Huron Expositor, 2006-05-24, Page 3News
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The Huron Expositor • May 24, 2006, 2006 Page 3
Harmony Hi -Cites disbanding in June after 22 years
Women's barbershop chorus competing for last time this weekend in London
Susan H u n d e r t m a r k
After joining their voices together
in harmony -for ?2 years, Seaforth's
Harmony Hi-Lites are disbanding.
But, not before their final compe-
tition this weekend at the London
Convention Centre, which the 24 -
member chorus is also hosting.
"I resigned as conductor as of
June 1 but it's sort of bittersweet,"
says Marg Whitmore, who has
directed the women's barbershop
chorus since it formed in 1984.
With 13 of its original members
still part of the group, the Harmony
Hi-Lites have performed locally and
competed throughout North
America, several times in interna-
tional competitions.
"Of course, everybody loves to sing
and it's created a real bond between
us," says Whitmore. "It's been a
great group. Every voice counts and
the girls have all tried very hard. I
know I'm going to miss it."
"It's time for a new director but
we don't have a lot of people in our
midst who can take over," she says.
Performing two songs - You Were
Only Fooling While I Was Falling in
Lode and Don't Tell Me the Same
Things Over Again - the Hi-Lites
will be competing at noon on
Saturday.
The Harmony Hi-Lites formed a
year after the Seaforth Harmony
Kings. In fact, a group of wives at a
men's barbershop competition in St.
Thomas started to talk about form-
ing their own chorus.
"There's no reason why we
couldn't organize a chorus of
women, we thought," says charter
member Doreen Strong, of Seaforth.
Strong became the first president
and 44 women joined the chorus.
The group has since reduced in size
down to 24 members.
"I was involved from the begin-
ning and I haven't missed many
nights. I just love singing - the
songs become part of your everyday
life," she says.
HURON PERTH
HEALTHCARE
ALLIANCE
Clinton Public Hospital
St. Marys Memorial Hospital
Seaforth Community Hospital
Stratford General Hospital
submitted photo
Seaforth's Harmony Hi-Lites include in the back row from left, Carol Henderson,
Doris Spence, Judy Gloucher, Su Canning and Julie Balderstov, in the third row,
Esther Rose, Deanna Delve, Jan Delvecchio, Barb Cooper, Marilyn Thomas and
Orrie Hartwick, in the second row, Shirley Snell, Alice Andrews, Audrey McLlwain
and in the front row, Doreen Strong, Kate Teall, Marg Whitmore and Arlene van den
Akker.
Katie Teall, another charter mem-
ber, says she was drawn to the
sound of barbershop music ever
since she first heard Bill Campbell,
George Ribey, Ken Campbell and
Marlen Vincent sing barbershop as
they rode a four -seater bicycle in
Seaforth parades.
"I used to wait for them in the
parades and follow them down the
street to listen to that sound. I
absolutely love that sound," she
says.
As a bass singer, Teall has also
sung in a barbershop quartet with
Marg Whitmore for most of their 22
years together as a chorus.
"In a chorus you're concentrating
on the lead and matching it. But in
a quartet, you can hear all four voic-
es while you're singing," she says.
Although Teall was halfway fin-
ished her BA in sociology or geogra-
phy when she began with the Hi-
Lites, the music soon took over and
she quit her
other studies.
"I learned as
much singing as
I would have
with a BA," she
says.
And, she's glad
that their cur-
rent quartet
Chordwalk -
including Audrey
McLlwain and
Marg's daughter
Melissa Snyders
- will continue.
The quartet
will compete
Friday night at 8
p.m. with seven
other quartets.
They'll be
singing a song -
SMOKE-FREE... A HEALTHY ATMOSPHERE
It's Your Health
HPHA Is committed to health promotion and
disease prevention.
Starting DUNE idall hospital property will be declared
smoke-free.
Patients will be offered quit smoking programs and
nicotine replacement therapy.
This Initiative is endorsed by the Alliance Board of Directors and the
Nursing Practice Council
Good Night Little Boy of Mine - that
the chorus sang at an international
competition and placed 10th - the
highest finish the Hi-Lites ever
achieved at an international compe-
tition.
"We all have little boys and it's
hard to get through the song some-
times. When the chorus sang it, 10
of us burst into tears when we
walked off the stage," says Teall.
McLlwain is also a charter mem-
ber and says she joined after several
of her friends did.
"I really didn't know much about
it except for what I'd seen on televi-
sion. It was different for sure," she
says.
While McLlwain and Whitmore
had been involved in the church
choir together at Northside United
for many years, McLlwain says it
was the first time she'd •sung just
with other women.
"It's a good sound to hear," she
says.
Because the two loved music so
much, they spent most of their week
singing together both with the Hi-
Lites and at church.
"We always wanted to sing - it's a
gift we were given," she says.
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