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It’s our
history. 1964 - 1994
KENTVILLE:
Twenty-five years after the Society was formed, in 1964, Jim
Gillespie, Canadian Pacific Railway employee, a member of
the Montreal Chapter and District Vice President for the
then Division I, was given the responsibility by the
Northeastern District to extend the Society into the
Atlantic Provinces. What better place to start than in
Kentville, Nova Scotia, headquarters of the CPR's
subsidiary, the Dominion Atlantic Railway? He knew the town
and area well, and in March 1964, he contacted the Mayor of
Kentville, Garth Calkin, who suggested “Woody" Woodman,
Editor of the Kentville Advertiser, as the best contact. Jim
instilled "Woody" with his enthusiasm and, as a person who
loved making harmony in choirs, quartets and choruses, he
soon recruited the 25 men needed to license a Chapter of the
Society.
The first meeting of the group was held at the Nova Scotia
Sanatorium in September of 1964 and the organisational
meeting was held on October 2nd in that same year. Since the
chapter would need a Music Director, Woody offered the
services of R. Wendell Phinney, Director of a local singing
group, who was vacationing in Florida at the time. Needless
to say, Wendell accepted the position and continued as
Director for the next 25 years.
The chapter was licensed in February, 1965, and received its
charter, presented by District President Al Maino, at the
first annual Parade of Harmony by the Dukes of Kent Chorus
on May 22. 1965. The sponsoring chapter was Montreal and its
Mountain City Chorus and two quartets travelled to Kentville
for the show. Three quartets, The Four Barrs, The Mudflats
and The Other Four, from the "Dukes", also performed. The
"Dukes" won the Chorus Championship at the first Division
contest held in Moncton in 1967 and The Four Barrs, the
first registered quartet in the Division, won the quartet
contest.
The Dukes of Kent won the Division champion trophy again in
1971 and during the six years from 1982 to 1987 and competed
in District contests in Montreal and Providence.
Not only was Wendell Phinney the Music Director, but he
produced the annual "Parades of Harmony" during his term and
these accomplishments make him an outstanding member of the
Chapter. Another outstanding member is Paul Grimm who was a
certified judge in the former Society "Sound" category; the
only judge from the Division.
Wendell Phinney remained Music Director of the Chorus for 25
years before relinquishing the position to Assistant
Director Perry Jackson in 1990. He, in turn, resigned the
position in September, 1993, when Paul Grimm became Music
Director, and then reassumed the position in 1999, and
continues to direct the Dukes to this day.
As events unfolded in the development of barbershopping in
Atlantic Canada, Kentville was the sponsoring chapter for
Summerside, Halifax (then Halifax-Dartmouth), Truro,
Springhill and Lunenburg County.
Harold “Woody" Woodman should be credited for introducing
the melodious and Harmonious sound of barbershop singing is
back to Nova Scotia, with Jim Gillespie getting at least an
asterisk in the record books. |
