Directors Lori Lyford and Nancy Bergman lead their combined choruses in Berlin’s Play a Simple Melody; photo by Suzanne Bott.
Berlin Goes Barbershop finale – combined ensemble singing his great anthem God Bless America. Photo by Suzanne Bott.
Don Bott
Cheers, whistles and grand applause abounded at SaddleBrooke’s DesertView Performing Arts Center on March 18 when the almost 400 music lovers present were treated to an extraordinary and exhilarating performance of the music of the great Irving Berlin sung by the Canada del Oro Barbershop Chorus and the Chandler High School Men’s Chorus. Also performing in their last appearance together as a Sweet Adelines quartet were the wonderful ConTempo ladies. Tears flowed backstage in this their last performance. Primarily because they are widely disbursed geographically, they made the decision to disband. It was a bittersweet time for them.
There were many, many show highlights. Many in the audience stood and cheered when the old men and the boys sang Berlin’s Play a Simple Melody with each group singing off the other. All in the theater were standing at the show’s conclusion when the combined ensemble sang Mr. Berlin’s anthem God Bless America.
Post-performance comments included many kudos and there were a lot of grandmothers in the audience who singled out a Chandler young man as a favorite. Some concert attendees were teenagers who had never heard barbershop singing before, much less ever heard of Irving Berlin.
It was a fun evening and we performers thank those who attended. Please mark your calendar for Friday, December 11 as the CDOBC will have their holiday show at DesertView. Planning is already underway; it will be another show with great music, great harmony, wonderful energy and perhaps some surprises.
And by the way, those in attendance saw two of America’s great barbershop music directors, Nancy Bergman and Lori Lyford, do their magic in bringing forth wonderful harmony with their two groups. Congratulations and thank you, dear ladies.