San Gabriel Mission Playhouse hosts Masters of Harmony triumph
“What a fantastic show!” This was just one of numerous wonderful comments I received from enthusiastic audience members as they left the auditorium last Saturday after the Masters of Harmony’s annual spring shows at the historic San Gabriel Mission Playhouse. The shows, titled “The Dream is Carried On,” featured not only the seven-time international champion Masters of Harmony, but also the 2007 and current international champion The Westminster Chorus. The theme was a celebration of the close relationship between these two great choruses and the symbolic passing of the torch to a new generation of singers. Four great quartets with members from both choruses helped put on a show that the audiences will remember for a long time. The quartets, Quadraphonics and 95 North, were joined by current Far Western District Champion The Crush and 2010 top ten International finalists Masterpiece. All four quartets, as well as the MOH, will be competing at the International Convention in Kansas City in July.
The Masters of Harmony, under the direction of Mark Hale, started off the show with a great variety of music including lively uptunes, beautiful ballads, and Broadway show tunes. Highlights included the recently debuted Beatles Sunshine Medley featuring solos by Josh Szolomayer and Joey Buss, the amazing Leonard Cohen tune “Hallelujah” during which Patrick Claypool sang a solo, and the debut of the Jersey Boys Medley of Four Seasons tunes with Jeff Wilson singing his first solo with the Masters. All of the soloists did a magnificent job, and we are all very proud of them.
The chorus got a great reception for the new tune, “Stranger In Paradise,” and then pulled out all the stops for the fully choreographed “Alabama Jubilee,” which received wild applause. The MOH finished their set with the emotional patriotic medley, “Song Of America,” by Jay Giallombardo, which brought the audience to their feet. Of course, there was still a lot of wonderful entertainment yet to come.
Finishing the first half of the show was a trio of excellent up-and-coming quartets. Quadraphonics, 95 North, and The Crush each gave wonderful performances that left no doubt why they will be competing in Kansas City.
The second half began with the magnificent Westminster Chorus, directed by Justin Miller in one of his final turns as musical director, owing to his career relocation to Connecticut last year. Now that’s a commute no one wants. The youthful chorus impressed the audience with a variety of their musical selections and impressive, cohesive sound. How do they make those complicated arrangements sound so effortless? It’s no wonder they were named “Choir of the World” in 2009. Among the highlights was the song “Shadrach,” directed by the MOH’s lead section leader Jason Remley, who sings in both choruses. The MOH is very fortunate that many of Westminster’s talented young singers are members of our chorus as well. Their passion for singing is very apparent. Westminster finished their set with a beautiful rendition of their inspirational song, “Bridge Over Troubled Waters,” and was rewarded with an enthusiastic standing ovation.
The next musical treat for those in attendance was a memorable performance by the quartet, Masterpiece. Their fantastic blend and rich, ringing sound should enable them to do very well in the upcoming competition and brought the audience to its feet yet again.
The final two songs featured a chorus comprised of MOH, Westminster and all four quartets. What an amazing experience that was, both for the audience and the singers. The first song, “Make Our Garden Grow,” featuring former MOH lead Dean Waters on solo, was directed by Justin Miller, just as he did when he was the MOH assistant director before moving to the East Coast. This, combined with the amazing number of talented singers on stage, made it truly memorable for all. And finally, the combined choruses performed the show’s theme song, “The Dream Is Carried On,” an incredible song composed by Jay Giallombardo. This final performance was truly spectacular and, you guessed it, resulted in one last standing ovation! What a fantastic show!
Great thanks are due to all the unsung heroes that made the performances so memorable and kept us on track, from the Harmony Sweethearts in the lobby to the back-stage efforts on costumes, make-up, transportation, riser load-in and breakdown, choreography, sound and lighting, flyers, programs, inserts, CD sales, and on – especially to Mark Hale, Doug Maddox, Patrick Claypool, Vicki Oldham and Jackie Palmquist.
The Masters of Harmony, under the direction of Mark Hale, started off the show with a great variety of music including lively uptunes, beautiful ballads, and Broadway show tunes. Highlights included the recently debuted Beatles Sunshine Medley featuring solos by Josh Szolomayer and Joey Buss, the amazing Leonard Cohen tune “Hallelujah” during which Patrick Claypool sang a solo, and the debut of the Jersey Boys Medley of Four Seasons tunes with Jeff Wilson singing his first solo with the Masters. All of the soloists did a magnificent job, and we are all very proud of them.
The chorus got a great reception for the new tune, “Stranger In Paradise,” and then pulled out all the stops for the fully choreographed “Alabama Jubilee,” which received wild applause. The MOH finished their set with the emotional patriotic medley, “Song Of America,” by Jay Giallombardo, which brought the audience to their feet. Of course, there was still a lot of wonderful entertainment yet to come.
Finishing the first half of the show was a trio of excellent up-and-coming quartets. Quadraphonics, 95 North, and The Crush each gave wonderful performances that left no doubt why they will be competing in Kansas City.
The second half began with the magnificent Westminster Chorus, directed by Justin Miller in one of his final turns as musical director, owing to his career relocation to Connecticut last year. Now that’s a commute no one wants. The youthful chorus impressed the audience with a variety of their musical selections and impressive, cohesive sound. How do they make those complicated arrangements sound so effortless? It’s no wonder they were named “Choir of the World” in 2009. Among the highlights was the song “Shadrach,” directed by the MOH’s lead section leader Jason Remley, who sings in both choruses. The MOH is very fortunate that many of Westminster’s talented young singers are members of our chorus as well. Their passion for singing is very apparent. Westminster finished their set with a beautiful rendition of their inspirational song, “Bridge Over Troubled Waters,” and was rewarded with an enthusiastic standing ovation.
The next musical treat for those in attendance was a memorable performance by the quartet, Masterpiece. Their fantastic blend and rich, ringing sound should enable them to do very well in the upcoming competition and brought the audience to its feet yet again.
The final two songs featured a chorus comprised of MOH, Westminster and all four quartets. What an amazing experience that was, both for the audience and the singers. The first song, “Make Our Garden Grow,” featuring former MOH lead Dean Waters on solo, was directed by Justin Miller, just as he did when he was the MOH assistant director before moving to the East Coast. This, combined with the amazing number of talented singers on stage, made it truly memorable for all. And finally, the combined choruses performed the show’s theme song, “The Dream Is Carried On,” an incredible song composed by Jay Giallombardo. This final performance was truly spectacular and, you guessed it, resulted in one last standing ovation! What a fantastic show!
Great thanks are due to all the unsung heroes that made the performances so memorable and kept us on track, from the Harmony Sweethearts in the lobby to the back-stage efforts on costumes, make-up, transportation, riser load-in and breakdown, choreography, sound and lighting, flyers, programs, inserts, CD sales, and on – especially to Mark Hale, Doug Maddox, Patrick Claypool, Vicki Oldham and Jackie Palmquist.
