February 12-14th, 2010. Photos from Valentine quartets Fountain Street Friends, Great Lakes Pride, Off-Tones, and Vocal Artisans


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Great Lakes Pride performed at Forest Hills Eastern HS. One end of the 2nd floor lunch room where the Singing Valentine was performed had large windows over the main entrance and students started to crowd there seeing 4 guys in white tuxes walking up to the building and making there way inside. The roar of hundreds of students went completely silent as the Great Lakes Pride quartet sang for a teacher and they all applauded at the end. Great Lakes Pride then followed the Valentine sweetheart to her Biology lab to perform in front of her class of students there as well.


The pickup quartet the Off-Tones performed for about 15 residents at Waldon Woods Retirement Village of Lifehouse plus all their family and friends waiting in each room.


Vocal Artisans performed at a Rite Aid pharmacy and grocery, a salon, also for the Covenant Village Of The Great Lakes Covenant Retirement Community, and 32 residents and family at the Crystal Springs Lifehouse assisted living facility. Several of residents were sung to during lunch in the dinning one at a time among the hanging Valentine's Day decorations, center pieces, and Valentines on the tables.


Fountain Street Four with lead substitute performed for several Grand Rapids area businesses including Art Van, Jack Keller Ford, Charter cable call center, Renaissance Recovery Solutions, as well as Sunset Manor assisted living facility in Jenison. And still they made time for the quartet to sing to their girl friends over the phone. Great Lakes Chorus member Denny Grabill had a surprise for his sweetie at the line dance class in Coopersville Farm Museum. Sneaking away he substituted as bass in Fountain Street Four and sang to his lady in front of the whole dance class. He even gave a touching speech that the lyrics included the "L" word and was the first time he said it to her. They sang her another song and then he dropped to one knee and presented her with a rose. To top off the evening Fountain Street Four went to the Farm Museum's main entrance which was a cement silo for some silo singing and sang several tags and songs with substitutes Mike, Michael, and Denny, the echoes ringing at the top of the silo and lasting forever. FS4 thought they had made a new discovery until Denny informed them that it wasn't uncommon in farm country.


Fountain Street Four (plus) Video- Silo Singing click here


Fountain Street Four (trio) Video- silo singing tag click here


I couldn't find out a lot about it but here's an interesting excerpt I did find online.


Canadian Mennonite Volume 10, No. 13 June 26, 2006. Silo singing a resounding experience. Conestogo, Ont.


http://www.canadianmennonite.org/vol10-2006/10-13/localchurch.php


"He got the idea in 1999 when, as a retired farmer near Conestogo, Ont., he was recovering from knee replacement surgery. Some of their neighbouring Old Order Mennonite young people came to visit and sing for him. Then they spoke of going afterward to sing in an empty silo before the fall silo filling. Apparently, they do this each fall before corn harvest. Regarding the first silo singing five years ago, Shantz wrote in their church newsletter: 'At the end of it all, what felt like half-an-hour was really an hour-and-a-half! A Sunday afternoon in October and an autumn breeze encircles a farmyard outside of Conestogo. Thirty people of all shapes and sizes, and even a few with prosthetic replacements, wedged their way through a small ground level opening into an empty concrete silo. Any a pensive mood soon dissipated as our voices joined in harmony in this acoustical wonderment for our first silo singing.'”


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

December 5th, 2009 Grand Rapids Barbershop Chapter Great Lakes Chorus 13th Annual Christmas Show Holiday Harmonies with special guests the Sweet Adeline Grand Rapids Chorus and area barbershop quartets. Matinee and evening show at Forest Hills Presbyterian Church, corner of 36th St SE and 7495 Cascade Rd SE in Cascade.


Sweet Adeline Grand Rapids Chorus Director Ann Jarchow with Asst. Director Judy Westers, and Asst. Director Denise VanDyken.


Great Lakes Chorus Director Aaron Bouwman and Asst. Director Peter Westers.


A wonderful Christmas show this year! It's been a few years since we've done a show with the Sweet Adelines Grand Rapids Chorus and they were a real treat. There was a lot of positive audience feedback about how nice it is to have a holiday show with both the girls and guys choruses.


The show started with a joint chorus performance of Home For The Holidays with pianist Diane Cosby and then the girls sang the first half of the show while introducing guy quartets. About 64 of The Sweet Adelines sang mostly secular holiday songs including a beautiful song Love In Any Language which included some of their members using sign language. Some amazing numbers including the chorus split into 2 and singing 2 separate songs simultaneously under direction of the 2 assistant directors. And there was the ever cute I want A Hippopotamus For Christmas songs featuring the adorable pre teen girl quartet the Grand Rapids Singing Angels, 2 of their members' having to stand on milk crates to reach the mics.


Then the 2nd half of the show the 36 guys sang while introducing the girl quartets. The Great Lakes Chorus sang half secular and half sacred music the sacred including a short moving number with an echo quartet singing from the opposite end of the church sanctuary. There was also the traditional rowdy 12 Days Of Christmas Barbershop Parody staring the antics by GLC tenor and resident elf Paul Slack plus the new addition of grumpy FedUp delivery man (parody on FedEx delivery). Somebody please let me known his name so I can list it here, he was brilliant!


The Westers Family Quartet also performed including 11 year old GLC member Silas, sisters Abbie and Kobby (who needed the milk crates), their dad and GLC Asst. Director Peter Westers, and mom GRC Asst. Directory Judy Westers.


The show ended with Grand Rapids Chorus joining the Great Lakes Chorus on stage singing enmasse Do You Hear What I Hear. Pianist Diane Cosby


Afterglow at Brann's Steakhouse and Grille 28th St near i-96.




In order of appearance quartets that sang and some captured video clips...


Vocal Artisans- Doug Weaver, Robert Ryan, Michael Baribeau, and Patrick Ryan.


Vocal Artisans webpage is www.GreatLakesChorus.org/VA


Vocal Artisans Video Clip


Great Lakes Pride- Paul Slack, Aaron Bouwman, Bud Kraft, and John Baker.


Great Lakes Pride Video Clip


Fountain Street Four- Phil Spencer, Brandon Ciesielski, Owen Sharpe, and Dan Winer. Collegiate quartet.


Fountain Street Four webpage is www.FS4quartet.com


Fountain Street Four Video Clip


Yuletide- Patrick Ryan, Toby Shaver, Robert Ryan, and James Masalskis.


Yuletide Video Clip


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.


Grand Rapids Singing Angels Video Clip


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


Top Notch Video Clip


12 Days Of Christmas Barbershop Parody with 'Tag' Quartet- Patrick Ryan, Peter Westers, Aaron Bouwman, and Dan Winer.


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


X-position Video Clip


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


Blue Champagne Video Clip


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


fLip fLop Video Clip


While By My Sheep 'Echo' Quartet- Phil Spencer, Aaron Bouwman, Dan Winer, and Owen Sharpe.


Westers Family Quintet- Abbie, Kobby, Silas, Judy & Peter Westers.


Westers Family Quintet Video Clip


Click here for more photos greatlakeschorus.org/pics/091205/phpshow.php


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

October 13th, 2009 rehearsal just before competition


President Doug Weaver announcing that GLC member and Private Kyle Herring kyle.herring@us.army.mil is being shipped out to Afganistan soon.


Bill Robbins presents Brandon Ciesielski and Matt Neier with their membershop packets and Director Aaron Bouwman with his first Man Of Note for Matt Neier.


Bud Kraft wins raffle


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

October 21, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. Notre Dame Men's Glee Club www.gleeclub.nd.edu at Cathedral of Saint Andrew 265 Sheldon SE Grand Rapids, MI 49503. I figured I wouldn't take my camera this time but still couldn't resist taking a couple shots with my cell phone:)