Volume 2, Number 7 , 2014 Page 1

Troubadour

Earl Meseth, editor Member, PROBE (Public Relations Officers and

Bulletin Editors) 15611 Glen Dale Lane

Homer Glen, Illinois 60491 815-838-1953

earlm@elmhurst.edu

Published as the spirit moves, Troubadour is the official publication of the Will-Cook Illinois Chapter of SPEBSQSA. The Will-

Cook Chapter is the home of the Knights of Harmony Chorus

Leadership Team President …………...……………Lou Gonzalez Membership ………………....… Earl Meseth Music & Performance …....Rich Davidson Marketing …………………………...Dave Beck Program …………………………...Al Munneke Secretary …….……………….……..Hank King Treasurer…………………….…..Ken Witowski Member-at-Large …………………..Ed Brusic Member-at-Large ………………....Paul Cook Member-at-Large …………...Paul Marietta Member-at-Large……………...Tony Mehok Musical Director…………..Bill Kerschbaum Asst. Director…………………..Rich Davidson

The Chapter and Chorus meet on Thursday

evenings at 7:30 PM alternating between the First Congregational Church,

700 Ninth Street in Lockport and Glory to God Church,

18401 66th Avenue in Tinley Park

PICNIC TIME ! W-C members enjoyed fine weather, food, games, fellowship and singing at the second annual chapter picnic. Once again, the Kerschbaums (Bill and Lori) opened their home and backyard to all the revelry that Will-Cook could muster. The food couldn’t be sur-passed and certainly not the regular hot dog/potato salad affair usu-al at such outings. Oh, no, liver paté, guacamole, home-made salsa, pea salad, two kinds of noodle salad, casseroles, pot pies, topped off with fried/broasted chicken. Carol Gonzalez showed such skill at the bean-bag-in-the-hole game that even hubby Lou finally refused to play against her. Oth-ers tried but, to no avail. Of course, the chorus was led by Bill in impromptu serenading and quartets formed here, there and everywhere. Below are several snaps taken of the affair. If I don’t have a pic of you it’s probably because the one I took had you in a strange pose, mouth open or in the middle of taking a bite.

Volume 2, Number 7 September, 2014 Page 2

Picnic, Cont.

Volume 2, Number 7 September, 2014 Page 3

The Songs We SingThe Songs We SingThe Songs We Sing… I Love You Truly, Truly DearI Love You Truly, Truly Dear

“I Love You Truly” was written by Carrie Jacob-Bond. Originally re-leased in sheet music in 1901 and 1906 as a parlor song, it has be-come a barbershop classic and used at weddings since its release. This song has the distinction of being the first song written by a woman to sell one million copies of sheet music. Although it be-came Jacob-Bond's longest endur-ing hit song, it was not her biggest hit. That honor goes to “A Perfect Day,” which sold 5 million copies.

After Jacob-Bond's financially troubled youth, her sec-ond husband, Dr. Frank Bond inspired her to write music. He died from falling on ice in 1895, and she moved from the financially depressed Upper Peninsula of Michigan to her hometown of Janesville, Missouri. She wrote the song after returning to Janesville. She made a meager living painting ceramics and writing songs. Her painting gave her time to hum and improvise new verses. These improvised songs became the basis of Seven Songs as Un-pretentious as a Wild Rose, a collection of sheet music. “I Love You Truly” was one of these seven songs. At first, Jacob-Bond wasn't willing to publish the songs, until a singer who lived across the hall from her asked her to entertain her manager. The young singer

had an unexpected errand and left her manager and another man waiting for her in Jacob-Bond's apartment. The man-ager, Victor P. Sincere saw her manuscripts and asked her to perform one of her works. She chose “I Love You Truly.” Sin-cere was impressed and asked if she would like to have it per-formed in public. She said no, because she hadn't published the song, someone might steal it from her.

After this meeting and having second thoughts about publishing her music, Jacob-Bond called Jessie Bartlett-Davis, who volunteered to pay the cost of publishing Sev-en Songs as Unpretentious as a Wild Rose. The song hit #1 in the United States when Elsie Baker released her re-

cording in 1912. Many artists recorded the song over the years, includ-ing Pat Boone, Victor Borge, Sophie Braslau, Bing Crosby, and Deep River Boys. Other artists include The Ink Spots, Liberace, Guy Lombardo, The Platters, and the McGuire Sisters. Almost invariably, when used in movies, the song be-comes a backdrop for a wedding or honeymoon scene. You may remember a duet sung by Bert (Ward Bond) and Ernie (Frank Faylen) as they serenaded George (James Stewart) and Mary Bailey (Donna Reed) in Frank Capra's 1946 Christmas classic It's a Wonderful Life. Edith (Jean Stapleton) also sang it as a lullaby to her husband Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) on the All in the Family TV se-ries. As barbershoppers, we primari-ly sing the first verse of “I Love You Truly” as an alternative to singing “The Story of the Rose (Heart of My Heart)” on Valen-tine's Day. Although we sing “Heart of my Heart” much more often, “I Love You Truly” is an appropriate alternate. Quartets should also know the song in case they get asked to sing at a wedding cere-mony or reception. Both male and female singers can sing the song without modifications, as there are no gender specific pronouns in the lyrics. However, the second verse switches perspective. So, the song could be performed as a male-female duet, with each verse sung by each voice:

I love you truly, truly dear/Life with its sorrow, life with its tear/fades into dreams when I feel you are near,/for I love you truly,truly dear. Ah! Love, 'tis something to feel your kind hand/Ah! Yes, 'tis something by your side to stand; /Gone is the sorrow, gone doubt and fear, /For you love me truly, truly dear.

If you get a chance, look up the wikipedia.org article. In the side-bar is a media player with the original 1912 Elsie Baker recording, obviously from a cylinder or 78 RPM rec-ord. Notice that she rolls her R's, especially on the word "dreams." This seems to be a common practice on vocal recordings of the period.

Carrie Jacob-Bond

Original Bert and Ernie

Borrowed from Concho Capers, Feb. 2013, Paul White, Ed., bulletin of the San Angelo, TX Chapter

Volume 2, Number 7 Septembr, 2014 Page 4

Unless accompanied by a byline, all articles ap-pearing in the Troubadour have been written or used with permission by the Bulletin Editor. When known, sources are cited. Opinions are not necessarily those of The Will-Cook Chapter or the Barbershop Harmony Society.

Fall Convention a Hit! After Hours, Drive Time, Take Note Take Top Quartet Spots

Chicagoland West Chorus Champs Bloomington To Represent Illinois At International

Incredibly, eight contests were judged in Blooming-ton, IL over the weekend in the District’s first all-inclusive event ever. Mix these contests in with the awarding of various plateau awards and you’d think it a design for disaster. Nope! The only confusion seemed to come from the audience who couldn't understand why Chicagoland West (West Towns) was the Illinois District Chorus Champion yet came in third overall, being beaten by both Bloomington and Northbrook (Bloomington and Northbrook were both ineligible for the District award. -ed.). It bog-gles the mind that the contest administrators could keep everything straight but they did. So, here is how it all shook out: 2014 Illinois District Quartet Champions — Drive Time 2014 Illinois District Chorus Champions — Chicago-land West Suburban West Towns Chorus Performed a Mary Poppins set with chimney sweeps, bankers and London Cockney-types all held together by Mary Poppins herself. 2014Illinois District Seniors Quartet Champions— Tribute 2014 Illinois District College Quartet Champions— Boom! Shakalaka 2014 Illinois District Novice Quartet Champion—At Least We’re Loud

2015 Illinois District Chorus Competition Qualifier—Bloomington Sound of Illinois Chorus

2015 Illinois District Quartet Competition Qualifier-After Hours 2015 International Seniors Quartet Competition Qualifier—Take Note

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And….here are the scores: District Quartet Finals Quartet First Set Second Set Total Average 1 Drive Time 885 879 1764 73.5 2 Take Note 879 883 1762 73.4 3 Synergy 874 875 1749 72.9 8 Menagerie 815 794 1609 67.0 International Prelim 1 After Hours 1046 1040 2086 88.9 2 Drive Time score as above 3 Take Note score as above Seniors Quartet Finals 1 Take Note score as above 2 Tribute 15th, sang once 732 61.0 3 Gadzooks 7th, sang once 712 59.3 Take Note will represent the Ill. District at the Intl. Sr. Quartet Contest. Tribute is Ill District Sr. Champion Collegiate Quartet Finals 1 Boom! Shakalaka 654 54.5 District Novice Quartet Champion 1 At Least We’re Loud 877 857 1734 72.3 District/International Finals Summary 1 Bloomington (86 singers) 1002 83.5 2 Northbrook (48 singers) 988 82.3 3 Chicagoland W. Sub. (41 singers) 851 70.9

In other events at the convention the QCA (Quartet Champions Association) named John Han-son as its 24th Music Man. This award recognizes his pioneering contributions to barbershop chapters, quartets and choruses during its formative years in Illinois. Among Illinois barbershoppers he is most famous for forming the Corn Belt Chorus which rose to include 325 singing men at an event in Peoria in 1946. Many Central Illinois communities formed chapters and wanted John to lead them. At one point he directed choruses in 17 cities. Born in 1895, John died in Bloomington in 1954 where he is bur-ied. The Illinois District House of Delegates met on Fri-day morning of the weekend and elected officers for 2015. Principal among them was the selection of Rich Hansen as District President. Rich currently serves as the Executive Vice President for the District as well as chairing the Youth In Harmony Committee for the District. It was Rich, along with his com-mittee members who were instrumental in persuad-ing Ringmasters to serve as clinicians at the upcom-

ing YIH festivals in Bloomington and Charleston. Not incidentally, Rich also sings baritone in the 2014 District Quartet Champion Drive Time and the 2015 District Rep-resentative to the International Chorus Contest, Sound of Illinois. He is also a school teacher. One wonders how he has time to brush his teeth in the morning and cut the grass on week-ends.

The District is still at odds as to what to do with the Spring “Event”. The Spring “Convention” was to become, essentially, an IDAH get-together with clas-ses, coaching, etc. Originally meant to be held in April, contracts with the school site were previously signed for February 21, 2015. That meant that the late April “Event” was not doable. So, then, what to do with the Spring HOD meeting? February 21 or late April? Looks like this will be a tough decision for our new President. Happily, this will only be a prob-lem for 2015, unless someone signs a contract for some other date.

Rich Hansen

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I left the work world on a permanent ba-sis early in 1995. That summer I saw a sign by McCarthy park at 167th and 80th Ave. in Tinley Park advertising an outdoor per-formance by the "Singing Men of Note" on a Sunday night. We brought our lawn chairs and attended. That performance was arranged by 35-year barbershopper Fred Field who lived nearby, and who we lost in 2012 at the age of 93. We enjoyed ourselves and I looked at Marion and she looked at me saying I could do this! I had been singing too loud behind my wife's piano for many years. The chapter president at that time was Tony Cook who is still an active member. I attended a rehearsal in Homewood the following Tuesday and became a member in September. At that first rehearsal I was told to join the lead section. After a short while a big guy named Bob Palmgren, a retired school teacher and a talented musician and singer came over and grabbed me by the arm saying, "You're a bass." I've been there ever since and recently started my 20th year with the so-ciety.

In the spring of 1996 I attended the Spring competition/convention where I joined the Joe Barbershopper chorus on Sat-urday morning. About 250 guys were sing-ing "Sweet and Lovely" directed by Bob Squires with enough basses to cover my mis-takes. I was hooked and still am. Even though I don't consider myself tal-

ented enough to sing on a regular basis in a quartet, (though I have at Valentine's day promotions), I have enjoyed singing with the chorus and am still receiv-ing corrections for singing wrong notes. I have taken chapter responsibilities over the years including public relations, board member at large, performance bookings, costumes, treasurer, secre-tary and HOD delegate at Illinois district conventions. My family and friends know which dates are re-hearsals, meetings, performances, and chapter social events and work around them. Many thanks to all those over the years who have worked with and helped me.

Hank King’s Barbershop Story

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