After the long break after the Christmas season, Novatones members are keen to embark on a new decade of Barbershop singing. This year starts with Eastern Region workshop, where lots of competition and impromptu singing will take place and long-time acquaintances will be renewed. Novatones has already been booked for gigs coming up, including one concert to assist in raise awareness of and funds for Motor Neurone Disease. 

Recently, after much discussion of the pros and cons, there was a vote put to Novatones members. This vote was necessary to decide whether or not we should become a mixed chorus, rather than what exists at present: an all-male chorus.  An increase in member numbers is seen to be needed, as last year we had to knock back a couple of mid-week gigs  due to the unavailability of some members and thus not being able to adequately balance the four parts in the chorus, particularly in the tenor part.
 
The members decided for the club to remain as is. That being as an all-male chorus.  The main reason seeming to be that in Novatones, members are able to enjoy their hobby, while being in the company of other blokes.  This does not mean that Novatones won’t be singing and working with women’s choirs and choruses, just that they will not be registered as members of Novatones, nor attend rehearsals and concerts as members of Novatones.  This vote left the group in somewhat of a quandary- if we are not bringing women into the club, how do we fill the need for more members?
 
The plan is to advertise and have members of the male public, (hopefully with some popular local sporting identities attracting more male participants), in an introductory harmony-singing event. These new singers will then have the chance to be part of our ‘a capella’ Barbershop Harmony Chorus.

Later in the year we have teed up a concert where Novatones will join with the ‘Women of Note’ and other choirs. Not long after that there is the excitement of the BHA convention in September in Auckland New Zealand.  
Meanwhile we are working hard on new songs and refreshing old ones, so that we can take an active and competent part in competition and community events this year.
 
Mark Henley
Bari and Novatones Reporter