A few weeks ago, the Carolinas District met for it's fall convention in the beautiful Myrtle Beach. It may go down in history as the first of our district's conventions to be attended by a late season hurricane (Thanks, Sandy!). It also goes down in our Thirteenth Colony Sound history as well. For the first time in at least 15-20 years, men from the Savannah chorus took to the risers to compete in a district chorus competition. We received a score we're very happy with, received countless complements regarding our performance, got valuable feedback from the judges, and enjoyed every minute of it. We're putting Savannah back on the map, folks.
We also were well represented in the quartet competition with members in the senior quartet Vintage Four and 1/2 Ton Pickup--this year's district champion. We also had a senior quartet made up entirely of Savannah barbershoppers. Four-Tune Hunters (formerly known as Whatever Four) entertained us all with their creative and witty selections. We couldn't be prouder to see this show quartet transform and evolve to the point of performing on the contest stage.
As marketing VP for the chapter, I asked our youngest currently active member, Josh Hodges, to write about his experience at his first ever barbershop convention. Josh is a senior at South Effingham High School and has a strong tenor voice. He is also the grandson of long-time Savannah barbershopper Robert Hodges. This is what Josh had to say, in his most colorful manner:
Traveling North in a teal minivan to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina from Savannah, Georgia to attend the 2012 Fall Carolinas District Barbershop Convention, I anticipated deeply my first district gathering. My hopes actually underestimated the grandeur of my new experience, for brilliance from the talent of the quartets and of the choruses had illuminated the dimly lit house of my temporal lobes. Although witnessing such profound talent is solely surpassed by the welcoming warmth from the courteous Carolina District dabblers and practical professionals which will follow me and remind me how jointly jubilant the chapters we met were toward our presence and toward our participation. Singing gutsy tags, attempting new arrangements, and honing my skills in new venues, with young members, and to rare audiences are what I wanted to grasp, and since I have done these, the conception of the true feeling of what it means to be a bona-fide Barbershopper begins in me. And perhaps, through consistency and nurturing, this feeling will mature into a tangible tool that may be exercised to help lead a new generation that preserves our art into fruition, so that the worry of the entrance of Barbershop Harmony into some state of subterfuge will be a dream. These are my reflections heading South in teal minivan.
–Joshua Hodges, first timer
If you have yet to experience the joys of a barbershop convention, don't delay! There's another convention in the springtime, and we have a chorus right here in Savannah to help you get prepared for the awesome experience that awaits you. Please give thoughtful consideration and join us. We look forward to having you.
Nathan P. Daniel
VP Marketing & Public Relations
13th Colony Sound
