Page 12 - PowerPoint Presentation

Tags and Swipes, Spring 2021

Island Grove Chorus

Island Grove Chorus (IGC) to do Spring Outdoor Rehearsals:

(“The Circle Will Be Unbroken, By & By, Lord, By & By…”)

Island Grove Chorus (IGC) Members are fed up with Zoom rehearsals!

No one wants Zoom to be our primary mode of communication anymore; Zoom will be reserved only for
committee and/or sectional work. Instead, chorus rehearsals will be continuing every week, but, IN
PERSON. In order to meet with Covid-19 restrictions, we will all meet outside, in a parking lot, with
masks on, weather permitting!

IGC is now surveying Members to see if they prefer a Saturday or a Sunday, or alternate weekend days, for
our weekly rehearsals. Once the survey results are in, IGC will publicize the new day and time to SAI
Region 1 and beyond. IGC is STILL seeking a long-term Director; if you think you might be interested,
come give us a try——IGC has been nicknamed “The Chorus that Makes you Smile”! We accept that as a
happy and accurate compliment, since IGC has twice won “Audience Choice Award” in the Open Division.

IGC Members continued a recent Zoom meeting past our regular rehearsal time——where we discussed the
barbershop article that featured Jessie Oslan, and the topic of how minorities are seriously under-represented
in SAI. Members agreed that the points brought up by Jessie were very relevant and quite overdue.
Especially interesting (and perhaps previously unknown to some in SAI ) were that the historical
underpinnings of barbershop music came from African-American music——gospel, jazz, and blues. So—
— “Will the circle BE unbroken? / By and by, Lord, by and by…” (to quote a famous gospel tune sung by
many). And as the famous saxophonist and composer Charlie Parker once said: “Music is your own
experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn”, from Hear Me
Talkin’ To Ya (1955).

Question: is our (or any) chorus’ music fairly representing our shared / diverse Experiences, Thoughts, and
Wisdom…with its choice of music, for example? If not——why not? And what can each chorus do to
INSPIRE its members with a fresh, updated repertoire? Questions for all of us to ponder and pitch in with
ideas….

(continued on the next page)

Adelene Ellenberg

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North Atlantic Region 1 Sweet Adelines