The Ontario District’s international representatives were sent off in style at the 30th annual Pep Rally in Mississauga yesterday evening. Twelve quartets and ten choruses performed in a night of celebration and fundraising hosted by the Association of Ontario Champions (AOC).
The evening was opened by the AOC Chorus singing “The Old Songs” and “Hello Mary Lou” before the parade of performances, emceed by Pat Brown. The night closed with the entire hall of 500 barbershoppers singing “Keep The Whole World Singing” directed by Jordan Travis.
During the event, Dave Feltrin was awarded the 2015 Jeff Pritchard Outstanding Quartetter Award. The award is given to long-time district quartetters who most closely exemplify the following Jeff Pritchard attributes of true gentlemanliness, humility, pride in achievement, many years (at least 15) of active quartetting, demonstrated dedication to the goals of the BHS, and participation in competitive singing.
Four quartets and two choruses received funding from both AOC and the Ontario District to help offset the costs of representing the district at the Barbershop Harmony Society’s International Convention in Nashville in three weeks. This year, Ontario will be represented by the Toronto Northern Lights and Hamilton Harbourtown Sound in the chorus contest, Yonge Guns, Test Drive and Supertonic in the open quartet contest, and Those Meddling Kids in the youth quartet contest.
Photo by Ash Murrell Photography