REGION
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Men’s Chorus goes on the road
M
ake no mistake, the Pendleton
Men’s Chorus is the most well
dressed group of performers
Eastern Oregon has ever seen.
Adorned in tuxedo jackets,
cummerbunds and bow ties, they draw
in the audience’s attention when they
perform and turns heads when hitting
the town post-concert. Such concert
attire reeks of professionalism —
attention to appearance
shows that they mean
business.
Last weekend, for
the irst time in the
group’s eight-year
history, they took
their act on the road to
perform at a Newport
J.D.
Performing Arts Center
Kindle
fundraiser, bringing
Entertainment
their fashion sense
with them.
Men’s Chorus director Bill Mayclin
said taking the group of 50 members out
of town was a longstanding ambition.
“I always thought it would be
kinda fun. In the back of my head, I
never really knew if it would work but
suddenly things started happening.”
An invitation from Mayclin’s friend
Mark McConnell, former mayor of
Newport and member of the Oregon
Coast Council for the Arts (the nonproit
that manages the Performing Arts
Center), spurred Mayclin into action.
“Some friends of mine came to
Pendleton to hear our concert a couple
of years ago. They always heard me
talk about it. They’re some of my best
friends. They really enjoyed us. Mark
said, ‘You know, maybe you guys
should come to Newport and sing.’”
The origins of the group can be
traced to 2007, and a Community
College Theater production of the
musical 1776. The cast consisted of
22 male singers under the direction of
Dave Miller, then the vocal instructor
at Blue Mountain Community College.
Miller moved out of the area during
the last three weeks of rehearsals so
Mayclin, a retired Pendleton High
School choir instructor, was a natural
choice to direct the group. The men
enjoyed each other’s company so much
that they opted to continue their musical
relationship.
For Mayclin, the prospect of leading
a men’s chorus was always a dream.
“I’ve always loved men’s chorus
music,” says Mayclin. “It’s a different
sound. There’s all this great music
written for men and men’s choruses sort
of fell off the radar, it seems, and now
they’ve really come back. Way back in
the day men’s glee clubs were really
huge.”
A striking feature of the group is
how diverse they are. They range in age
from 16 to 80. Some participants are
music professionals or music educators
while some had never sung prior to
joining the chorus. And though most
members are from Pendleton, some
singers commute from Hermiston,
Adams and Heppner to participate.
Mayclin recalls chorus member Randy
Thomas saying there was no other
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Andy Cary sings a solo Saturday during a Pendleton Men’s Chorus
performance at the Newport Performing Arts Center. The concert marked
the irst time the choir has traveled outside Umatilla County in its eight
years of existence. The 40 singers, directed by Bill Mayclin, sang an
eclectic program that ranged from J.S. Bach to a Gregorian chant, a Zulu
piece and a song from “The Lion King.”
reason that this particular group of men
would ever get together except to sing
because they are so varied in their life
focus.
Mayclin maintains a “come as you
are” mentality when it comes to the
chorus. If one were to pin a mission
statement on the group it would be “to
provide an opportunity for guys to sing
and have a good time doing it,” said
Mayclin. There are no auditions for the
group.
It should also be noted that there are
a few honorary men in the group: Sue
Nelson, their longtime accompanist,
and Emily Muller-Callendar, sitting in
on iddle this season.
When it comes to the selection of the
Men’s Chorus’ performance material,
just like its membership it is all over
the map. Pieces performed encompass
American folk music, European folk
music, African spirituals, gospel,
Broadway show tunes, contemporary
pop songs, classical works, Gregorian
chants, and more. Mayclin attributes
this broad interest in genres to his
tenure at Pendleton High School where
“you had to ind things that everybody
could relate to in some way.”
There have been previous
incarnations of men’s choirs in
Pendleton, which have all folded at
some point. Mayclin is optimistic,
but unsure of the future direction of
the Men’s Chorus. Mayclin knows he
would like it “to continue growing ... to
have somebody as a director help me ...
maybe there will be another opportunity
to go somewhere out of town in the
future. (We’re) always looking for new
things to do.”
Whatever happens, they are sure to
be a brotherhood of sharp dressed men.
■
James Dean Kindle is a member
of the Pendleton’s Men’s Chorus, the
executive director of the Oregon East
Symphony, a Pendleton musician
and an entertainment columnist for
the East Oregonian, whose work
appears every other Saturday on the
Entertainment page. Contact him at
jamesdeankindle@gmail.com.
BRIEFLY
Fire ban in effect
on local wildlife
refuges
PENDLETON — The
U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service imposed a complete
ban on activities likely to
start a ire on Mid-Columbia
River national wildlife
refuges.
The federal agency in
an announcement Monday
stated the ban includes
the wildlife refuges of
McKay Creek, McNary and
Umatilla. The order prohibits
the use of charcoal briquettes
and cooking stoves, smoking
outside of an enclosed
vehicle and operation of any
motor without an approved
and working spark arrester.
The Wildlife Service also
bans ireworks, which is in
effect year-round.
Fish and Wildlife ire
management oficer Paul
Hiebert in the written state-
ment said the wet winter and
spring resulted in signiicant
vegetation growth, and the
high temperatures with low
humidity make conditions
“perfect for the development
of devastating wildires.”
And the upcoming
holiday weekend adds a
concern of people starting
ire on or near refuges.
Vehicles catching ire or
vehicles pulling over on
roadways start the majority
of large ires on refuge
lands, according to the
statement.
While there have not
been major ires on local
refuges, there have been
several smaller ires, the
statement said, including
two this past weekend, and
ire season in the West is
shaping up to be severe.
Hermiston woman
life-lighted after
hit by SUV
HERMISTON — A
Hermiston woman was
taken by ambulance to Good
Shepherd Medical Center
Tuesday afternoon and then
lown to a regional hospital
after she was struck by a
large SUV in her driveway.
According to Hermiston
Police Chief Jason
Edmiston, the woman
sustained multiple fractures
but is expected to recover.
According to Martin
Neyman, 83, he and his
wife, Marianne, were
preparing to hitch their
trailer to their SUV outside
their home on S.E. 7th
Street. His wife had gotten
out of the vehicle to guide
him toward the hitch. He
began backing up and next
thing he knew, he said,
there was a “bump, bump.”
He got out of the vehicle
and found his wife on the
ground.
Neighbor Maria
Rodriguez called 9-1-1 after
she saw the bleeding woman
lying on the ground outside.
Ambulance crews put the
woman on a stretcher and
took her to the hospital.
Oficers remained on scene
investigating the incident,
but Hermiston Police is
currently classifying it as an
accident.
Hermiston area
boasts 2nd lottery
winner in a week
STANFIELD – Just days
after a Hermiston man won
a sizable Oregon Lottery
prize, another man from
west Umatilla County hit the
jackpot.
Walt Hinz won a
$100,000 prize from
Oregon Lottery’s newly
introduced Wheel of Fortune
Scratch-it on Monday. Hinz
purchased the $10 ticket
from Stanield’s Main
Street Market, about ive
miles south of Hermiston,
with money from previous
Oregon Lottery winnings,
according to a company
news release.
Hinz won the irst of two
Wheel of Fortune Scratch-it
$100,000 prizes.
Hinz said he will put
his winnings toward
home improvements and
celebrating his 18th wedding
anniversary with his wife,
Nancy.
Larry Storment won the
previous local prize, taking
in $50,000 from Oregon
Lottery’s 2nd Chance
Drawing after reentering
his non-winning Scratch-it.
Storment, who purchased
the Scratch-it from Eastside
Market in Hermiston,
became the store’s third big
winner in as many months.
———
Briefs are compiled
from staff and wire reports,
and press releases. Email
press releases to news@
eastoregonian.com.
East Oregonian
Page 3A
PENDLETON
Police zap man during
drunk driving arrest
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
Pendleton police early
Saturday used a stun gun
and some muscle to take
down a driver that refused
to get out of his pickup.
Kevin J. Gray, 47, of
Hermiston, ended up in
jail for driving under the
inluence of intoxicants and
resisting arrest.
Pendleton Police Chief
Stuart Roberts reported an
oficer around 1:30 a.m.
Saturday saw the vehicle
without headlights heading
south on Main Street. The
driver committed other
trafic violations before the
oficer was able to stop him
on Southwest Emigrant
Avenue.
The oficer contacted
Gray, who Roberts said
would only roll his window
down far enough to pass
documents through then
roll it back up.
“The driver had trouble
producing
requested
documents, showed addi-
tional signs of impairment
and admitted to alcohol
consumption,” according to
Roberts.
The oficer asked Gray
to step from the vehicle
to perform ield sobriety
tests, but Gray refused.
The oficer gave Gray a
warning about the refusal,
Roberts reported, but Gray
still would not budge.
Roberts said the cop told
Gray he was under arrest
and opened the door, and
Gray tried to close it before
grasping the steering wheel
and bracing his legs to stay
put.
Two oficers tried to
remove Gray, Roberts
stated, while telling him
over and over he was under
arrest. Gray would not give
up.
Roberts said police then
warned Gray “ongoing
resistance would result in
his being tased” with a stun
gun. Gray “continued to
challenge oficers’ authority
to arrest him,” Roberts said.
An oficer then shot
Gray with the electronic
gun, but one of the probes
did not hit, Roberts stated,
“rendering the Taser inef-
fective.“
Oficers then used
the Taser in “drive stun”
capacity, Roberts said,
in which police hold the
business end of the device
against someone without
iring the probes. That
caused Gray to move
enough for one oficer to
pull him from the pickup.
“As soon as the driver
hit the ground, he immedi-
ately attempted to get to his
feet,” Roberts stated.
An oficer forced him
back to the ground in a
sprawling manner, causing
a cut over one of Gray’s
eyes. The two oficers were
able to eventually secure
the driver in handcuffs.
Pendleton
medics
treated Gray at the scene,
and he refused an ambu-
lance ride to the hospital,
according to police records.
Oficers then booked Gray
into the Umatilla County
Jail, Pendleton.
HERMISTON
Franklin set to retire after
11 years with BMCC
Franklin began his career
in education at Prairie City
in 1975 teaching indus-
Harvey Franklin has trial arts. He earned his
been with Blue Mountain doctorate in education from
Community College for the the University of Oregon.
last 11 years, but his experi- He and his wife of 46 years,
Gwyneth, live on
ence in education
80 acres outside
spans a lifetime.
of
Hermiston
“Education is
where they raise
the key to life,” he
cattle and alfalfa.
said.
Franklin hopes
Come July 1,
to keep ranching
Franklin will be
through retire-
studying a new
ment and get
subject:
retire-
back into horses.
ment.
Horseshoeing
Harvey
is
was one way he
retiring from his Franklin
supported
his
position as Senior
Associate Vice President family, including six kids,
of Branch Campuses, a during summer months.
Franklin is a U.S. Army
role Jacelyn Keys will be
assuming along with the combat veteran, having
new title of Hermiston served in the Vietnam war
from 1967 to 1969. He used
BMCC Director.
Franklin won’t be his GI Bill to pay for school
completely out of the and encourages all vets to
education scene. He’s utilize their beneits.
The
“tremendous”
hoping to use his knowl-
edge and experience for support received by the
consulting work. He’s community has impressed
particularly interested in Franklin. He sees continued
sharing his grant writing growth for BMCC and
skills — it was these skills Hermiston, “There’s just
that brought new programs an overall good attitude of
to BMCC, including the progression and wanting to
grow,” he said.
diesel technology degree.
By ALEXA LOUGEE
East Oregonian
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