Masters of Harmony

MOH Honors Host City Generosity
A strong spirit of gratitude for generosity extended to the Masters of Harmony by the City of Santa Fe Springs was much in evidence this past holiday season. For over 30 years, the host city has provided its excellent rehearsal hall at no cost to the chapter, saving it many thousands of dollars. The MOH repays this generosity in several ways:

• Participates in the city’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. This program draws hundreds to the Town Center Plaza for an evening of musical entertainment by local youth and adult groups as well as a mini-concert by the MOH.
• Provides quartets for the city’s enormously popular Christmas Float Program. The program consists of two floats. The first float features quartets provided by MOH volunteers. This year, under the leadership of Bill Niemand, 26 MOH members sang at each of three stops, at one point inviting neighborhood kids up to the stage with them while proud parents snapped pictures. A float carrying Mr. and Mrs. Santa and a group of elves follows the quartet float. Neighborhood kids get free candy canes, then have their pictures taken with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. MOH singers have been taking part in this unique city event since 1990.
• Collects donations to help the city’s less fortunate. This year, along with food donations, a “pass the hat” during one rehearsal quickly netted $370 to help city residents in need.

Harmony Foundation Support Rewarded

The generosity of MOH members was on display in another way. The Society’s Harmony Foundation has a program that returns 30% of member contributions back to the donating chapter to help support its activities. Individual member contributions to the Foundation were such that the MOH received a check for $12,180.

Masters of Harmony Christmas Shows

The 2017 Annual Christmas Shows were staged on December 16 at the Carpenter Center, Long Beach, and on December 17 at Colony High School, Ontario. The theme was “A Wreath of Carols.” Under the guidance of Show Producer Ron Andreas, the shows[‘] smooth pacing kept the enthusiastic audiences continuously engaged from the opening chords to the closing curtain two hours later. The shows began with a powerful opener, “Gloria,” based on “Angels We Have Heard On High.” They closed with an unscheduled encore by soloist Les Weiser, “Please Come Home For Christmas.” Audiences rewarded Les’s dynamic interpretation interspersed with his sax and harmonica interludes with thunderous applause that said, “Welcome back, Les. We’ve missed you!”

In between, audiences enjoyed songs by Masterpiece (Brett Littlefield, Rob Menaker, Alan Gordon, Patrick Haedtler) and The Newfangled Four (Joey Buss, Jackson Niebrugge, Ryan Wisnewski, Jake Tickner). In one of the most unusual performances ever seen on a MOH stage, LeAndra McMullen provided beautifully stylized sign language known as Interpretive Motion to “What Child Is This” and “Believe.” The Mina Choi Trio (Mina Choi, Stephen Dizon, David Lubliner) entertained arriving guests and provided instrumental accompaniment for several songs. The shows left many audience members describing what they had experienced as “the best MOH Christmas show ever!”

Annual Awards and Installation of Officers Banquet

On January 3, 2018, members of the Masters family assembled at the Yorba Linda Country Club for the Annual Awards and Installation of Officers Banquet. Alan Gordon starred as Masters of Ceremonies, Director Justin Miller and President Jackson Niebrugge gave rousing speeches, and Dr. Chris Peterson delivered the keynote address. The major awards for 2017 went to the following members: Barbershopper of the Year-Patrick Haedtler; President’s Award-Maurice Freleaux and Mark Freedkin; Director’s Award-Craig Ewing; and Quartet of the Year-The Newfangled Four.

The Masters Perform at the Midwinter Convention
On January 20, the Masters performed on the Saturday night Grand Finale to the International Midwinter Convention at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. The stunning beauty of this multi-tiered hall almost takes one’s breath away and its incredible sound reproduction rivals that of Disney Hall.

Among the performers gracing the finals stage were: the All-Chapter Chorus directed by Justin Miller; the top four quartets from the 2017 International Contest in Las Vegas-Main Street (Champion), Signature (2nd), After Hours (3rd), Throwback (4th), plus Vocal Spectrum (2006 Quartet Champion) and the Perfect Gentlemen of Disneyland’s Dapper Dan fame. The Masters received standing ovations for each song in their four-song set. The audience was especially delighted to see “Too Darn Hot,” the uptune that won the Gold in Las Vegas. They were then joined on stage by members of Westminster and Harborlites choruses who had performed earlier, meaning that the risers then held over 200 members of three Gold Medal choruses. The combined choruses sang “Harmony,” a beautiful paean to the belief that music can help the better angels of our nature to prevail.

To conclude the finale, over 500 members of the youth choruses who had been taking part in the week’s Youth Chorus Festival joined them, filling the four tiers above the main stage as well as the main hall aisles. With the accompaniment of world-renowned organist Christoph Bull on one of the world’s finest theater pipe organs, the mass of singers sang The Battle Hymn of the Republic with such fervor they almost blew the doors off the concert hall! The Midwinter Finale was a truly unforgettable feast for the eyes and ears for all who experienced it and a fitting way to wrap up a thoroughly successful midwinter convention. Bravo to the event planners . . . and good luck trying to surpass it!