It was a delight over the past year and a half to research and locate Balladiers from the past 50 years and develop a database for this event and for events in the future. It was a joy to correspond with so many over the months preceeding the event and to be the disseminator of information! Admittedly, I was tenacious in corresponding and seeking information about singers I was unable to locate. It "took a village" to fill in the blanks! Special thanks to those who responded to my inquiries!
On Thursday, August 23, the Balladiers gathered together at CHS to rehearse with Directors - Hoopingarner, Berg and Sly. Amy Frizzell Pierce came to the Friday rehearsal to fill in for her Dad, who sadly lost his battle to cancer a few weeks earlier on July 28.
Rehearsing "A LITTLE WHITE HEN" with Mr. David Sly
Rehearsing "SCARBOROUGH FAIR" with Mr. Arvid Berg
Rehearsing "59th STREET BRIDGE SONG" (Bridge Over Troubled Water) with the founding Director of the Balladiers, Mr. Doug Hoopingarner
Amy Frizzell Pierce directs "The Lutkin Benediction"
We had the opportunity to meet Mr.Tony Shapow, the newly hired Choral and Balladier Director. Below is a photo of Mr. Hoopingarner with Mr. Shapow.
Two other key players in our event:
Russ Gates volunteered to be our accompanist.
We were also accompanied by Balladier, Greg Brayton.
On Thursday evening, we gathered together at the Elks for a Musicfest Kick-Off Party with others involved in the event.
Pictured above is Mr. Doug Hoopingarner with Patsy Feller Meiser
Patsy was the Coordinator for the Music Fest.
This evening was an opportunity to gather together with special friends and aquaintances and to make new friends!
The Reunion MusicFest also presented opportunities to see family.
I am pictured above with my cousin, Kathy, also a former Balladier.
Kathy is then pictured with our cousin, David.
Proceeds from the MusicFest were divided between the Tibbits Opera House Restoration Project and the Irma English Music Scholarship.
The "Early 70's" Balladiers perform on one of the two outside Stages at the Musicfest.
They also performed a set on the inside Tibbits stage.
The 1961-2011 Balladiers Performed - Pictured Below
The 2012 Balladjers were introduced and presented two selections under the direction
of Mr. Shapow.
The weekend ended with some of the Balladiers performing at the Presbyterian Church in Coldwater, pictured below.
The MusicFest was a highlight of the Summer of 2012 for me. It was wonderful to return to my birthplace and the community where I grew up. It gave me a renewed sense of home.
“I love to hear a choir. I love the humanity to see the faces of real people devoting themselves to a piece of music. I like the teamwork. It makes me feel optimistic about the human race when I see them cooperating like that.” (Paul McCartney)
May God bless Coldwater, my hometown, and all those who helped to make the MusicFest a success.
To see the Balladier Slideshow and here my solo, FOR GOOD, dedicated to Mr. Guy "Skip" Frizzell, please see the link below:
