• Coffee, Chocolate, Men: Some things are just better rich.
• Liberal Arts Major ...Will think for food.
• If at first you don't succeed, skydiving isn't for you.
• In America, anyone can be President. That's just one of the risks you take to live here.
• Consciousness: that annoying time between naps.
• If you can read this, I can hit my brakes and sue you.
• Stop repeat offenders. Don't re-elect them.

• Lot's wife was a pillar of salt by day and a ball of fire by night.
• Moses led the Hebrews to the Red Sea, where they made unleavened bread, which is bread made without any ingredients.
• Moses died before he ever reached Canada.
• Solomon, one of David's sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.

If you have any other bumper stickers or slogans that you would like to share with the choristers, send them along to plunkett(A)niagara.com

Giles Tomkins (sponsored by the Queensmen of Toronto) wins the Lester Axdahl Scholarship Award of $800.

The following won $500 AMCA Scholarships:

• Nathaniel Voelker (Flint Male Chorus)
• Katie Butler (Minneapolis Knights of Columbus)
• Karen Pinkney (Mansfield Men's Chorus)
• Leah Gordon (Kawartha Male Chorus)

Several choruses in Michigan have increased in numbers through active recruiting and by dragging friends to practices. As male choral music continues to thrive, we hope to add more choristers.

Rick Shumaker

Our concerts, District Sings and Big Sings are tremendously enjoyable for the audiences as well as the choristers. When I sell tickets for these events, I believe I am doing a favour selling tickets to my friends and colleagues. I know that they are going to enjoy the show.

For many of our choruses, the concerts are an effective way to raise money for music and to pay stipends for conductors and accompanists. It is imperative for that reason that we play to as many full houses as possible. Who doesn't want to play to a full house? If we don't sell the tickets, nobody else will - we have to be the best salesmen of our products.

Another good reason to sell tickets is that our concerts are an excellent way to get some new men involved in our choruses - I became involved in my men's chorus because Tom Mousseau sold a friend of mine some tickets for a show.

As we plan our shows for next year, plan to sell some tickets and make every male chorus show a sell-out for next season.

Dan Plunkett

• Farmer Bill Dies in House
• British Left Waffles on Falkland Islands
• Miners Refuse to Work After Death
• Two Sisters Reunited After 18 Years in Checkout Counter
• Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
• Old School Pillars are Replaced by Alumni
• Include Your Children When Baking Cookies
• Lansing Residents Can Drop Off Trees

Don is always willing to look at suggestions for music to review and asks you to send him the following information:

1. the title
2. the composer
3. the publisher
4. the date

If you can send him the actual music, that would be great too.

Donald Crouch
4606 67th Street
Kenosha, WI 53142
Fax: 414 878-4056
ecdwc(A)wi.net

Across a Bridge of Hope - www.mh.luth.se/millennium
Gwyn Arch - grove.music(A)ukgateway.net
Morton Music Musings - www.mortonmusic.com

When I was preparing the information about our promotional items, I stated that Canadian choristers should add 25%. I neglected to state that Canadian choristers need only pay in Canadian funds. To those Canadian choristers who were all set to move to the USA over this, I apologize.

Hamilton is a town that has a large steel industry (Stelco and Dofasco employ about 15000 between them), but the largest single employer in Hamilton is the Hamilton Health Sciences Corp. Its international airport is capable of servicing Boeing 747's.

It boasts a fine University (McMaster) and a thriving Community College (Mohawk). It also has a satellite campus of Brock University from St. Catharines.

It has a professional theatre company, an excellent Art Gallery and supports the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. For 65 years, it has been home to the Case I H Men's Chorus.

It's one flaw (and this is one that Baz Mackie of the Queensmen of Toronto would agree with) is that it also is loyal to the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the Canadian Football League. The Tabbies are the main rivals of the Toronto Argonauts who have produced star quarterbacks for the NFL and star choristers for the Associated Male Choruses of America. - but that's another story.

It's Mayor, David C Hollister, is looking forward to welcoming the Associated Male Choruses for the International Big Sing and promises that we will be "warmly welcomed and enthusiastically received in Michigan's Capital City".

Michigan's Governor, John Engler, is "confident that the outstanding facilities and attractions in Lansing will make your International Big Sing both memorable and enjoyable".

As the Capital of Michigan, Lansing is proud of the State Capital Building which has been restored to its Victorian splendour. It also is home to the Michigan Historical Museum with exhibits displaying Michigan history from prehistoric times to the late twentieth century.

Lansing is also home to a four season zoo - this is not to be confused with the State Capital Building (in the same way that the Toronto Zoo should not be confused with Queen's Park).

Michigan State University is located in Lansing and the facilities for the Big Sing at the Lansing Centre look tremendous.

There will be more about the Lansing Big Sing in future issues and I know that we will have a great time in Lansing.

A parrothead is someone who is usually pretty industrious throughout the year, but for one weekend a year decides to dress in tacky Hawaiian garb, eat Cheeseburgers in Paradise, drink Margarita's and sing along without 18000 people at an outdoor gathering of the phlock.

The best gatherings of the phlock I have attended were at the Pine Knob Centre in Detroit. Parrotheads attend these gatherings (also called Feeding Frenzies) to participate in the concerts of Jimmy Buffett. If we had any choruses from Key West, Florida, they would probably have a few parrotheads.

The official Web site is www.margaritaville.com.

$1.00 - Red Caps and Letter Openers $2.00 - Money Clip or Key Pouch $3.00 - Lapel Pin $0.65 - Salutation (Bentz) or You'll Never Walk Alone (Stickles) (per copy price only available to AMCA members)

Executive Secretary, PO Box 106, RR#1 Dunsford, Ontario, Canada K0M 1L0

Posting and Handling is 15% to a maximum of $5.00.

Joe was very happy to present the award and told the Chorister that he was impressed with the hospitality in Winnipeg being given to an Ontario boy.

The Chorister is the official newsletter of the Associated Male Choruses of America, Inc. You are encouraged to participate in the creation of this newsletter by submitting articles, letters, photographs and pictures.

Dan Plunkett
28 Ameer Drive
St. Catharines, Ontario
L2N 3S8
plunkett(A)niagara.com

Over the summer, with the help of David Thomas, we will be producing an e-chorister on line at http://news.amcachorus.org. Look for us on line.

Scholarships
Tom Rayner (905) 773-7438
5 Bayswater Avenue
Richmond Hill, Ontario
L4E 2L4
trmusic(A)aci.on.ca
Scholarship(A)amcachorus.org

Music Contest Chair
Harry Learoyd (416) 626-3368
23 Dalegrove Crescent
Etobicoke, Ontario
hlearoyd(A)idirect.com
MusicContest(A)amcachorus.org

Music Reviewer
Don Crouch (414) 658-3344
4606 67th Street
Kenosha, WI 53142
Fax: (414) 878-4056
ecdwc(A)wi.net