RCMQ Incognito!

RCMQ – Incognito at the Oysterville Regatta Dinner

I’ve seen them in formal wear.  I’ve seen them in casual outfits.  But on Sunday at the Regatta Dinner was the first time I had ever seen the Rose City Mixed Quartet incognito!

The four of them — Mark Petersen, bass; Helen Dietz, alto; Dale Webber, tenor; Cameron Herbert, soprano; — had come for one of their periodic weekend visits.  Mark’s wife, Elo was with them which was a special treat and I was pleased that their stay in Oysterville coincided with our annual Regatta weekend.  To top things off, the weather was picture perfect.  Never mind that there was hardly enough wind to make it a proper sailboat race.  We happily cheered and clapped, were given ice cream bars by Regatta organizer Tucker Wachsmuth, and all had a marvelous time!

Our neighbors “four doors up,” Alan and Kathy Dees, hosted the Regatta Dinner this year — pulled pork or Buddha bowls with all the trimmings!  Then the Awards Ceremony, topped off by Commodore Tucker’s presentation of the Oyster Cup to first place winner, his son Clark Wachsmuth.  Closing the festivities was this year’s Regatta Song presented by Tucker with zany vocal accompaniment by Fred Carter.  A grand finale… we thought.

Rose City Mixed Quartet – In Formal Wear

And then, when most of us were diving into dessert, came familiar voices singing “Ain’t Misbehaving.”  WOW!  “Did you know they were going to sing?” I asked Elo who was sitting next to me.  “No.  Not at all.”

As Tucker said the next morning, “It was like magic.  No one there knew who they were — just that they had been your guests at the Regatta, as such, were at the Dinner Party.  And suddenly, they were singing and there was just no mistaking that they were professionals!  Really!  It was like magic!”

Rose City Mixed Quartet – In Casual Mode

The crowd gathered, standing, behind our front row seats and you could have heard a pin drop as we all listened.  Tucker had it right,  It was magical!  Then a standing ovation, introductions, and we all resumed our dessert.  The Rose City Mixed Quartet — no longer incognito in Oysterville!

One Response to “RCMQ Incognito!”

  1. Life is never dull in that sleepy hollow of yours!

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