This weekend was the NZABS HeartSong2000 Convention in Palmerston North. The City of Sails Chorus competed in the open chorus section and got the gold medal and the cup.  I enjoyed the competition on Friday evening very much although I was really nervous.
 

After the Friday night Chorus Contest, I had a sing with the Joker's Wild (1994  S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A. International Champion Quartet) after I bought their CD Package.  They are very good!
 

The Saturday morning barbershop quartet contest was not as exciting because I was not able to take part in it.  So I showed the Joker's Wild around the town.  I took them to a mall where they took over an hour shopping for their quartet shirts. They were the same colour (purple) and style, and the size to fit them. Then I took them to the Science Gallery in the town where they spent three hours looking at and enjoying the displays.  When they were waiting for an experiment to complete, they sang some songs in the Gallery.  All the visitors in the Gallery enjoyed their songs.
 

After they have been to the museum, I went to their hotel room to wait for them, because they needed to prepare for their evening concert.  I used the time to talk to them about the songs they sing.  When they were ready, I took them back to the shop where they purchased their shirts to be ironed, and, as a show of appreciation, they gave the salesclerk one of their CDs.  With their newly purchased shirts, they returned to the theatre for the announcement of the quartet contest results. They sang a song while the Judges where collecting the scores for the contest.  I saw them wear the shirts that they had just bought.  They said to the audience that they spent one hour shopping for the shirts.  I was very proud of myself for having taken them out.
 

 It was the Saturday Night Concert and while they were doing their showcase, I was sitting in the front row of the theatre taking photos for them while they were singing and telling jokes.  The lead, Jon, is a lawyer.  He was telling some jokes about that he is a lawyer and everybody was laughing.  Then he said, on the stage, looking at me, "Hey Herb, you are taking down the names, aren't you?"   I was surprised.  I really was and that was amazing.  Thinking about thousands of people were in the audience but the Joker's only mentioned my name.  That was caught in the camera, too, which they are going to produce a highlight video from.
 

On Sunday morning when they were doing the "Big Sing Concert" showcase, I was selling CDs for them at the Grand Lobby in the Regent Theatre.  Later, we, about three hundred people had some lunch together.  I was sitting at the Joker's table.  That was great.  They, at the end, thanked me for been their friend. Dave said, "Thank you for been our buddy".  Actually I really wanted to thank them for being my friends.
 

Virtually I spent the whole weekend with them.  I really got to know them well even I didn't go the Harmony College as Jon wished that I could have done.  Now when I listen to their CDs, I do not only feel that I am listening to some World Champion Quartet singing. I feel I am listening to my friends singing.  That gives me a special feeling.  I really think this weekend in my first barbershop convention was worthwhile.
 

Herbert Feng
 

CAPTION: Joker's Wild is the SPEBSQSA 1994 International Champion Quartet. This photo was taken in Palmerston North NZABS HeartSong2000 Barbershop Convention in July 2000. The Joker's Wild was the guest quartet of the convention. Photo from left to right - Steve Legters(or Legs)(sings Baritone), Dave Kindinger(sings Bass), Jon Clunies(sings Lead), David Meyer(sings Tenor). This photo was taken in Palmerston North, New Zealand. P.S. You might like to know, David Meyer is not a formal Joker's Wild tenor. He was assigned to sing with the Joker's in NZ Tour 2000 due to the unable attendence of their original tenor. But David learnt 25 songs in two and half weeks.