Masters of Harmony

The Masters of Harmony love taking barbershop harmony to new audiences. In November, the Masters traveled to Port Hueneme for a Sunday afternoon performance at the Oceanview Pavilion. As the stage manager listened to the chorus warm up, the glow on her face was priceless. Her obvious enthusiasm helped set the tone for a performance that went on to garner thunderous applause and standing ovations from the audience. The show featured a unique mix of regular chorus repertoire, as well as holiday music befitting a theater already lit up by holiday decorations. Given the strong military presence in the area, the Armed Forces Medley was a huge hit. Anyone who serves or has served in our armed forces had a chance to stand and be honored during the song. Masterpiece (2013 International Quartet Champion) and American Pastime (2013 Southwest Division Quartet Champion) took turns captivating the enthusiastic audience with beautiful quartet harmonies. Special kudos goes to Harmony Sweethearts Dee Thiesmeyer, Nancy Kraus, Gay Place and Courtney Crowe for overseeing a highly successful sale of our CDs at the show. All in all, the performance was a great way to usher in one of the busiest holiday seasons in Masters of Harmony history!

Two weeks later, the Masters returned to the familiar ambiance of the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach for a Christmas show titled “My Favorite Things.” As the show patrons filed in, they were greeted by holiday music provided by a light jazz trio, a new and well-received addition to MOH Christmas shows. The show featured a blend of chorus favorites and new songs, Les Weiser’s stirring solos, as well as sets by Masterpiece and American Pastime. The enthusiastic audiences rewarded the well-paced performances with sustained applause and standing ovations. Eight days later, the Masters got a similar response when they reprised this show to a near-capacity audience at Riverside’s historic Fox Theater.

Wherever the Masters perform, the chorus is known as the barbershop chorus from Santa Fe Springs, California. This mutually beneficial partnership is an important reason for the success of the Masters over the years. The city provides an excellent centrally located rehearsal site at its Town Center Hall free of charge, saving the Masters thousands of dollars in rental fees. In return, the Masters sing at the city’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting on the first Saturday in December. Because of recent rainy weather, the ceremony was moved indoors for the first time in at least 10 years, giving the overflow audience an up-close-and-personal view of the Masters in the room where they rehearse. Another way the chorus repays the city for its generosity is to provide quartet singers on a float that precedes Santa and Mrs. Claus to greet children and their parents at selected locations. For 32 years, Santa Fe Springs has been bringing this unique program to its residents over a two-week period in early December. Masters singers have been singing well-known holiday songs on that lead float for the last 22 years. At various stops along the route, quartets invite willing youngsters to come up on the float stage to sing songs like “Feliz Navidad” and “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” with them. While this is happening, proud parents take pictures and videos of their kids singing with the quartet. When the Santa float arrives, the kids can have their pictures taken with the Clauses. This year, eight different quartets gave 32 Masters men the chance to bring joyful holiday music throughout the city.

In 1989, the Masters of Harmony performed at the Ramona Bowl, site of Ramona, America’s longest-running historical drama. Somehow the performance planets didn’t align for a return appearance until recently when the Ramona Bowl management decided to add to its performance calendar by bringing in different kinds of performers. Although outdoor performances at the Bowl in December are at the mercy of chilly, sometimes inclement weather, the Masters gladly accepted the holiday season performance opportunity.

Just as they had at the Long Beach and Riverside shows, a jazz trio made up of college students played for audience members as they filed in, entertained again at intermission, backed up several chorus songs, and sent audience members home with upbeat holiday chords ringing off the hills surrounding the Ramona Bowl. The players included Cal State Fullerton students Jessica Ragsdale, Mark Herrera and Michael Selfridge at the Long Beach shows with Cal State Long Beach student Nick Ornelas replacing Michael Selfridge at the Fox Theater and the Ramona Bowl.

 

While the rain clouds stayed away this time, the performance took place under clear, moonlit, very chilly skies that had some chorus members wearing newly acquired thermal undergarments. The Masters mantra of “Master the Stage” was really put to the test and, at first, the applause sounded strangely muffled. As it turned out, audience members were applauding enthusiastically while wearing gloves – a truly unique sound! As the show progressed, the applause got louder because many decided to applaud bare handed then put their gloves back on. And judging by the audience response, muffled and unmuffled, the Masters lived up to that that mantra.

In early January, the Masters opened the most challenging year in its history with its Annual Awards and Installation Banquet at Khoury’s Restaurant in Long Beach. Master of Ceremonies Dr. Chris Peterson welcomed the filled-to-capacity audience of Masters family and friends. Continuing a tradition started in 2013, certificates of appreciation were presented to five Masters members making the transition to emeritus status after years of significant contributions to the chorus – Dave Briner, Marlin Niesley, Joe Palmquist, Ron Perry, and Ron Van Winkle. A silent auction, another new tradition from last year’s banquet, raised a sizable amount for chapter coffers. Awards Chairman and Emeritus Ron Perry proceeded to announce the award winners. The Barbershopper of the Year Award went to Chapter President Ron Andreas. Ron’s visionary leadership has helped create a palpable electric energy in chorus rehearsals, something that can propel the chorus to success in Las Vegas this summer and beyond. The Alice Blue Gown Award (Sweetheart of the Year) went to Dee Thiesmeyer who has brought an outlook similar to Ron’s to Harmony Sweetheart activities. Masterpiece and The Newfangled Four, current Far Western District Quartet Champion, shared top chapter quartet honors. Keynote speaker and installing officer was Marty Lovick, past category specialist from the Evergreen District. Emeritus Ron Van Winkle captured the essence of Marty’s speech with this quote: “He challenged us to have the courage to test the limits of our abilities and explore those untapped musical levels that still remain.”

Ron Andreas’s innovative new way to welcome members is designed to make the new member feel he is joining not just a special organization but also a unique family. Accordingly, he is invited to bring family members and friends to a rehearsal and, when he is given his new name badge, they are also honored. The first new member to be welcomed to membership with this badge ceremony was Zachary Green. In a separate ceremony that same night, Barbershop Harmony Society Associate Carol Stephenson received her first “Man of Note” pin, and will soon receive a second! Her mentoring of University of La Verne students Ernie Reyes and Zach Green led to their becoming new MOH members. Later in the month, Leonard Jensen and Walter Tang were welcomed to membership with their own badge ceremonies. Zack, Carol, Ernie, Leonard, Walter and those who shared these ceremonies with you, welcome to the Masters family!