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The Vocal Majority Will Not Be Down For ...

Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 11:46 am
by BRWombat
...International competition this year. (Sorry for the fake-out -- we're all still alive, well, and performing!) :D:

The chorus's Board of Directors has decided that we need to re-prioritize, at least for this year, and skip the International competition in Kansas City next summer (even though we recently won our District and are seeded first among all competitors). We're focusing instead on adding a lot of new music to our repertoire and recording two new projects.

There may be other announcements coming, too... We were recently invited to perform at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in NYC next summer, and while we declined that particular opportunity, something similar may be in the works. So, great things ahead for us. There'll probably be some blowback within the Barbershop Harmony Society -- especially since this would have been the first head-to-head competition between VM and the Masters of Harmony from California, who have never lost -- but we'll be back competing sometime, just not next year.

Here's the press release if anyone is interested.

Re: The Vocal Majority Will Not Be Down For ...

Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 12:47 pm
by DisneyMom
Looking Forward to that return to the Competition with a Perfected and Winning Set!!!!!!
GO VOCAL MAJORITY!!!!!! :) :) :) :rocker:

Re: The Vocal Majority Will Not Be Down For ...

Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 2:29 pm
by darph nader
Thanks for the 'almost heart-attack' there Wombat. :rolleyes:

Re: The Vocal Majority Will Not Be Down For ...

Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 9:32 am
by DragonFox98
It's sad that you guys will not be competing in the International Competition, but I'm sure it is exciting with all the new things in the works. Hope you're enjoying it!

Re: The Vocal Majority Will Not Be Down For ...

Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 10:34 am
by BRWombat
I'm going to miss competing -- and I still don't have a gold medal! -- but preparing for competition is a lot of hard work, time away from family, and the travel costs $$. Overall I'm very happy with the decision.

We're kind of in a unique situation compared to most other choruses in the Society. A lot of them only do one show a year, maybe two. We have three annual show series -- three shows in the Spring, three in the Fall, and four at Christmas. The Christmas shows routinely sell out (in a 1600-seat theater) and quite often the others do, too. We also do community shows around Texas and quite a few corporate events in the DFW area. Most of the shows are around two hours long.

Consequently, we have to maintain a big repertoire -- usually about 60-70 songs, over 100 when you add in holiday music -- and continually add new music to keep things fresh, both for us as performers and for our patrons. Preparing for the International basically means spending five or six months out of the year working two songs only. Stepping away from competition gives us that time to turn over new music, and also gives us back a lot of time with our families.

Re: The Vocal Majority Will Not Be Down For ...

Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 9:38 am
by Purpura
DisneyMom wrote:Looking Forward to that return to the Competition with a Perfected and Winning Set!!!!!!
GO VOCAL MAJORITY!!!!!! :) :) :) :rocker:
I quote her cause That was my thought too. Are we sharing a brain cell DisneyMom? Hahaha

Re: The Vocal Majority Will Not Be Down For ...

Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 1:16 pm
by GRUMPY PIRATE
darph nader wrote:Thanks for the 'almost heart-attack' there Wombat. :rolleyes:
REALLY!

I though we were going to read about some terrible accident involving a bus and a bunch of passengers singing 99 bottles of beer.... :cool:

Re: The Vocal Majority Will Not Be Down For ...

Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 1:41 pm
by ktulu
GRUMPY PIRATE wrote:REALLY!

I though we were going to read about some terrible accident involving a bus and a bunch of passengers singing 99 bottles of beer.... :cool:
Yeah, but it was the BEST version of 99 bottles of beer EVER!

Re: The Vocal Majority Will Not Be Down For ...

Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:58 pm
by BRWombat
GRUMPY PIRATE wrote:REALLY!

I though we were going to read about some terrible accident involving a bus and a bunch of passengers singing 99 bottles of beer.... :cool:
ktulu wrote:Yeah, but it was the BEST version of 99 bottles of beer EVER!
:hysteria: :D: Too funny! I can almost hear the arrangement in my head. (And the tag would be amazing, but we'd never get to it...) :D:

Re: The Vocal Majority Will Not Be Down For ...

Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 7:43 pm
by DisneyMom
Purpura wrote:I quote her cause That was my thought too. Are we sharing a brain cell DisneyMom? Hahaha
It is possible,just wish my brain was not in Mental-Pause so much lately! ;)