in
Lethbridge, Calgary, Edmonton, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, and at the
Evergreen District Convention gave these singers a once in a
lifetime opportunity to sing with a very special chorus and
celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the province of Alberta.
With standing ovations at every show, this chorus was certainly a
crowd pleaser as well. Special thanks was extended to Terry
Crowe and Don Craig for spearheading this chorus and to Randy
Peters for directing.
April 16,
2005: SCC & WHS present "Cent-amental Journey"
For the
50th Anniversary of the Stampede City Chorus, 15th Anniversary of
the Western Hospitality Singers, and the 100th Anniversary of the
Province of Alberta, the two Calgary choruses joined forces with
the Alberta Barbershop Centennial Chorus for a show at Grace
Baptist Church.
Christmas
Singouts 2004
The
Stampede City Chorus had several singouts during the Christmas
season. Thanks to Keith Lea, a new member of the chorus, we
had the opportunity to sing on the Optimist Club "Christmas to
Remember" concert in Jack Singer Hall and shared the stage
with The Heebee-jeebees, choirs from Mount Royal College, the
Stampede Show Band, and others. Concerts were held at St
Thomas United on the first Sunday in Advent and at Wild Rose United
nearer to Christmas. And for the 16th year, the chorus sang
for the VRRI Christmas Party with 50+ of the guests at the party
joining us for a rousing version of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer
and Silent Night. The chorus Christmas Party was hosted by
Kevin Robertson with 50+ in attendance for caroling and fellowship.
May 28-29,
2004: 49th Annual Show - "The Roxy"
The 49th
Annual Show was held May 28 & 29th. The Rhythm of the
Rockies ladies barbershop chorus were the specials guests along
with Damien James, Ventriloquist. Chapter quartets GOLD,
MountainAires, and TAG-The Acapella Guys contributed to the show
along with special appearances by Silken aka "Old Yellar".
Jan 10,
2004: Proposed Goals for 2004
The Board
of the Stampede City Chorus approved the following goals for 2004:
1. To
achieve ongoing improvement in the performance quality of the
chorus
2. To
achieve a successful chapter annual show, and other singing events
during the year
3. To
increase chorus numbers to 50 performers for our 50th anniversary
of the chapter and develop infrastructure to support ongoing
chapter growth.
4. To
prepare the chapter for participation in the 2005 ABC mass chorus.
5.
Modernize the chorus performance image by updating costumes and
accessories
6.
Support the planning for the Evergreen District Fall Convention in
2005.
Dec. 2003:
Bachelor of Barbershop Music awarded to Don Clarke, Barbershopper of
the Year awarded to Keith Sveinson
The
Evergreen District set out requirements for a Bachelor of
Barbershop Music that awards the number of ways that a member can
contribute to Barbershop Harmony and a points score for each of
these items. The minimum points required is 350. Don
Clarke, having achieved a score of 449, was awarded the Bachelor of
Barbershop Music by Evergreen District and was presented with this
certificate by the Stampede City Chorus. His accomplishments
include 47 years of membership, attendance at COTS schools, Harmony
College, District Contest, and International Contests;
contributions as Chapter President, Board Member, and Chorus
Director; and participation in many quartets and as a coach.
Although
Keith Sveinson has only been a member of the Stampede City Chorus
for a few years, he has contributed as Show Chairman for the last
two years, is currently on the Standing Show Committee, is
Co-Section Leader of the Lead Section, and sings with the quartet
Mountainaires. For Keith's contributions to barbershop
singing in the chapter, he was awarded the Barbershopper of the
Year (BOTY) Award for 2003.
Oct. 2003:
SCC Co-Director, Kevin Robertson, recognized as Certified Director
Having
completed two years of study at Directors College and additional
courses, Kevin Robertson, Co-Director of the Stampede City Chorus,
completed the requirements to be a Certified Director with
SPEBSQSA. His certificate and pin were presented at the
Evergreen District Convention in Spokane, WA in October, 2003.
Oct. 2003:
Stampede City Chorus wins Bid to Host the 2005 Evergreen District
Convention
The
Evergreen District Board, at their Board Meeting in October, 2003
in Spokane, WA, received a presentation by the Stampede City Chorus
to hold the Annual Convention in Calgary, Alberta. The
presentation was very well received and SCC was given their full
support for the convention that will be held September 30, 2005 -
October 1, 2005. The contest will be make use of the newly
renovated Jubilee Auditorium and the Headquarters Hotel will be at
the Hyatt in downtown Calgary. Click
here for more info.
2003
International Convention - Montreal, PQ - July 1-5, 2003
2003
Division III Competition - June 7, 2003 - Stampede City Chorus wins
Most Improved Chorus Award
At the 2003
Division III Competition, the Stampede City Chorus improved their
marks by 32 points over the prior year to win the Most Improved
Chorus Award. The mark of 360 also gave them third place in
the contest and a high enough score to qualify the chorus for the
Evergreen District Competition taking place in Spokane, WA in
October, 2003. The top two choruses, Western Hospitality
Singers and Spruce Grove Chorus, also qualified for Evergreen
District Competition.
The
Champion Division III Quartet, with a score of 411, was Take Note
with the SCC Director, Chris Van der Baaren, as their Bass.
Seniors
Quartet Champion was the MountainAires, a quartet that includes
four members of the Stampede City Chorus: Keith Sveinson, Don
Clarke, Roger Woodgate, and Angus Norman.
VRRI grants
the Stampede City Chorus an Honorary Membership
Every
Christmas for the last 14 years, the Stampede City Chorus has
performed for the Christmas Party of the Vocational Rehabilitation
Research Institute. At a recent Board Meeting, VRRI voted to
honor the Stampede City Choruses with an Honorary Membership for
the contributions to VRRI over the years.
2003 Annual
Show - April 4 & 5, 2003
The 48th
Annual Show held April 4 & 5, 2003 was certainly a success for
the chorus. Over a week before the first performance all of
the seats in the 462 seat Lord Beaverbrook High School Theatre were
SOLD OUT for all three performances.
In the last
few weeks leading up to the show, the Stampede City Chorus had the
opportunity to sing a Mini-Show for the local Sweet Adeline
choruses who were going to be away the same weekend as the show.
The chorus and quartets got a chance to sing and to hear the ladies
quartets Nice Shoes, Impromptu, and Rhapsody.
The
Stampede City Chorus was in top form for the three performances on
April 4 & 5th. Under the direction of Chris Van der
Baaren (Music Director) and Kevin Robertson (Assistant Director)
the chorus sang a mix of songs with three members of the chapter,
Alec Fleming, Ray Falk, and Peter Jacquest, contributing as
actors. The quartets from the chapter, GOLD, Harmony KARD,
and The Acappella Guys, all contributed several songs to fill out
the program. Special guests included the Bow Valley Fiddlers,
the Linda Possak Irish Dancers, and the extremely popular local
group the Heebee-jeebees. It was a great weekend for all
involved and the chorus is encouraged by the positive reaction that
was received from the audience. See pictures from the show on
the "Photos" page.
2003
Executive Board & 2002 Barbershopper of the Year
On December
18, 2002 the 2003 Executive Board was installed by Past President
Chris Masterman. The 2003 Executive for the Stampede City
Chorus is listed on the Contact
Page.
On January
8, 2003 the Barbershopper of the Year (BOTY) for 2002 was awarded
by Chris Masterman to Kevin Robertson for contributions in 2002
including an update to the chorus website and contributions as
Assistant Director.
December,
2002 - Christmas Concerts
For a group
who just loves to sing, the Christmas season is a high time for the
Stampede City Chorus. Singing for the reception at the Gala
Night for the Festival of Trees brought much positive feedback from
those who attended. We were asked again to sing for the
Vocational and Rehabilitation Research Institute (VRRI) Christmas
Party where we were joined by the audience for rousing renditions
of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and Silent Night and we were given
the opportunity to smile at the sight of Hugh Lowe with antlers on!
Two
concerts held jointly with the choirs of Knox Presbyterian and
St.David's United were a departure from prior types of Christmas
Concerts but certain a great experience. Some of the
performers at these concerts included the Stampede Show Band
Percussion Section, Knox trio, choirs from both churches, junior
choirs from St.David's, the Fore Fathers quartet, a temporarily
revised GOLD quartet, and, of course, the Stampede City Chorus.
We hope that Knox and St.David's were as thrilled with these events
as we were. Truely a great way to say (sing?) "We Wish
You A Merry Christmas".
October
25-27, 2002 - Division III Workshop - Lethbridge, Alberta
The
Stampede City Chorus and the chorus quartets GOLD and Harmony KARD
participated in an outstanding weekend hosted by the Gas City
Chorus in Lethbridge. The quartets SAGE, which includes the
legendary Freddie King, and Most Happy Fellows were brought in to
provide coaching for quartets, choruses, and for the massed
chorus. The Saturday night performance included several
choruses and quartets and the 135 man massed chorus ending the
performance with "Let's Harmonize" and "He's Got the
Whole World in His Hands". Excellent job by the
Lethbridge chorus to put on this event! For pictures of the
event go to: http://www.evg.org/~megacity/Division3/Clinic/
Thanks for the pictures,
Lyle!
September
24, 2002 - Visit to Wild Rose Harmonizers rehearsal, Red Deer
September
18, 2002 - New Website
August 28,
2002 - Chorus BBQ
A barbeque
was held August 28th at Keith Sveinsen's house with most of the
chorus in attendance. Special thanks has to go to Keith and
Edna for sharing their backyard with us and to Keith's son-in-law
for helping grill the steaks. Between the chorus ringing a
few chords in the warm evening air and contributions by Harmony
KARD and GOLD (with a replacement baritone), the requisite quantity
of singing was shared with the neighborhood.
July &
August, 2002 - Choir replacement
The
Stampede City Chorus had two successful singouts at Central United
and St.Thomas United. A portion of the chorus, thankfully
with all four parts present, sang a version of "A Mighty
Fortress" with the church's organ and also "This Little
Light of Mine" and "Let There Be Peace On Earth" on
their own. The chorus was well received at both churches.
April, 2002
- Division III Convention
April, 2002
- Annual Spring Show
The
Stampede City Chorus held its 47th Annual Spring Show at Lord
Beaverbrook High School Theatre with the theme "Memories from
Grandpa's Attic". In addition to songs performed by the
chorus, the show included "Memories" quartet, G.O.L.D.
quartet, BRASS quartet, Bow Valley Fiddlers, and special guest
quartet Vocal Works.
March, 2002
- Tourism Calgary announces that Calgary will host 2007 Sweet
Adelines International Convention
Tourism
Calgary announced that Calgary has been selected to host the 2007
International Competition of Sweet Adelines International, an
organization of women's barber shop choruses and quartets including
three choruses in Calgary. This competition will bring 8,000
attendees from around the world to the city October 7-14, 2007.
The successful hosting of the 1993 SPEBSQSA International
Competition by the Stampede City Chorus contributed to successful
bid. Chinook Winds chapter is the host chapter for this bid
but it is anticipated that they will receive support from all of
the women's and men's barbershop chapters in the city and
surrounding area.
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