Pole Cat

I just walked in the door from my second week with the Cape Breton Chorusmen (the other CBC). It's sounds lame, but the barbershop harmonies give me goosebumps.

Have you ever been singing, and the chords rings so true that it makes your face hurt from smiling? That's what barbershop does. When the four notes hit just right, it creates a fifth note - an overtone - above and beyond the actual notes. It's a wonderful feeling. Like god is making you a quintet.

I love the sense of history with barbershop. They try to rely as little on the sheet music as possible. Partially because some of the guys can't read it, but also because you can learn so much by listening to the guy singing beside you.

I sing tenor (which is waaaay up in the falsetto) with one other guy, named Tom. Tom learned most of the songs we sang tonight 28 years ago from another guy. That other guy learned them when he started 30 years before that. It's a neat feeling... especially when I pointed out Tom's been singing a mistake for 28 years.

He blamed the guy who taught him.

There was this hilarious moment tonight where, during a song with a march tempo, we all got up and marched around the church basement. Two by two, we clomped around the room. It was wonderfully cheesy. I can't wait for next week.