Today we visited the most famous château in the Loire valley. Château de Chenonceau was acquired by King François I from a nobleman who couldn't pay his bills. After the king died, his son, King Henri II, gave it to his mistress, Diane de Portiers, who was responsible for building the arch across the river as well as the gardens. After King Henri II died, his widow, Catherine de' Medici, had Diane expelled and claimed the château as her own.
After Catherine died, the château went to her daughter-in-law, Louise de Lorraine-Vaudémont, wife of King Henri III. After Henri III's assasination, Louise lived out the remainder of her days in mourning. She even had her room at the chateau painted black.
Another mistress, this time the mistress of King Henri IV, Gabrielle d'Estrées. The chateau passed to several owners through the years until it was owned by the Menier family, who owns it to this day. During WWI, the chateau was used as a hospital, and during WWII, it was used as a means of escaping from the German zone on one side of the river to the Vichy zone on the other.
It is very beautiful, and the furnishings are outstanding. You have to see this place to really appreciate it.
There were plenty of photos today. Enjoy!!
Until next time remember, you're wine glass should never be empty...
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MSN Ad Utilizes Barbershop Quartet 03-05-2012 13:05  Put this one in the "fun" category, MSN having itself a bit of fun pushing their latest warez using a supporting cast of Brian Baumgartner of NBC's "The Office" and four plucky harmonizers:
It's worth noting that while the Society in no way endorses the use of MSN products themselves, we do happily endorse the inclusion of four-part harmony to help sell said products. Enjoy! Read more... |
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An "Outsider's" Look at Harmony University 24-02-2012 15:02 
Originally posted in the Kansas City Choral
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers." – William Shakespeare
"No man is an island." – John Donne
"Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow" – Swedish Proverb
The longer I direct choirs, and the longer I live, the more convinced I am of the fact that it's all about relationships. This is not a new concept, but I guess I'm a slow learner. An introvert by nature, I've never found it easy to build relationships, but I've grown... Read more... |
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A Tag-along's Guide to the Harmony Universe 06-02-2012 10:02 
Every August, the Barbershop Harmony Society holds Harmony University, a weeklong music education workshop, on campus.
I decided it was time to find out a litlle bit more about the hundreds of barbershop Quartet members who descend on Missouri Western every summer and entertain us in four-part harmony while we work. So I arranged to shadow a Harmony U. attendee, and at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 4. the fifth day of the workshop, I lound myself sitting in on their general session in the Potter Hall
theater.
I've been to a lot of conferences and workshops before. But... Read more... |
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Media Coverage for Midwinter 27-01-2012 10:01 
Two quartets from the Tucson area appeared on local TV broadcasts on Wednesday, January 18 during the Midwinter Convention.
Joint Venture sang and interviewed on "Morning Blend", a show on the local ABC channel Wednesday morning at 11:00. To listen, click here.
Touch of Grey recorded two songs and an interview for the local PBS channel which aired Wednesday evening from 6:30 to 7:00. The interview covered the history of barbershop music and of the Society. To listen, click here.
The local NBC Channel covered the Youth Festival with... Read more... |