Golden Gate '08

The short version

We came. We sang. We ate. We sang some more. We went to Philip's house for the social, where we, suprisingly, ate and sang. Some of us went home, but some of us showed up on Sunday and again on Monday, to... you guessed it: sing and eat. 

The longer version, with pictures

Here's Katie leading Vernon with Will's help. We miss you, Katie. San Francisco isn't THAT far, really!

Here's Connie, who came to Berkeley Monday night, too. Hooray!

Here's a shot of the alto bench, partially obscured by the front-row trebles beating time. You may be noticing a trend in the photos: shots of tall people and the far right side of the room. You may wonder at the absence of certain people from the photos. That is what happens when you spend most of a singing sitting behind very tall men. 

Here's Marion from San Diego:
Susan is from Stockton now, but I first met her when I attended the Twin Cities local singing last summer. It's great to have her with us. She even makes the drive from Stockton on some Monday nights. Brave woman.

Hal did an amazing job of outreach, finding friendly singers to help the new and nervous. As a result, the newbies look like pros. We got the idea from the Portland Convention, and Hal carried it off wonderfully, preventing all those awkward moments that must arise when a new person stands up all by themselves in front of a hundred expectant singers.

Here's Bruce, getting a little help from Chris:

And here's Melissa getting some help from Inder. Inder is cracking up, because she had no idea what she was getting into when she agreed to help-- a page-turning, fuguing tune in a major key, no less (Inder just loves those minor tunes). They pulled it off just fine, though.
Far too soon, the singing was over. Here are Lara and Will, giving thanks to all the folks who contributed to the singing.