The Capitol Chordsmen Chorus An Overture Hall headliner!

Here's what we did in 2007 It included year-long celebration of 'The Music Man' 50th anniversary 12/31/2007

The cover of our 2007 show program

The following Chorus events are in addition to our weekly rehearsals and Chapter meetings (Tuesdays starting at 7 p.m. at Asbury United Methodist Church on University Ave.). For reasons of space, only selected appearances by the Chorus and its quartets are listed. Items appearing after the first one are listed most recent first.

WE SALUTED "THE MUSIC MAN" AT AGE 50 THROUGHOUT 2007. The year marked the 50th anniversary of the beloved musical, "The Music Man," and the Capitol Chordsmen and other Barbershop Harmony Society chapters marked the event in a variety of ways.

Read more about the celebration here.

Read about a Madison connection with "The Music Man" and its "School Board" -- actually the famed Buffalo Bills quartet -- here.

Capital Times columnist Doug Moe also writes about "The Music Man" and the Buffalo Bills' Madison connection in his April 19, 2007, column. Click here to read it.

HOLIDAY 'VERY LARGE QUARTET' BUSY. The holiday 'Very Large Quartet' (VLQ) of the Capitol Chordsmen Chorus was very active performing at more than a dozen area locations between Dec. 18 and 22. Venues included several retirement homes, Channel 15's Dec. 22 morning program, and up and down State Street later that day with stops at the Overture Center lobby, an Irish bar on Capitol Square, the State Capitol rotunda., the Madison Art Museum, aboard the State Street Trolley, and anywhere else inside or outside they could draw a crowd.

THANKSGIVING CONCERT HELPS FUND FOOD PANTRIES Our first-ever "Barbershoppers Thanksgiving" concert Nov. 17 raised nearly $500 for Madison area food pantries. The free event at Asbury United Methodist Church raised $492 for the Second Harvest Foodbank to help it supply food to individual pantries in the area. "We sing so others may eat" was the concert theme. For more information read our pre-concert announcement here

WISCONSIN WOLVES FOOTBALL APPEARANCE. The Chordsmen sang the National Anthem and the Cheery O's quartet performed at halftime Saturday, Sept. 22, for the second home game ever for the new Wisconsin Wolves women's professional football team. More

OPEN CALL FOR SINGERS. We devoted three consecutive Tuesday evenings -- Sept. 11, 18 and 25 -- to our second annual "Open Call for Singers," demonstrating to visitors the in's and out's of barbershop harmony and how they can become part of the experience.

PERFORMING IN WAUNAKEE. We sang three times at the First Presbyterian Church Sunday, Sept. 9 -- for about 350 at the two morning services and between services for about 50-60 middle-school-age students and their church teachers.

FARMERS MARKET SINGING. Chordsmen sang for about an hour outside on Capitol Square and inside the Capitol during the Aug. 25 Farmers Market, as the kickoff of our "Open Call for Singers" program that begins Sept. 11.

ASBURY, TRINITY CHURCH PERFORMANCES. We sang to over 500 at church services Aug. 5 at the west side Asbury United Methodist Church (two services) and Aug. 19 at the east side Trinity Lutheran Church (one service), both in Madison.

BASEBALL & BARBERSHOP AT THE MALLARDS. The Capitol Chordsmen sang the National Anthem before about 4,700 fans at a Mallards baseball game Aug. 11, the next-to-last home game of the regular season at Warner Park. We stayed behind to enjoy the game.

INVITED TO SING IN MINNESOTA. The Chorus in August agreed to sing Oct. 27 in Rochester, Minn., at an annual multi-state gathering of barbershoppers that includes chorus and quartet contests. The invitation from sponsors was based on our performance at a Wisconsin contest this spring.

CHORUS RETURNS TO THE DEAN HOUSE. The Chordsmen headlined the next-to-last summer Backporch Concert -- an annual series -- at the Dean House in Monona Aug. 2, on a beautiful summer evening with over 100 in the outdoors audience. We also featured the women's "K'motion" quartet, of Sweet Adelines International, on the program.

WE WERE ON MADISON CABLE! A video of our 2007 annual show -- "All Aboard for Barbershop" -- plus excerpts from our documentary DVD (see next item below) aired on the city's WYOU Cable Channel 4 throughout July on Mondays from 4 to 6 p.m. and Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Read our article about the show here.

CHORUS RELEASES NEW DVD. We announced the release in June of a documentary-style half-hour DVD (and a 14-minute version in August) taking viewers into a Capitol Chordsmen rehearsal and explaining some of what goes on and how other men in the area can be a part of it. Read more about the DVD and how you can borrow a copy at no charge or obligation by clicking here.

CHAPTER COMPETES IN "PICK-UP" QUARTET CONTEST. Twelve Chorus members sang in three quartets June 4 at an Inter-Chapter Novice Quartet Contest for "pick up" quartets, held in Lake Geneva. The Chordsmen Four, making their first public appearance, placed fifth out of 24 quartets which competed and was the top-rated group from our chapter.

Quartet members were Joshua Oxley, tenor; Todd Fletcher, lead; Dave Hutchinson, baritone; and Alex Martin, bass. In all we had 14 Chordsmen travel to Lake Geneva to enjoy an evening of barbershop harmony.

PHOTO (left):Chordsmen relax before the May 28 Bratfest show and before the Bratfest crowds start arriving.