Jurassic Larks
1998 Seniors Champions
G.W. Lewallen Baritone, Vincent Yinger Lead & Curator,
Bass Barney Alleman, and Tenor Victor Neilsen
Finally-- yet suddenly -- after a century-plus of barbershop harmony experience and 250 years on the planet, this endangered foursome evolved into the Jurassic Larks Quartet in July 1997. Just a few weeks later, they won the Central States District Seniors Quartet Championship. This achievement qualified them to represent the district in the Barbershop Harmony Society's International Seniors Quartet Contest, in Tampa, Florida, in January 1998. There, the Jurassic Larks won the championship on their first try, besting 25 other quartets from around the United States and Canada.
Since then, the Larks have been dazzling(?) audiences young and old in 22 states with their home-grown parodies of otherwise respectable popular songs and barbershop standards. For 2002 alone, their performances took them to nine states; for 2003, six states. The Larks are known for the finest in tailored costumes--retro leisure suits--and they feature a highly animated (?) choreography that folks really appreciate. Rave reviews have gone so far as to describe the Larks as "the cat's meow," "catatonic," "comatose," "warped," "awesome," "awful"--whatever.
Victor Neilsen (Tenor) and Barney Alleman (Bass) have made a parody of retirement. After a long career as division manager of vocational rehabilitation, Victor now is a library volunteer and also mentors an elementary student. Barney had been an insurance executive--and has retired many times. He is going to keep doing it till he gets it right. He is an avid golfer, hunter, and new car go-fer. Vince Yinger (Lead and Curator of these prehisterical relics), is the youngest and newest of the four grandfathers. Now retired, he had been--for what seemed like an eternity to him--an internal (infernal?) auditor at one of Iowa's state agencies. G.W. Lewallen (Baritone), is semi-retired as an artistic graphic designer. He paints signs. He owns the smallest four-wheel paint shop in the valley. With automatic transmission. As a premier storyteller, G.W. will never retire. These four entertainers have all been members of the Des Moines, Iowa Barbershop Chorus for more than 25 years, but they had never sung together as a quartet until the Larks were hatched in 1997. They've been singing "Together" together ever since.
The Jurassic Larks hope you enjoy their unique rendition of barbershop harmony and other prehisterical nonsense half as much as they enjoy performing it for you. That is the way it usually works out. Now, lean forward to the edge of your seat--you won't want to miss a single word, note, or graceful movement of these winged dinosaurs in flight! (On the Internet, check them out at www.JurassicLarks.com.)
1998 Seniors Champions
G.W. Lewallen Baritone, Vincent Yinger Lead & Curator,
Bass Barney Alleman, and Tenor Victor Neilsen
Finally-- yet suddenly -- after a century-plus of barbershop harmony experience and 250 years on the planet, this endangered foursome evolved into the Jurassic Larks Quartet in July 1997. Just a few weeks later, they won the Central States District Seniors Quartet Championship. This achievement qualified them to represent the district in the Barbershop Harmony Society's International Seniors Quartet Contest, in Tampa, Florida, in January 1998. There, the Jurassic Larks won the championship on their first try, besting 25 other quartets from around the United States and Canada.
Since then, the Larks have been dazzling(?) audiences young and old in 22 states with their home-grown parodies of otherwise respectable popular songs and barbershop standards. For 2002 alone, their performances took them to nine states; for 2003, six states. The Larks are known for the finest in tailored costumes--retro leisure suits--and they feature a highly animated (?) choreography that folks really appreciate. Rave reviews have gone so far as to describe the Larks as "the cat's meow," "catatonic," "comatose," "warped," "awesome," "awful"--whatever.
Victor Neilsen (Tenor) and Barney Alleman (Bass) have made a parody of retirement. After a long career as division manager of vocational rehabilitation, Victor now is a library volunteer and also mentors an elementary student. Barney had been an insurance executive--and has retired many times. He is going to keep doing it till he gets it right. He is an avid golfer, hunter, and new car go-fer. Vince Yinger (Lead and Curator of these prehisterical relics), is the youngest and newest of the four grandfathers. Now retired, he had been--for what seemed like an eternity to him--an internal (infernal?) auditor at one of Iowa's state agencies. G.W. Lewallen (Baritone), is semi-retired as an artistic graphic designer. He paints signs. He owns the smallest four-wheel paint shop in the valley. With automatic transmission. As a premier storyteller, G.W. will never retire. These four entertainers have all been members of the Des Moines, Iowa Barbershop Chorus for more than 25 years, but they had never sung together as a quartet until the Larks were hatched in 1997. They've been singing "Together" together ever since.
The Jurassic Larks hope you enjoy their unique rendition of barbershop harmony and other prehisterical nonsense half as much as they enjoy performing it for you. That is the way it usually works out. Now, lean forward to the edge of your seat--you won't want to miss a single word, note, or graceful movement of these winged dinosaurs in flight! (On the Internet, check them out at www.JurassicLarks.com.)