GRSA Show With CROSSROADS

September 12th 2009, 2pm and 7:30pm the women's Sweet Adelines 2009 Regional Champion Chorus Grand Rapids Chorus Fall Show Harmony Gold with the men's Barbershop Harmony Society 2009 International Gold Medal Quartet Crossroads and appearance by BHS Grand Rapids Chapter GLC Collegiate Quartet Fountain Street Four. Show at Forest Hills Fine Arts Center, 600 Forest Hill Ave SE., Grand Rapids, MI 49546. Tickets were $10 or reserved seating (only 100 per show) $40 for 2pm, $50 for 7:30 (includes pre/afterglow).

The audience was filled with barbershoppers from all over the district. Our men's group the Grand Rapids Chapter Great Lakes Chorus was also well represented including GLC Director Aaron Bouwman plus retired GLC director and Wildcard bari Curt Struyk were in attendance. Chapter President Doug Weaver and wife Lynn were also there working the punch table for the Pre-Glow.

The Sweet Adelines invited to sing the male Grand Rapids Chapter Collegiate Quartet Fountain Street Four- Brandon Ciesielski, Phil Spencer, Owen Sharpe, and Dan Winer, sporting their new black pants, shirts, and fedoras with white suspenders, neckties, hatbands, and black and white saddle shoes.

Fountain Street Four webpage is www.FS4quartet.com


Sweet Adeline quartets singing were...

Grand Rapids Singing Angels- Koby Westers, Kelsey Jarchow, Haley Wassenaar, and Eden Witvoet, ages 6-11. Their families include GRSA Master Director Ann Jarchow and Assistant Director Judy Westers.

X-position; Jeanne Martin, Linda Rozeman, Pattee Bender, and Leah Williams

fLip fLop- Laura Stuber, Sandy Cheeseman, Diz Frederick, and Debbie Pfennig

Top Notch- Jane Perrin, Marcia Shanken, Ann Jarchow, and Reath Schooley

Blue Champagne- Jeanne Martin, Teresa Fuller, Pam Latus, and Leah Williams

Tanaz- Jane Perrin, Judie Wabeke, Ann Jarchow, and Judy Herrick

Quartet info at GRSA.net


2009 Gold Medalists Crossroads- Fred Farrell, Mike Slamka, Jim Henry, Brandon Guyton

Crossroads website is crossroadsquartet.com


Crossroads lead Mike Slamka is also from the retired Gold Medal quartet Power Play of Michigan. In fact all 4 members of Crossroads belonged to quartets who had also won Gold on the International stage.

Grand Rapids Singing Angels quartet members bring out the box they used to stand on to reach the mics to provide a 'lift' for Crossroads bass Jim Henry

The Sweet Adelines Grand Rapids Chorus is a very active and energetic group with over 80 members.

This excerpt from their program

"We take a performance to the competition stage every Spring among 16 choruses in our region, to be judged on how well we communicate our stories thru barbershop-style harmony. In May 2009 the judges were moved to award Grand Rapids Chorus 1st Place Gold Medals. We are thrilled! And being the 2009 Chorus Champion means we'll get to represent the region in the 2010 International competition... in Seattle".

The show theme Harmony Gold centered on Gold pop hits from groups like ABBA, Beach Boys, and Michael Jackson. At the Afterglow Team Coordinator Sandra Recker pointed out that they had contracted Crossroads 'before' they had won the Gold at International so a bit of serendipity for them all for the 'Gold' theme.

MC Tommy Dylan and Brook Taylor radio personalities from Star 105.7 in Grand Rapids, MI.

The Sweet Ads began the show in elegant black and gold gowns.

In the Beach Boys number they had a quick costume change on stage as the chorus put Hawaiian shirts on over their gowns and produced beach blankets, inflatable beach toys, surf boards, and a brief appearance of a tiny 'beach car' with room for one rider.

The chorus performed Michael Jackson's Thriller including the music video's big dance number with lots of zombie makeup, costumes, theatrical lighting and smoke.

GRSA members went out into the auditorium with props and directed audience sections for group sing-along of Comin' Round The Mountain.

After the Crossroads performance the chorus came back on stage in blue sequin pants and tunic half blue and green used with dramatic visual affect whenever they changed their profile to the audience. They then performed I believe their competition numbers.

The chorus sang an Armed Forces medley. Audience and GRSA members associated in some way with those braches would stand and raise their hands when that service's song was sung. The audience stood at attention as the American Flag was slowly marched to the edge of the stage during the song.

Closing the show they performed their funny Hooked On Classics Medley.

Chorus info at GRSA.net


The quartets and chorus gathered in the lobby to see the audience off. Crossroads was also selling and signing cds. I also saw Westers barbershop family members GRSA Assistant Director and Joyride Inc. quartet member Judy Westers, her husband, GLC member, and retired Wildcard quartet tenor Peter Westers, their daughter Koby Westers of Grand Rapids Singing Angels quartet, and a proud nana.

Afterglow- Centennial Park Country Club Grand Rapids MI. Lots of great food and drink.

Quartets performing for the Afterglow were Grand Rapids Singing Angels, Java Jive, Blue Champagne, male quartet Half & Half, Fountain Street Four, Top Notch, fLip fLop, and Crossroads.

Crossroads sang a few tags afterwards. They sang a song with the very giddy bass Joel Klein from the Battle Creek Chapter. They also sang with quartet double gold medalist Tom Felgen, bass of the Four Renegades and Chicago News 1965 and 1981!

The rest of the evening Fountain Street Four sang tags in the foyer. At one point Crossroads lead Mike Slamka jumped in and taught tags to a star struck group in foyer including Fountain Street Four and 2009 Rockin' Barbershop Campers.

Singing past closing Crossroads and Fountain Street Four moved outside to keep singing late into the night air.

If scrolling through the photo album be sure to check all pages for more photos.


For high speed internet users the Slideshow function link in the upper right corner of the album is recommended or click here