[HL] THREAD: Ed Waesche's Passing
HarmonetLite@yahoogroups.com; on behalf of; Harmonet [bbshop@yahoogroups.com]
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From: Bill Kruse
Date: Tue, 2 May 2006 07:44:32 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [bbshop] Ed Waesche's Passing
Ed Waesche passed away this morning at about 6:00 am. Ed was one of our International Presidents, fine Arrangers, a MAD quartet champ in 1965 with the Townsmen and again in 1982 with the New Yorkers, member of Easton, Big Apple and Five Towns College Chapters, member of DELASUSQUEHUDMAC and a Music Judge.
As you can see, Ed devoted much of his life to Barbershopping and was good at doing it. Ed will be missed by all.
May God go with him.
Bill Kruse, President Westchester Chordsmen
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From: "daveluttinen"
Date: Tue, 02 May 2006 15:18:55 -0000
Subject: [bbshop] sympathy to family -- and an anecdote
To the Family of Ed Waesche,
Our sympathy for your loss.
This family extends to all the barbershoppers who know him. He dedication and enthusiasm for our style of music will be carried on for generations. He was very generous in his time and intellect.
I am grateful for having known him.
Anecdote:
In my first registered quartet (1993), our baritone, a particularly talented arranger in his own right, mentioned that "So Long, Mother"
was originally written as a march. The only way I had heard the song was at the hands of some notable singers who did it as a ballad.
Segue to 2004. I took an arrangers class from Ed and got into a discussion about the modification of music from its original form and the effect on the composer's intent. I made the comment that some knucklehead had converted "So Long, Mother", a march, to a ballad.
You can imagine who the knucklehead was.
Peace be with you Ed, and thanks for the memories!
Dave Luttinen
(Bellevue and Pierce County Chapters, EVG)
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From: "John Grant"
Date: Tue, 2 May 2006 16:27:00 +0100
Subject: RE: [bbshop] Ed's passing
Ed was one of the finest guys it has been my privilege to meet.
He was a totally selfless person who had time to help everyone on any Barbershop topic.
I first met him many years ago when he first came to the UK. He was really interested in getting to meet the Sheriff of Nottingham.
I wrote to him last year to ask him if he thought a particular song would 'barbershop' He emailed me back 24hrs later with a full arrangement and the comment that he thought it was OK because he couldn't get the "damned melody ..." out of his mind.
As ever he made no charge for the work he had done
Last year I saw him only briefly at the LABBS convention in Cardiff, He was unable to complete his judging assignment through ill health but I had no idea that it was so serious.
This is a sad day for barbershop, we have lost one of our 'Greats'
My love and sympathy to Kate and the family. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
John Grant BABS & Frank Thorne
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From: "Bill Biffle"
Date: Tue, 2 May 2006 10:44:48 -0600
Subject: RE: [bbshop] Ed's passing
Reply-To:
I knew Ed for a quarter of a century and he was one of my all-time barbershop heroes. Coached with him in January at the M-AD top gun school.
He rested while the rest of us recreated, but other than that, he was gave his usual all.
Two quick stories - As a young judge I once taught the tag to "Love will come your way, Lonesome Rose" to him and two other guys. He very carefully let me teach all four parts - including the baritone to him - without once remarking that he had written the tag. A fact I learn some months later.
Second, he loved to say that a prolonged impromptu coaching session in a stairwell with a notable quartet of his had been "the best coaching session he'd ever had. The quartet went home and broke up!"
I'm already missing a great guy!
Bill Biffle
Albuquerque, NM USA
Paired District Board Member
The Barbershop Harmony Society
bbiffle@brgcc.com
PS: Sent me a CD a couple of months ago of a Dixieland band he played in at Princeton. A loving, giving guy!
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From: "limodiz"
Date: Tue, 02 May 2006 17:17:20 -0000
Subject: [bbshop] Ed's Passing!
Wow, you just hate hearing sad news. I am sure many people will say what they know about Ed. Yes, I knew him, competed against him, judged by him, coached by him and even butted heads with him. A true gentleman, loved his hobby and what it stood for! From one arranger to another, I must say this is Ed's best arrangement yet! He's with God, I don't think you can top that!!!!!!!
"Diz"
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From: "Robert Sharpe"
Date: Tue, 02 May 2006 17:28:16 -0000
Subject: [bbshop] Re: Ed's Passing!
Very sad news!
Just do a Yahoo web search for "Ed Waesche"
and check out the results.
Robert Sharpe.
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From: "Marty Israel"
Date: Tue, 02 May 2006 13:43:46 -0400
Subject: [bbshop] Ed Waesche's music - a tribute on TNS
Hi Netters!
I know I advertised that tonight would be Tuesday Night Swipes' 2nd anniversary show.
But, with the passing of Ed Waesche this morning, it just doesn't seem right to have a party on the air celebrating barbershop music without recognizing the library of wonderful music this man gave to us.
We can have an anniversary show next week or whenever. Tonight, this one's for Ed.
In fact, if anyone has any suggestions as to what I should include, please CALL me privately.
About ten years ago, when I was singing with Hunterdon County, our annual show was dedicated to Ed's arrangements. When Ed came on stage to accept the plaque we had for him, he said that a show like this meant so much to him because it was about the music and not about other issues.
I think that anyone that has been singing barbershop music for any substantial length of time has sung at least one of Ed's arrangements.
Besides the wonderful interpretations his music provided to songs of all types, and the magical harmonies, the arranger was a master at the inobtrusive embellishment - that is, he always was able to get the most meaning out of a phrase or a single word through the chords and devices he wrote.
Besides being the master musician he was, and a great administrative leader with vision, he was a friend to everyone who knew him. And, if you weren't really careful, he had a very quick sense of humor that could easily take you by surprise.
We lost a true giant today.
Marty Israel
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From: "Mike Borts - Dallas Knights"
Date: Tue, 2 May 2006 14:00:07 -0500
Subject: [bbshop] Re: Ed's Passing!
This one hits home...HARD! I've known Ed Waesche since I was literally knee high to a duck. When I was a wee lad, he directed my Dad's chorus, Plainview, NY "Our Sunday Best". I remember going to so many M-AD conventions to see Ed and Dad perform. Many times I'd hear Dad in the other room learning his bass part to Ed's arrangements: "Rose of No Man's Land", "Something About a Soldier", I Feel a Song Comin' On/Hallelujah", "Take me to The Land of Jazz". All early Waesche classics.
Ed's quartet, the New Yorkers, was one of the first ones to ever impress me as a kid, (besides Dad's of course, but you know how that goes. I've never claimed to be impartial on any family musical matters.) The New Yorkers had a smooth and mellow sound with rock solid harmonies.
Later on in life after my rebellious teenage years, I finally joined the Society to find out that Ed's arrangements weren't just local Long Island favs. They were famous all over the world! (Even in Texas!) This was an eye opener for me. I had no idea that as a kid, I was in the midst of a legend.
WOW!
But even though he was a legend, Ed was always VERY accessible. When I needed help with an arrangement, I could always ask Ed anytime day or night.
Ed helped add a tag or swipe, or determined contest suitability for my quartets over the phone more times that I could count. Sometimes, I'd call Ed at a total loss on what songs to sing. He'd respond by mailing me a STACK of charts for the quartet, FREE OF CHARGE! Unheard of in this day and age.
One of my favorite stories comes out of an SWD Top Gun School experience. I was having trouble getting coaches to commit to being on my staff. I have a theory on this. Usually, the higher up a coach or judge is in the Society hierarchy, the slower he is to commit his participation my dinky little music school for whatever reason. I was in total limbo and more than a bit freaked out when I got the idea to call Ed. My initial thinking: "if so-n-so is hesitant to do your school, what makes you think that THE ED WAESCHE will do it." But I got up the courage to call Ed just the same. Ed's response was only three words: "I'll be there." And did he do a good job? He was UNBELIEVABLE! I sat in on several of his sessions and watched in amazement.
Ed was able to hear the most subtle imperfections and pinpoint opportunities for musical and artistic improvement in every performance with surgical skill. Once brought to the quartet's attention, their performance became noticeably better almost immediately! Fantastic work performed ever so willingly by a master!
No matter who we are, we have an obligation to give of ourselves for the love of this hobby for it to survive, thrive etc. Ed's example is one we can all take a little piece of and implement quite easily. Just take a moment or two every day and think: what can I do to make this quartet, chorus, Chapter, District or Society better? Little ideas or big, it doesn't matter.
Then take a step out of your comfort zone and start the wheels in motion. Ed did this 24/7 and there is no doubt that we are all the beneficiaries. Now it is our turn to pitch in and make this happen. It won't happen by itself and I am deeply saddened to say Ed can't do it for us anymore.
Rest in peace dear friend. We miss you more than mere words can say.
Mike
************************************************
Michael I. Borts
President - QCA (Quartet Champions Assn. of SWD) SWD Top Gun School Director Standing Ovation Program Reviewer SWD Barbershopper of The Year 1999
Dallas Knights - Lead www.dallasknights.com
The Vocal Majority
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From: RMTMUSIC@aol.com
Date: Tue, 2 May 2006 19:10:34 EDT
Subject: [bbshop] The Passing of a legend and friend
I was deeply saddened to hear of Ed Waesche's passing this morning.
Ed was such a great presence in our Society for so many years, it will be difficult to imagine an official MAD or International event without Ed. I believe Bob Disney hit it on the head when he commented that Ed has completed his best arrangement ever...to be in God's hands and free of the limitations of this thing we call life.
Many people much more eloquent than I will tell you of their relationships with this giant of a man, but I wanted to share just two anecdotes about Ed with my barbershop friends and family.
In the mid 1980's I was singing lead in a quartet called The Next Edition. We had the privilege of being coached by Ed Waesche and the wonderful Don Clause during our development. Don and Ed did kind of "tag-team" type coaching....Don would work on the interpretation and phrasing and would "hear" things in his head that we were NOT singing but what he felt would make the song better. He would turn to Ed and say "don't you hear that "note"
or that "vocal movement" and Ed would look at the quartet and say "do this" or "do that" and every time, he had us singing what Don "heard" in his head. That experience was one that I never forgot...a man who could re-arrange on his feet and on the fly.
Fast Forward to a contest the next year... I sent a copy of "My Mother's Eyes" that the Rural Route Four had made so famous.
We asked Ed if he felt that the song was still good for contest.
He sent the arrangement back to us and he had made a number of changes in various parts with a red pencil...and attached a note to the arrangement that said "I think the changes might make the arrangement work better". Well, as a new quartet, who were we to question this guy??? We adjusted our performance and prepared for
the contest several months away. When we finished the contest,
we went to the "Arrangement Category" portion of the A & R, and WHO should be sitting in the room...Ed Waesche. We sat down and said "Next Edition, Ed"...he looked at the sheets and then looked up at us with a smile and said...."So....you sang all of the red notes!"
LOL we couldn't help but marvel at his penchant for remembering playing around with that arrangement.
The second incident happened in the late 80's when I was trying my hand at coaching quartets for the first time at Harmony College East...then held at the University of Delaware. All of the coaches met in the morning and received our assignments. AND... who do I draw as my 2ND quartet of the day...none other than Ed Waesche and his new quartet, that had two professional singers from the city of New York, Ed, and another relatively new barbershop singer with an incredible voice. I was so intimidated... I mean...me..ME coaching a guy who had appeared on the International stage many times...who had been coached by the best in the business...along with the two professional singers probably having had voice coaching and training for years.
I was SO scared thinking that I couldn't bring anything to their
table that could possibly help them. But, the session went on
and at the end, this ever so gracious man pulled me aside and complimented me on the ideas and the teaching methods I employed to bring new visual presentation to their quartet. He and the quartet were truly grateful for the time I had given them.
Ed was a friend...whatever and whenever over the years I have asked for help, Ed has always responded in a helping way. He meant so much to the Society and those many hundreds of thousands of people he and his music touched. As I sit here today, my thought is "The world is truly a better place because of you, Ed , and I for one will miss your presence, your music and your friendship.
God bless you...Ed".
To Kate and their son, my thoughts and prayers are with you.
May your faith give you the strength to find solace in the many memories of Ed, and comfort in the thought that his suffering is finally over.
Rich Taylor, President of THN...The Harmony Network Blessed to have known Ed for so many years
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From: "bostonshrimp"
Date: Wed, 03 May 2006 00:44:21 -0000
Subject: [bbshop] Re: Ed's Passing!
Dear Diz:
There are those of us whom are of another era. We were there during the Mid Atlantic District days and all the 'greats' of that time period.
There were Purdy Chorals and singing in hotel lobbys in cities across North America ... late into the night. There were close calls at International conventions and life long friendships that were made.
Being around Ed was a reminder of that kind and gentle time. Knowing Ed has been a pleasure and a gift that I will treasure. My heart is sad but my memory will never allow me to forget him. A great friend, a talented Barbershopper and a man loved by all who knew him. Myself included.
With sincere sadness,
Rosalind Severs-Frizzell
The Boston Shrimp
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From: "Rob Hopkins"
Date: Wed, 03 May 2006 04:49:54 -0000
Subject: [bbshop] Ed lives on
As we lament the passing of Ed Waesche, we should also celebrate the many contributions that he made to our Society. Arranger, performer, judge, administrator ~W he excelled in many areas and our Society is the richer for it. No one was more dedicated to preserving our barbershop style. Fortunately, Ed lives on in the many, many lives that he touched and in the unsurpassed quantity of superb arrangements that have enriched the lives of performers and audiences for years, and will continue to do so.
Long live Ed Waesche!
Rob Hopkins
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From: LiveWire newsletter from the Barbershop Harmony Society
Date: Wed, 03 May 2006
Subject: Past President Ed Waesche Mourned
J. Edward Waesche III, noted arranger, music judge and former Society president, died yesterday (May 2) of cancer at the age of 74.
A “Celebration of Ed Waesche’s Life” will be held in the chapel of Princeton University, Waesche’s alma mater, at a date to be announced. Contact Jack Pinto at BIHDIR@aol.com for more information.
Ed’s widow, Kate, has requested donations to Harmony Foundation, in lieu of flowers.
“Ed’s passing is a tremendous loss,” said Ed Watson, executive director of the Barbershop Harmony Society. “Not only did he leave an indelible mark on the Society and the people he met, but he touched the lives of thousands through his music.”
Ed had written some 600 arrangements, many of them performed on the contest stage. He had a long record of leadership in his 49 years as a Barbershopper. He had served on the Society Board for 10 years and was president in 1998 and 1999. A certified Music category judge, he was a past chair of the Society Contest & Judging Committee and the World Harmony Council. He also had served as a Harmony Foundation trustee.
Ed had been a respected member of the Harmony University faculty for more than 20 years. He had sung with three top-20 quartets over a 20-year span, most recently with The New Yorkers, past Mid-Atlantic quartet champion. Ed was a member of the Manhattan and Five Towns College chapters in New York, the Easton, Pennsylvania, Chapter, and the North Carolina Harmony Brigade.
He lived on Long Island, New York, with his wife, Kate, cats, Darla and Buckwheat, and dog, Lucky. He spent 43 years in the aerospace industry as designer, project engineer and strategic planner.
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From: "Brian"
Date: Thu, 04 May 2006 02:28:30 -0000
Subject: [bbshop] Past President Ed Waesche mourned
J. Edward Waesche III, noted arranger, music judge and former Society president, died yesterday (May 2) of cancer at the age of 74.
A "Celebration of Ed Waesche's Life" will be held in the chapel of Princeton University, Waesche's alma mater, at a date to be announced. Contact Jack Pinto at BIHDIR @ aol . com for more information.
Ed's widow, Kate, has requested donations to Harmony Foundation, in lieu of flowers.
Ed had written some 600 arrangements, many of them performed on the contest stage. He had a long record of leadership in his 49 years as a Barbershopper. He had served on the Society Board for 10 years and was president in 1998 and 1999. A certified Music category judge, he was a past chair of the Society Contest & Judging Committee and the World Harmony Council. He also had served as a Harmony Foundation trustee.
Ed had been a respected member of the Harmony University faculty for more than 20 years. He had sung with three top-20 quartets over a 20- year span, most recently with The New Yorkers, past Mid-Atlantic quartet champion. Ed was a member of the Manhattan and Five Towns College chapters in New York, the Easton, Pennsylvania, Chapter, and the North Carolina Harmony Brigade.
He lived on Long Island, New York, with his wife, Kate, cats, Darla and Buckwheat, and dog, Lucky. He spent 43 years in the aerospace industry as designer, project engineer and strategic planner.
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From: "bill98myers"
Date: Thu, 04 May 2006 03:57:37 -0000
Subject: [bbshop] Edward W.
Ah, Edward Waesche,
In the old days the Citations sang a bunch of shows with the New Yorkers up and down the east cost. Big Al Finnell (sp?), what a grand bass singer. Ed I don't remember, was he the bari??
Mostly I remember Ed's arrangement of "I Found My Sweetheart, Sally"
as sung by the Bluegrass Student Union in many contests and finally by the Thoroughbreds in 1981 at Detroit.
The second song was the stupendous, rousing, motivational "South Rampart Street Parade/Mardi Gras March Medley" which Ed arranged but had never heard until we sang it in Detroit to the roar of a standing ovation on both songs!!
Remember, the music is the motivator! Always was and always will be.
The night the arrangement was handed out, the contest was over. That was the magic of Edward's arrangements.
But the biggie for me and Revival was "Sentimental Gentleman from Georgia", an arrangement which he sent to us right away from a cassette of the Boswell Sisters recording from the '30s or '40s, and he threw in "Lover Come Back to Me", which he said oh, try this. I've always wanted to hear a quartet do it.
Wow, our first set in Atlanta 1998 was done. And then after winning, he gave us the trophies as current International President, oh what a great time!!
I'll miss those shorts with the penny loafers (no socks) at Harmony Univ. this August. What a grand guy. Some 279+ arrangements on the Society website, wow!!
God rest his soul, he was a gem!!
Bill Myers, Bass
Revival '98
Citations '72
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From: "David Calland"
Date: Thu, 04 May 2006 11:36:56 -0000
Subject: [bbshop] The Time Is Now -- Honor Ed Waesche
It struck me while reading all of the notes about Ed and how everyone has sung his arrangements for free all of these years...how powerful a gesture it would be to carry out Kate's wishes as Ed's widow and donate to Harmony Foundation in Ed's memory. Think of it as a posthumous thank you for all of the passion and energy Ed put into giving us some of the best music our organization has ever sung.
Since Ed was so focused on preserving our style and perpetuating The Societyas a quartet man, chorus man, arranger, judge and administrator, those who have sung his music could choose to repay in some small fashion and further perpetuate our Society by joining together to honor Ed by submitting a donation of a typical arrangement cost to Harmony Foundation. What a great tribute to a wonderful man who gave everything he could for the love of harmony to have honorariums in his name pour into Harmony Foundation for the future of our Society.
Ed was a wonderful man who gave selflessly, as we have all seen by the testaments over the past few days, to anyone who even casually mentioned a song that needed to be arranged. A brand new chart would magically show up in a mailbox just a few days later. With over 600 arrangements in his catalogue and countless men who have sung his arrangements, it should be easy to acquire the minimum $250 to have Ed's name forever etched into Society history on the "Keep A Melody Ringing" plaque.
So please join me in honoring Ed Waesche and his never-ending gifts to barbershop harmony by contacting Harmony Foundation and sending a check to:
Harmony Foundation, Inc.
225 W. Washington Street, Suite 2330
Chicago, IL 60606
Phone:
(800) 876-7464 ext.8447
or (312) 701-1001
Fax: (312) 701-1005
hf@harmonyfoundation.org
hf @ harmonyfoundation . org
David Calland
alliance_dir@yahoo.com
Director - The Alliance
http://www.alliancechorus.org
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From: "Alexander Boltenko"
Date: Thu, 4 May 2006 09:10:50 -0400
Subject: Re: [bbshop] The Time Is Now -- Honor Ed Waesche
On 5/4/06, David Calland wrote:
"... With over 600 arrangements in his catalogue and countless men who have sung his arrangements..."
David,
Ed was a great man - I only had the pleasure of meeting him once, and he struck me me as a modest and low-key person, very quite and knowlegeable judge. I recall I needed to find one of his arrangements and did not find his website. After his passing I looked more intently and found 282 arrangements in the Music catalog and beyond - this I placed on barbershopwiki.org.
I am pretty sure I haven't found all of them - but your figure is more than twice the one that I found. What is it based on?
Thanks
--
Alexander Boltenko
aboltenko@barbershopharmony.org
Kalamazoo Barbershop Harmony Society
http://barbershopharmony.org
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From: "Bill Biffle"
Date: Thu, 4 May 2006 07:32:15 -0600
Subject: RE: [bbshop] Ed Waesche remembered
In addition to being very kind and caring, Ed was one of the smartest men I've ever known. We toss the word "genius" around a lot, but to my mind, Ed was one. He and I were teaching a "So You Want to Be a Judge' class somewhere when the provision that a song must contain at least 33% barbershop 7ths by duration to avoid penalty in contest came up. Someone asked Ed how he - or any Music Judge - knew this on one hearing if he wasn't familiar with the chart. Ed said that, of course, it was obvious in most instances but, when it wasn't - when he wondered at the end of a performance if the song had had enough - he just "played the performance back in his
head and counted them as they went by". He said he'd only been wrong once
on this. He had penalized a performance for being short and the quartet sent him a copy of the arrangement so he could count them for sure. It had 34%. He'd thought it was 31%.
Smart.
Bill Biffle
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From: Djbqpa@aol.com
Date: Thu, 4 May 2006 10:06:25 EDT
Subject: Re: [bbshop] Ed Waesche remembered
I've had the pleasure of calling Ed W. a friend for over 30 years.
Ed was one of the instructors for the 25 (or so) people who sat in that classroom at the first HC in Racine, WI, in 1970 qualifying under the (old) New ARR category.
A statement by Ed at that school comes back to mind as I read your above quote. He said, "We do NOT Judge the ARR which is on the paper. We Judge the ARR we hear on the stage."
I might suggest that Ed *DID* hear 31% - and the quartet performance nullified the OTHER 3%.
(8^D)
God rest ya', Ed.
Dick Johnson
BQPA/BHS/Pioneers
EVG/Treasure Statesmen
Great Falls, MT
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From: Jim Emery
Date: Thu, 4 May 2006 10:11:11 -0400
Subject: [bbshop] Re: Ed Waesche remembered
Reply-To:
> It might be fun to freely associate on the EW arrangements that jump
> into your mind first.
Fun idea, Bill. The first Ed Waesche chart that I remember being exposed to was his Three Girl Medley (Margie, Nora, Rosey). In the 1980's you almost couldn't avoid it, as it got sung multiple times in nearly every contest. Why? Because it was guaranteed to get just about the maximum number of bonus points that you could get in the old Arrangement category. Our smart competitors figured out pretty quickly that this chart could give them a 10-15 point head start on the rest of the competition. So why not sing it?!
--Jim :-)
___________________________________________________
Jim Emery
Singing Judge
Hilltop, MN
Great Northern Union chorus
After Midnight quartet
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From: EdWaesche@AOL.COM
Date: Thu, 4 May 2006 10:17:35 EDT
Subject: Re: [bbshop] Digest Number 3554
Hi..From Ed's sister (who, with help from his daughter, has invaded his email)..Kate and I have been going through all these wonderful testimonials and can't express our thanks enough. Barbershop was such a part of Ed's life. He
+will
be missed - greatly - by all of us..his quick wit, ridiculous sense of humor, impatience with some things and the patience of a saint with others. We're all so relieved he's at rest and so blessed that we had the chance to say "goodbye". Thank you all.
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From: reneesil27@aol.com
Date: Thu, 4 May 2006 11:50:54 EDT
Subject: Re: [bbshop] Ed Waesche remembered
To add to the tribute for Ed Waesche, I too, was privileged to share some time with this great man. He coached the Poughkeepsie Newyorkers Chorus (NED) at a retreat some years back and astounded the singers with a riser placement arrangement I have never experienced before. All the leads were assigned to the last row and every harmony singer heard the melody like never before.
Worked great! The leads singers could not lean on anyone for their part and
+rose
to the responsibility. The song we were working on for contest was one of his arrangements, I'm Alone Because I Love You and came across beautifully at the contest.
A few years back while traveling to Director's College in St. Joseph, Missouri, Steve Delehanty (another GREAT arranger) and I met up with Ed at the airport. That's the only time I wished an airplane flight had been longer.
May 20, 2006, the Poughkeepsie Newyorkers will be presenting our 45th anniversary show in Hyde Park, NY and we will be singing two of Ed's
+arrangements
on the stage, That's An Irish Lullaby and Sing Me That Song Again. In addition, two of our chapter quartets, Swing Shift, 2006 NED Division Champs
+and
Riverside Rascals, 1993 NED District Champs, who are getting together to celebrate this occasion will be singing and dedicating more of Ed's wonderful arrangements.
Ed, you will be greatly missed and never forgotten.
Renee Silverstein
Director, Poughkeepsie Newyorkers Chorus, NED Assistant Director, Golden Apple Chorus, SAI Region 15
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From: quartet@austin.rr.com
Date: Thu, 04 May 2006 11:08:51 -0500
Subject: [bbshop] The Time Is Now -- Honor Ed Waesche
Reply-To: jeff@retrofonix.com
I never had the pleasure of meeting Ed in person. I only talked with him briefly on the phone and via email. Even though he didn't know me from Joe Barbershopper, he still sent me a free chart just for the asking on two different occasions.
I just realized that these 2 charts do not appear anywhere in the BHS catalog. (See http://www.barbershop.org/web/groups/public/documents/pages/pub_get_music_home.h
+csp)
There must be a lot of his charts out there that are not available from BHS.
I think we should all search our music files for Ed's unlisted charts and send them to the Old Songs Library at BHS so that they can be preserved.
I also like Dave Calland's suggestion for honoring Ed with a donation the size of an arrangement fee to the Harmony Foundation.
Sincerely,
--Jeff Pipkins
Lead, Retrofonix
Ed Waesche Fan
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From: Casey Parker
Date: Thu, 04 May 2006 09:22:11 -0700
Subject: [bbshop] Ed Waesche, quartet promoter
I have read all the messages at Harmonet Lite praising Ed Waesche's many contributions to barbershoppping . Here are some additional contributionss not mentioned.
Ed was a long time subscriber to our GUBOQS Gazette newsletter, an independent publication promoting quartet activity at Chapter meetings. Others have mentioned his coaching and A&R sessions, but before a quartet gets to that stage, they need to be encouraged to form a quartets. I regret that I was not present on the East Coast to see him in action encouraging quartets to form.
Another fact not mentioned is that he had the highest number of arrangement to his credit, of all arrangers. When I computerized my 3,000 arrangement Archive [now documented as the Harmony Song Guide], I sorted the file on Arranger, Ed's arrangement count outnumbered all other arrangers. And as others have said, they are all of the highest quality.
Finally, it must be stated that Ed Waesche III was an honored member of the Ancient Harmonious Society of Woodshedders. Ed must have been the ultimate woodshedder, since as has been mentioned, he could arrange on his feet. AHSOW is diminished by his passing.
Casey Parker
mailto:caseypar@garlic.com
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From: Paul Girard
Date: Thu, 4 May 2006 11:38:50 -0700
Subject: [bbshop] Re: Ed Waesche's Arrangements
I did a search on Waesche and found 283 entries without Jim Emery's Glenn Miller Medley.
My search also found:
I Found A Million Dollar Baby, with B.MITCHELL, and R.HOPKINS (#8815)
In addition, I found My Melancholy Baby by Dennis Discroll/Ed Waesche (#7056), which was not found by searching on Waesche, but I had an arrangement of #56 and searched on the song name. There may be more such hidden treasures.
I also have arrangements by him of:
Whiffenpoof Song
You've Gotta Have Heart
Redhead, with The Insiders
but found no listings of these songs by him in the society database.
Paul
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