THE BATTLEFORDS — It wasn’t always easy for this registered nurse, farmwife and mother of three very active boys, yet Karen Cubbon has been a part of Battlefords Blend since 1989.
Battlefords Blend Harmony Chorus became a chartered member of Sweet Adelines International in 1981. For those not familiar with Sweet Adelines, it is an international organization of women who sing a cappella (without accompaniment) in the barbershop style.
Cubbon is one of two tenors in the 18-member chorus. That means she sings the high part while leads usually sing the melody, basses sing the low parts and baritones fill in the spaces.
“I just love singing the harmony,” said Cubbon. “I also love all my sisters that I have met through Sweet Adelines.”
“My boys grew up with me singing. The other members were very supportive and my boys still talk about some of the members being so nice to them when they were at rehearsal,” she said.
“My husband was supportive as well, knowing that I sang on Tuesday nights, but during seeding and harvest he was not available. I used to pick the kids up from the babysitter, drive 14 miles home, feed them supper, drive one or five miles to pick up the babysitter – depending on who I could get – drive back home and then drive 14 miles back to North Battleford to rehearsal and do it all over again at the end of rehearsal.”
When the boys got older and started playing hockey, Cubbon would drop them off at hockey, tie skates, go to rehearsal and then leave rehearsal to pick them up and go back to rehearsal. There were times when she would have to leave early to get the boys to bed.
Cubbon admits it could be a bit of a whirlwind, yet it was worth it all.
“The chorus was very understanding and I think they enjoyed the kids. When they were little babies I just brought them along – that was the easiest time – I just breastfed on the risers and sang at the same time.”
Cubbon aren recalled a time when the chorus was at a workshop in Saskatoon.
“One of my babies was fussing and our chorus was due to sing. Somebody from another chorus just stepped in to bounce the baby and we carried on. And he quit crying when we were singing and started up again when we stopped.”
Regional workshops are held regularly and at least once every three years each group is required to compete in a regional contest. Karen has been to contests in Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton and Surrey.
Contest weekend usually runs from Thursday to Sunday. It includes award presentations, introduction of the regional board, quartet contest, chorus contest and a show of champions featuring the top quartets and choruses.
Contest weekend also offers at least one educational component. One of the highlights is a mass sing. “All of the choruses get together to sing our regional song. It is a lot of fun,” said Karen.
Besides these regional competitions, Battlefords Blend often performs in communities around the Battlefords.
“We did a show at Livelong as a fundraiser for one of our members that was dealing with medical issues,” said Cubbon. “This was very well received.”
Some of the other shows Cubbon has been a part of were performances at the Dekker Centre, a Red Hat Ladies provincial meeting, Those Were the Days, Festival of Trees in North Battleford and Maidstone, a performance for the Manitou Pioneers Museum in Neilburg, and Light up the Village at the Western Development Museum.
The chorus also sings at nursing homes and long term care facilities and has been hired for a number of private functions like birthday and anniversary parties.
Singing at these private functions and putting on shows at the Dekker Centre are part of their fundraising efforts. The group has also done some barbecues at the Co-op in North Battleford and have sold gift cards for the Co-op and for Northern Nurseries. Of course, bake sales and raffles are other methods they use to raise funds. The funds they raise help to pay for music, costumes and costs associated with going to competitions.
There are many memorable things for Cubbon as a part of Battlefords Blend.
“I’m proud of singing at the opening of the Dekker Centre – it is a beautiful facility and we’re lucky to have it,” she said.
At contest the chorus came in second one year in the small chorus category and one year they won Most Improved. They were also the “audience choice” winner for the open division in Saskatoon which put them in the Show of Champions.
Cubbon went to San Antonio with three other members of the chorus for the International Education Symposium. She attended the first international convention held outside of the U.S. which was held in Calgary. She also attended an international convention in Seattle.
“It is a group of women of various ages and backgrounds but with one common theme – music. You get to meet a lot of very interesting people.”
Cubbon has met many people over the years and looks forward to new members joining now that COVID restrictions have been lifted.
