Quartet Finals

I skipped the mass sing so I could catch up on this blog - the things I do for you!

So now it's midnight and I'm back from the Quartet Finals and the Coronet Club Show. Again, I'm not going to describe the quartet finals in details because you should have been watching the webcast and reading Marti Lovejoy's excellent descriptions on the Sweet Adelines Yahoo group.

There were some very funny moments in the quartet contest. Each quartet has 15 minutes and must perform two contest level songs, but can do other stuff and include some patter. For instance, AKA, the microphone testers, did a skit about teaching Harriet to cook coq au vin: complete with rubber chook, chefs hat, kitchen utensils and bottle of wine. Remix are looking for another contest they can win, and try a midsized quartet contest (only 2 of them sing) and a small chorus (one directs, 3 sing). Martini tell what sounds like a very old joke about how a phone call to God costs $50000 in the US but only 50 cents in Canada - because in Canada it's a local call. There are several versions of a country accent.

At Intermission Peggy Gram presents the President's Life Time Achievement Award to Britt-Helene from Sweden, and Britt-Helene makes a very moving speech including part in Swedish (because it's difficult to express emotion in English). Lots of little things today are making me cry - it's a very emotional day.

After the quartets finish, Moxie Ladies, who are last year's champions, perform and there's another award presentation from the Music Educators National Committee to Karen, who is a music teacher in a high school and started a young women in harmony program that's been going 18 years. She makes me cry too.

The quartets are called back on stage and the results are announced.

Spritzer is 10th with 2553
Mojo is 9th with 2625
Remix is 8th with 2646
Razzcals is 7th with 2650
Capri is 6th with 2666
Journey is 5th with 2687
Martini is 4th with 2710
Maxx Factor is 3rd with 2712
Jackpot is 2nd with 2789
Zing! is 1st with 2821.

Zing! were faculty for the barbershop cruise Jo and I did round Hawaii last year, so we're very pleased for them. More tears as they receive their crowns and trophies and flowers.

Di Huber, our coach and good friend from River Blenders chorus, directs everybody in singing the Winners Song.

And then it's off to dinner. The first few places we try have long queues - Friday night must be when everyone comes to town in Nashville. A group of us find a pasta place that's mostly empty and has no waiting. At least it offers salad. And beer.

It's now a quarter past midnight: you'll have to wait until tomorrow for the next exciting instalment, which will be about the Coronet Club Show. More tears, I'm afraid.