June 24, 2007

With only a month left before the reunion (!), it's time to pull some details together:

1. Are you coming? If you have not yet registered and paid for attending the reunion yet, please do so NOW. Tom King is keeping the attendance and financial details and reports that a hundred are now confirmed and paid. The web site roster is generally ten days behind activity, so there are several additions that are not reflected at any given time. A LOT of your friends and classmates are going to be there, and many have made tough schedule choices to make it happen. Who knows when (or if) this will ever happen again...

2. Purpose of preparing an impromptu concert: This is not going to be a place for perfectionists! Since we spent the majority of our time together thirty years ago singing and performing, it seemed inappropriate to have a reunion without some chance to enjoy some music together again. Owen Robbins and I have been putting together various choral groups continually since leaving Tech, so we'll be the music team for the singers. Jimmy Copeland is heading up the band rehearsals. The bottom line is that we'll simply sing and play through some of the old charts and enjoy the process. Whichever two or three seem to "click" we'll do again that evening during a casual concert for our spouses and friends.

3. Music for the impromptu concert: Last weekend, Bill Brown, Scott Davis, and Catherine Breske spent hours recovering and reviewing many boxes of Paul's original band and chorus charts that had not been opened for three decades. Bill is categorizing the band charts, and Gail (Stephenson) Copeland is organizing the chorus stuff. I'm looking over choices this weekend and will select several songs that we'll read during a couple of fun music sessions. If we have time and the resources, we'll send each singer and instrumentalist two or three charts to review as you drive/fly to the reunion.

4. Soloists: As you know, a lot of our New Virginians programming supported or presented various soloists. Several former soloists are returning, and I'd like to ask as many of you as possible to sing one of your solos for us again. The only rule is that we don't want any new material... dig out your memory bank and recall one of the songs you sang with us. Then drop me an email or voice message and let me know which song you'd like to do, and I'll look for the charts so that Owen will have something to play from. And PLEASE don't be bashful! NONE of us are in the same physical or vocal shape as we were thirty years ago, so that's a given. Let's just get together and enjoy the memories. A few cracked notes won't matter a bit!

5. Singers: If you were a singer in the group, I'd REALLY like to encourage you to come to the rehearsals and sing along. This is being organized to have fun, not to impress anyone. Just bring your tired voice and a smile, and let's sing together one more time. If you insist on just watching, that's OK... but why not join in and be part of the group again?

6. How do you reach me? Just in case it's too hard to find this information elsewhere in the web site, just send me an email at Stan@Kingma.com, or catch me on my cell phone (leave a message if I don't answer) at 540-314-3186.

See you soon...

Stan

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May 12, 2007

Be SURE to include this reunion in your plans for the summer! We've been talking about doing this for many years, and the Richmond Reunion committee is doing an excellent job making it happen. You'll not want to miss this chance to relive the great New Virginians years...your closest Tech friends will all be in one place for a couple of days! As the responses come in and the number of participants increase, we're hoping to be able to set aside a couple of sessions to actually sing some of the old charts. We're all a bit rusty and a lot older now, but what FUN that will be! Owen Robbins and I are still working together musically, and just returned from Oklahoma where we put together a 100 voice youth choir each year. He'll be accompanying the rehearsals... it will be just like the old times.

- Stan