The Southern Gateway Chorus (SGC) placed in the top third in the Barbershop Harmony Society's International competition <on July 9, 2022 in Charlotte, NC.
37 choruses, out of 900 in the US and Canada, qualified to compete this year. Three quartets with SGC members, out of 48 quartets who qualified, competed this year.
There were no International competitions since 2019, due to the covid-19 pandemic, so this was a Barbershop Reunion.
Having been inducted into the chapter two new members are greeted by their brothers in song.
The men of Southern Gateway listen to Steve Tramack as he takes us to school and teaches us about the power of connecting the music with the story we want to tell. We come together every Tuesday as amateur musiciancs and recieve some of the best coaching available to create a world class experience for our audience.
On Tuesday May 2, the Southern Gateway, Delta Kings, and Cincinnati Sound choruses held our annual Novice Quartet night in support of the Greater Cincinnati Harmony Festival. Together, we raised over $10,000!
26 quartets competed to receive the most votes (with each vote a contribution to the Harmony Festival). The winning quartet was "Dan-ger on Matt's Bernside Bay". It featured Bernie Reen on Tenor, Matt Hofmeister on Lead, Bayard Pelsor on Baritone, and Dan Engelhard on Bass. Maybe you can guess where the quartet name came from! Dan and Matt are new(ish) members of SGC, and Bernie and Bayard are old hands.
You never know what you will get to see at our rehearsal! JJ Hawkins stopped by and got the chance to direct "The Irish Blessing" that we sing at the end of every rehearsal. Below is JJ's reaction. Photo courtesy of Jay Berry)
"Got to cross an item off of my bucket list tonight. I was fortunate enough to be selected to direct The Irish Blessing at the close of the Southern Gateway Chorus rehearsal at Harmony Lodge(where I practically grew up running around on the risers). On my way back to the hotel, I thought about my Popeye and how he directed it, and I really missed him. Love you Popeye, and I hope I did you proud tonight. I hope some day I can be one-tenth of the man you were!
Gateway Members singing the night away after rehearsal. Jim Fry, Dick Baker, Kent Vanderkolk and Jay Berry try their voices together as other Gateway members listen to the fun. (Picture courtesy of David Howard.)
Gateway did it again. As a family, we descended on the lodge at Clifty Falls State Park in Indiana and made the rafters ring! We sang. We ate. We showed off our new roll on/roll off riser carts. We shared what the chorus means in our lives. The joy and friendship that we shared with each other made the weekend worthwhile. And THEN……then we sang some more and ate some more. Pizza and Beer and Singing! What more can we ask of each other?
Southern Gateway Chorus/Western Hills Chapter held their annual awards banquet on February 4th. The chapter honored Paul Gilman by inducting him into the Southern Gateway Hall of Fame. Gary Ellerhorst did a stellar job of bestowing this honor on Paul in his typical lyrical roasting/toasting fashion.
On the evening of October 22, 2016, the men of the Southern Gateway Chorus gathered with many friends, family, and fans for the Gateway Gala. The event featured dinner, great entertainment, and silent and live auction fund-raisers. Over 200 guests enjoyed entertainment by The Roaring 20’s, The Crew, and The Reen Family, musical ensembles that feature Gateway members. The final performance of the evening was provided by the full Southern Gateway Chorus.
The auction was hosted by former WLW radio personality Gary Burbank, who brought his unique touch of humor to the event, and Tom Hambly of Skyline Auctioneers, who kept the lively auction going.
