Harmony Prevails at Pasadena Crown City Chorus
Crown City Chorus performs 2 p.m. Saturday, May 22 at Pasadena High School Auditorium
The Pasadena Crown City Chorus will recapture the glories of barbershop four-part harmony when it presents “Remember When…” a whimsical look at the past, 2:00 p.m. Saturday, May 22 at Pasadena High School auditorium.
The time when men got together for socializing and singing at the local barbershop passed long ago. But, as an American institution, the singing and the music continues to thrive nationally in quartets and choruses under the jurisdiction of the Barbershop Harmony Society.
Right here in our backyard the Pasadena Crown City Chorus is thriving. As a chorus of about 50
men, the group has won several awards from the Far Western District of the Society including Chapter of the Year in 2005 and awards every year since.
“The show will look at the past with an eye to the future and has all the music, giggles and gags that makes a great barbershop show,” says Rob Schaumann, a realtor at the South Pasadena office of Dilbeck Realtors, who handles publicity for the chorus.
Filling out the program will be special guests “The Edge”, the 2009 District champions from the Santa Fe Springs/Brea chapter, and Pasadena-based “Impact” with chorus members Sean Chasworth, tenor; Phil Aydon, lead; Randy Thorpe, bass; and John Minsker, baritone. Also invited are the “Four Cords” a quartet from the San Marino High School choir.
The Pasadena Crown City Chorus is steeped in local history. Schaumann says that the chorus has been in existence for over 100 years. “Back at the turn of the 20th-century, the chorus would fill the Pasadena Civic Auditorium two nights running,” he says.
Moreover, championship quartets from the San Gabriel Valley have been presented since the mid-1950s. Among these champions were The West Coasters from San Gabriel; the Crown City Four from Pasadena; the Gala Lads from Alhambra; the Golden Staters from Arcadia; the Gas Light Harmony Four from Arcadia; and the Crown City Good Time Music Company from Pasadena. The Energizers from Temple City were champions in 1998.
Who has more fun—the audience or the men on stage? Just in case you would like to join in, the Crown City Chorus is sending an invitation, not just to the show on May 22, but to sing with them as well.
“We sing a lot of Barbershop and have a lot of fun,” according to their director, John Minsker. “We must be doing something right,” Minsker says, “we were named Far Western District Chapter of the year,” among other awards the group has received. “Come join us some Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. in the Band and Orchestra room at the rear of Wilson Middle School Auditorium, 300 S. Madre St., Pasadena”.
But, right now the show is the thing.
The Pasadena Crown City Chorus, 2:00 p.m. Saturday, May 22 at the Pasadena High School auditorium. Tickets are $15, general admission; seniors, $10. Pasadena High School is located at 2925 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena. For information, please call (626) 286-0355 or visit www.crowncitychorus.com.
By Bill Peters
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