Reviews ‘Down Memory Lane’ at James Hay

Press, 20 November 1989, Page 7

Reviews ‘Down Memory Lane’ at James Hay

“Trip Down Memory Lane,” presented by the Christchurch Chapter of the New Zealand Association of Barbershop Singers, James Hay Theatre, November 18, 8 p.m. Reviewed by Philip Norman. By my calculations one needed to be 137 years of age for nostalgia to strike with every item in this trip down memory lane. It did not matter. Indeed, if I left the theatre feeling like a spring chicken, it was more because of how the material was presented and less because of its age relative to mine. This evening of barbershop music and associated traditional jazz- was slickly presented. Though barbershop singing is an amateur pastime, the stage manage-

ment was thoroughly professional; seamless sequencing of items ensured a sprightly pace for the proceedings. All of the groups featured sang or played (as in the case of the irrepressible Eureka Jazzmen) with unfettered enthusiasm. It was impossible not to be captured by the high spirits of the sounds and choreographed movements. Much of the music aired was also of a good performance quality, surprisingly so when considering that the renaissance of barbershop harmonising began in Christchurch barely 18 months ago. I was especially attracted to the work of the “Canterbury Plainsmen.” I did not know there were 40 male choristers still alive in the city, let alone 40 who can

strike close-voiced chords with such vigour and finesse. The womens’ chorus counterpart of the Plainsmen, the “Sweet Adelines,” also made an impressive showing. For sheer theatricality, the work of this group was hard to beat. Various barbershop quartets drawn from the two choruses gave cameo appearances. In general,, these were less successful primarily because problems of blend and rhthmic cohesion have not yet been satisfactorily resolved. The one exception to this was the "Avon City Four.” This group demonstrated a collective musicianship that has progressed beyond the mastery-of-notes stage.

Top billing in the concert was reserved for the “Second Edition,” an American quartet that presently holds the international Barbershop Quartet Championship title. The performance of this group on Saturday evening was impeccable.

Each singer is an entertainer as well as a musician. Collectively, they pluck notes out of the air and shape melodic rhythms with breathtaking ease. They perform as one.

Further to this, they promote arrangements of the standard barbership repertoire that are imaginative and adventurous. The wit of both their music and their performance was stimulating.