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JURASSIC
JOURNAL
The Jurassic Larks In Flight
By Prehistoric
tenor "Vic" Neilsen
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JURASSIC JOURNAL
In the summer of
2006 we started off with a private birthday party, went to Indy for the
International and saw our favorite and CSD quartet, Vocal Spectrum, win
the gold. We then squeezed in another birthday party in St. Paul, Minn.
and spent a glorious weekend in Dixie District (Clemson U.) for their
Lakeside Harmony weekend, which included YIH who gave one whale of a
concert Saturday night. We headlined the Friday night show, sharing the
stage with Stateline Grocery (better watch those guys in Denver),
coached quartets all day Saturday, and Sunday morning had a couple of
hours Meet with the Champs (that was us!!!). This was another first for
us.
In the Fall we
had several convention type performances and went to Wichita, Ks. for
the CSD convention. We got to sing on the past champs show which is
always fun, and especially since Vocal Spectrum was there to thrill the
audience, as well as 12th Street and 3 Men (and we expect those two to
raise the roof in Denver too) . What a great district we have.
In January we
went back to So. Carolina (a new state for us in 2006) to perform on the
chapter show in Myrtle Beach. Had a great time, great condo, and
marvelous hosts. Then it was off to Albuquerque for Midwinter. Our own
chapter quartet, Catalyst, was the CSD rep. and they medaled at 5th
place. They are moving up and we have hopes that one day soon they will
get the gold. We had a good Seniors show, and it is great to rub
shoulders with the "top" 5 society quartets.
February was
"Valentines", singing for the chapter, a couple more birthday parties,
and then a return engagement to Beatrice Nebr. for two shows. The
weather got a bit wintry, but we made it okay. So far we have not been
shut out by the weather.
In March we had
the honor and pleasure of singing at the Friday night show for the Youth
In Harmony event held by the Ft. Dodge, Iowa Chapter, with clinicians
Jim Bagby and our own Dist. Pres. Don Fuson. It is always amazing to
hear these young kids singing barbershop so well. A fun look into the
future. We closed out March with a trip to Milbank, So. Dak., for a
great show. The weather got to us before we left, slid off the road into
the ditch a few miles south of Milbank, spent three hours waiting for a
tow, but no one had so much as a scratch or a bruise. At the time, it
looked like it might be the permanent retirement of the Jurassic Larks.
Our host from the chapter came to hold our hand and offer any
assistance. A fine example of how great are our barbershop friends.
In April we had
a show in McCook, Nebr. sharing the stage with the chapter chorus,
enhanced with members of the community and high school (singers all),
and headlined by Vocal Spectrum. We love those guys, not only because
they are nice and the best in the world, but because they let us sing "Mam'selle"
with them after the after glow. Don Blank, our district Exec. VP and
member of McCook chapter, said if it wasn't the best, it was one of the
best shows they have ever had.
The only downer
was the need to cancel out of the Davenport show, which we had been
looking forward to doing for so long, because of a personal/family
catastrophe. It is the first time EVER that we had to cancel for any
reason (since we started in 1998).
Now we are in
May, and looking forward to a couple of great shows in Overland Park,
Ks. Then we will be getting in some personal vacation time before we
head out to Denver for the International Convention. We have two CSD
quartets seeded in the top 10, so we will be cheering like mad.
We have several
performances lined up for this fall, and two chapter shows yet to be
confirmed. But we ain't done yet!!! So if you need a slightly older
foursome with lots of experience and who sing barbershop, meaningfully,
to 90+% of your audience, get in contact with our Curator. We got open
dates, and we'd love to sing for you and yours.
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JURASSIC JOURNAL
WOW!!! It's mid-2006 and time for an update
already.
We did go to Midwinter along with the Lady
Larks (someone has to work at the convention) but unfortunately we had our
share of "poor health" within the quartet. By moving slowly and using a
wheel chair, for who else but the Baritone, we got through it in fairly good
shape. (we are much better now, thank you).
Mid winter was great as usual. We got to see
our new champs Realtime, and meet up again with the guys in
Metropolis, Riptide and Max Q. What fun it is to name drop. And of course
we crowned our new Seniors Champs, Antique Gold, and listened to them and
Realtime (family, you know) sing together Saturday night. It doesn't get
much better than that, teary as it was (and can't happen again).
The AISQC chorus also did a fine job and it is
so much fun to sing with those old guys. What we need are a few younger
ones, so young seniors, get a quartet together.
In February, we did our usual Singing Valentines
for our home chorus, the Pride of Iowa. And as usual, it is one of the most
fun activities for any quartet. And the weather was ideal.
In March, we were in Kalispell, Montana, with
the Flathead Valleyaires along with their two local quartets. We were leery
of possible bad weather in March, but it was as nice as Iowa (?) and the
barbershoppers there were as warm and cordial as anywhere we've been. I
think that was our 27th state.
In April we attended the District Spring
Prelims. What a weekend. Our lead, Vince, is singing in another seniors
quartet, but they'll have to get their own web site for any news or comments
about Upper Crust.
The District qualified three quartets to go to
International in Indianapolis, and they are seeded 2nd (Vocal Spectrum), 6th
(3 Men & a Melody) and 8th (12th Street Rag). And we know and support them
all. What a time CSD should have in Indy, and the Larks are planning on
going and cheering like mad. And of course we will be singing around, every
chance and venue we find.
In April, we sang in our own chapter
chorus/show, with headliners GOTCHA!!! along with 4 of our own fine chapter
quartets. And in the afterglow, we introduced our new District Seniors
Champions, Catalyst. They competed at midwinter in January (7th place) and
we expect they will qualify to compete again next January in Albuquerque.
After 9 years, Des Moines and CSD could sure use another Seniors Champs.
In May it was two shows in Dayton Ohio, singing
in the Randy Chisholm Auditorium (now that's heady stuff). We were hosted
grandly by Dave and Donna Loerke, and even ran into our old friend Arnie
Appel (Sarasota and Sabina, Ohio).
We had a few local type gigs and then it was off
to Tinley Park, Illinois in May to sing with the South Cook Chapter chorus.
They have some fine local quartets and a good chorus, but the joy of the
weekend was the Chordettes, last year's International Rising Star Fourth
Place Medallists. Three 16 year olds and an 18 year old. What fun and what
a sound. We expect they will improve their ranking this July in San Antonio
at the next contest.
June is a month for vacations, and July is the
month for International in Indy and also for the Dixie District Lakeside
Harmony weekend, in Clemson, So. Carolina. What a thrill that is, and we
haven't even gone yet. Just to be asked to headline the Friday night
show is awesome. This might be the highlight of 2006, but then there is
always more to come. So stay tuned, check out our calendar, get your chapter
to hire us (we still have 23 states to get to) and keep singing. |
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JURASSIC JOURNAL
It is now 2005 and the Jurassic
Larks are now just 8 years old. And we are about as active
as any 8 year old (of course in man years, you'll have to
multiply that 8 by 35). Anyway, we are active and loving
every minute of it.
Started 2005 out with a
bang, flying with the Lady Larks to another great Midwinter
Convention, in Jacksonville, Florida. Great time with great
quartets (CSD's own Vocal Spectrum was on the big show, and
they wowed the audience).
Another highlight: doing the
Akron Ohio show with Power Play and Vocal Spectrum in
February.
Wisconsin called us twice in
April (Prairie du Sac and Dunn County) and in May we sang on
our own Pride Of Iowa show, featuring the Gas House Gang in
their final U.S. appearance. At the Afterglow the Larks were
honored to do a parody in tribute to the Gang, singing
"Who'll Take Their Place When They're Gone" (No One Can).
Needless to say, the whole evening with the Gang was pretty
awesome.
Later in May, we returned to
Columbia, Mo. to do the chapter show and share the stage
with Storm Front. We were not surprised that they jumped
into the top 10 in Salt Lake City. And their CD is awesome.
Yes, we were at SLC. We had the
great honor of singing in the Gold Medal Chorus made up of
some 580 Society gold medal winners (either quartet or
chorus gold). Joining the Mormon Tabernacle Choir of some
380 voices in one song was truly a once-in-a-life-time
happening for me.
Was fun seeing lots of old and
new friends in SLC, and we feel very lucky to consider
ourselves friends of so many of the guys because of shows
and past conventions. It's the people. Also, our thanks to
a lot of men who stopped us and said hello, after reminding
us that we had sung on their show (what memories we
have/had!!!).
In September, we will be going
to Chicago Metro, for their Chapter show. We tried to get a
spot singing the National Anthem at a Cubs game while we
were in town, but they were not impressed with our title or
medals, I guess. Nor were they impressed that we sing every
year for the Iowa Cubs opener.
We are also looking forward to
the Fall CSD Convention in Des Monies in October and being
mike testers. And hopefully we'll hear our three
International level quartets at the All Champs Show (Vocal
Spectrum, Three Men & a Melody, and 12th Street Rag).
Then, interspersed with some
local things, we will be tromping up to St.Paul, Minnesota
for a show in November. We recall with wonder that our very
first show was in Minnesota, singing on the Great Northern
Union show (they medalled this year you know).
Next? Who knows, but I hope it
is as exciting and as much fun as each of the last eight
years have been. We have added two more states, so at 26 we
are over half way to our goal. At two states a year, we need
to stay active for another.......... 12
years..................not a problem (?).
One of us old dinosaurs is
thinking of snow birding it to Texas this winter, so
December and January might be kinda quiet for us. But we
expect to be on the show circuit in the Spring, so give us a
call, or shoot us an email.
Until when, see you next year at
the Midwinter Convention in Sacramento January 15-22, 2006.
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JURASSIC JOURNAL
The year 2003
was another fantastic year of performances for a lot of
wonderful people. It was 1998 when we took the
Gold, and still we are in demand (?). All four of us are still
amazed to be so busy, and enjoying it immensely.
After the
Midwinter Convention in Albuquerque in January anddoing Singing
Valentines around the Des Moines area in February,
we got a jump start in May when we sang for the wife of an Iowa
National Guardsman who was literally on his way to Iraq. Was
a very warm and humbling experience for the Larks. A DVD was
made of the performance and later shared with his fellow
soldiers over in Iraq…………...barbershop around the globe.
The summer and
fall were fairly filled with performances in and around Iowa: at
the Iowa Cubs ball park; a couple of County
Farm Bureau annual meetings; a couple or birthday celebrations;
a couple of Hospice Volunteer recognition
events; a United Way Kickoff breakfast; a Carnegie Library’s100th year celebration; an antique car show, etc. etc. And
the best of all, barbershop shows in Denison, Iowa, Wilmar,
Minn., Papillion, Nebr., Alpena, Mi., Wamego, Kansas (Sweet
Adeline
Chapter) and Lake Geneva, Wisc. OOPs, I almost forgot
our own show with the Pride of Iowa in Des Moines.
We logged 24
formal performances in 2003 and severalinformal ones. Like the
ones in O'Hare Airport in Chicago.
We were singing birthday greetings to the wife of our Bass, and
a stranger approached and asked us to sing Happy
Anniversary over the phone to his wife (could he have forgotten
about it until then?). We did so, and then a security
guard asked us to sing Happy Birthday on the phone to his wife.
Of course we did! We rarely fail to sing in airports……………..
we make some great connections there.
In October. at
the CSD Fall Convention in Cedar Rapids, we again sang with the
Association of Central States
Champions (District Quartet Champions) of which we are members.
We have been honored by membership in that association, and it
is great
to be so recognized locally. We are the only Seniors
Quartet in the group, members because of our International
standing.
Now it’s 2004,
and thankfully, we are busier than ever. We expect to add two
more states to the list, bringing it to 24,
when we sing around the Louisville Kentucky International
Convention, and then to the big state of Texas, in December.
Check out our CALENDAR for other places you might spot the
Larks this year.
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