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The Rosetones: Glen, Karen, Diane, and Kirk sang at the Fall, 2011, Commemorative Air Force hangar dance. |
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The Rosetones sang "Dance to the Big Band Swing"
Hear
the Rosetones sing "Somebody Loves Me" with the Roseville Big
Band. |
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Glen, Karen, Diane, and Kirk sang "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" at the Fall, 2006, Commemorative Air Force hangar dance. |
"Heavenly songs seemed to come from everywhere." The Rosetones sang "Moonglow" at the Fall, 2011, Commemorative Air Force hangar dance. Photo by Troy LaFaye. |
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The Rosetones performed "The Wrong, Wrong Side of the Street" for the Parks and Recreation Department's volunteer appreciation dinner. |
The Rosetones vocal quartet was the culmination of Glen Newton's search for distinctive vocals to complement the Roseville Big Band's instrumentals.
A few vocalists had sung as guests with the band in the 1980's and earlier, but the first vocalist to perform regularly with the band (other than Glen Newton, who sang "Minnie the Moocher" with the band on occasion but mostly played instruments) was Mary Lou Christianson, who joined the band in 1990. Glen harmonized with Mary Lou on several selections, and when Kirk Lindberg joined in 1994, Glen taught Kirk the harmony parts he had previously sung and made up new baritone harmonies; audiences then heard the first vocal trios with the band, on songs such as "Sentimental Journey" and "Chattanooga Choo-Choo."
Kirk and Glen also sang a few vocal quartets with Julie Linders or Stephanie Erickson on alto - songs like "Moonglow" and "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree." Mary Lou usually sang lead, but for one concert in the park, guest vocalist Ann Yunker sang lead. Trombonist Carol Jensen even improvised an alto harmony on "Sentimental Journey" at one Confederate Air Force dance. The quartet needed a full-time alto, and by the end of 1994 Kirk talked his wife Diane, who had previously only performed publicly on violin, into singing. In addition to soloing with the band, Cindy Geiger sang lead in the quartet when Mary Lou wasn't available.
At the end of 1995 Glen began looking for a lead singer who had both outstanding vocal skills and the willingness to make a commitment to excellence that entailed numerous vocal rehearsals and considerable individual practice of the quartet songs. Kirk found Karen Dunn through a recommendation from Sweet Adelines chorus director Mary Dick. After only two practices, the two days before the Tapestry dance, Karen was ready, and the Rosetones made their debut performance January 20, 1996, at the Tapestry Folkdance Center's Winter Sock Hop.
The Rosetones performed regularly with the Roseville Big Band until 2004, when other interests led to the quartet performing as special guests, rather than as a regular feature of the band. The Rosetones often perform at the Commemorative Air Force hangar dances as well as at occasional other events during the year. Karen continues as the band's featured vocalist and usually sings a duet or two with Glen at each performance.
For information about Rosetones performances in locations too small for the entire Roseville Big Band, contact Glen Newton at (651) 688-9504 or send email to glennewton@comcast.net
