Summary of 2019 Activities

Beehive Statesmen in CY 2019

 

The generous funding provided in the ZAP grant for our 2019 season enabled the Beehive Statesmen Chorus to accomplish all of its proposed events and to reach a broad audience of often under-served residents of Salt Lake County.  The Statesmen provided 25 concerts within Salt Lake County throughout the year, an unprecedented accomplishment!  Living up to our motto of Service Through Singing, 19 of the concerts were given to assisted and senior living communities.  We have found that our music and the joy that we bring to our concerts can touch the hearts of so many in those audiences.  We particularly enjoy to opportunity to spend time with them after each concert, to greet them and listen to the memories that our songs have evoked.  The ZAP grant was instrumental in defraying facility rental costs for our rehearsal location and equipment storage, contracting for the services of our then-Director, Ms Peschell and acquiring additional music to expand our repertoire. Of particular importance, the grant allowed us to fund a training retreat by nationally renowned trainer Ms Debra Lynn. Over two days we learned numerous techniques for improving our musical abilities- both individual and as a chorus.  The value of this training became evident after our free Christmas concert to over 400 persons at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center on Dec 2.  A music critic from Front Row Reviewers wrote an exceptionally praiseworthy review of our performance that was posted on their national web site : (https://frontrowreviewersutah.com/?p=14372).    In addition to these concerts, the chorus conducted two Spring concerts at our partner location The Sons of Utah Pioneers headquarters building (June 7-8) and a Concert in the Park at Brigham Young Park (June 28). We also participated in the parade and then performed at the Swiss Days celebration in Midway on August 31. While not within Salt Lake County, certainly many residents of the county were present at this wildly popular event.  Over 500 people were in the audience in the fest tent for our performance.  We also performed at a low-income housing community in Ogden on Dec 18 for an audience largely of special needs persons.  We ended our annual series of concerts with a performance in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building on Dec 21.  Of note is the generous amount of time volunteered by members of the chorus in support of the International Barbershop Convention held in Salt Lake City during 2-7 July. Members of the chorus volunteered 603 hours of their time in helping run the convention which attracted attendees from around the world.  We are able to present most of these activities free of charge (and a few at very low cost) because of the generosity of the ZAP grants which allow us the freedom to entertain those who so very often have no one to visit them.  We are very grateful for that opportunity to serve our community through singing the uniquely American music that is barbershop.