InCider Press, March 2003, page 7, Tom Hart's 90th & Singing with the champs

About 50 relatives and friends gathered in Westmoreland on Saturday, March 15th to honor Tom Hart on the occasion of his 90th birthday. Among those attending were members of the Apple Core Tet (Myron Calhoun, Bill Hanson, Bob Ridley and Leonard Purvis) and the Manhattan Music Machine (Don Thomson, Bob Swenson, Jim Lindquist and Pete Cooper).

After a delicious beef brisket and ham dinner, Tom's son-in-law, Bill Hanson, presented a slide talk on some of the highlights of Tom's life. Barbershop music was an important part. The two quartets joined to sing "Fun In Just One Lifetime", after which they each sang a few numbers to entertain the group.

Tom was one of a handful of men who were instrumental in starting the Manhattan Chapter, and when we received our charter at our first spring show 26 years ago this month, Tom was not only a charter member, but the first chorus director. For the better part of two decades, he was one of the most faithful members of the chapter, and although he is not an active singer now, he still retains his love for the music.

David Davis and I enjoyed Kansas City's Heart of America Chorus's (HOA) show on Saturday, March 15. A great show and the 2 1/2 hours passed very quickly. We not only had the opportunity to hear the HOA quartets including 12th Street Rag, but also the 2001 International Champions -- Michigan Jake. David and his brother Daniel and father Chuck were there also.

I learned from David that he had the opportunity to

sing on that stage last year. His high school mixed quartet was a winner in HOA's Harmony Explosion and they sang on stage. His quartet's name was Sibling Rivalry in that he and his sister and his friend and his sister made up the quartet.

Ask him about the opportunity to visit with Platinum quartet, 2000 International Champions, and singing with 12th Street Rag. What a thrill for them!