The Bishop and singing cowboys

another side of the bishop: SET DESIGNER

About 10 years ago our neighbor, who is a member of the city Chamber of Commerce, asked the bishop to help him with the backdrop/set for the Bar J Wranglers, which the chamber sponsors each year. After the first couple of years the neighbor just turned it over to us and the Bishop runs with it. For those of you who are not from this area or are not familiar with the Bar J, they are a group of singing cowboys. They spend 2 hours entertaining with lots of jokes and the old cowboy classics, such as "Tumbling tumbleweed" and "Ghost riders in the sky" The set we have used for the last three years.

The first week in November we go in late the night before, after the students have left and things settle down at the local high school, and hang the scrims (big white sheets), starch them and lay out the set. Then they next morning he goes in and stands up the rest of the set, working around the students and with the studio A team to get the lighting correct. Just as school gets out the cowboys show up and set up their instruments and sound system.

Show time: Donny "The Smurf" who plays the steel guitar and several other stringed instruments , Tim a champion fiddler, Scott the lead tenor and oldest of the original Bar J, Dan who sings deep, deep, deep and of course Brian who hangs on to the bass fiddle/cello and keeps everyone on their toes with his antics. A favorite of the show is Granny, who comes out and sings a mixed up song.

After the show it's time to tear down the set. We work side by side with the cowboys while they pack up their instruments and take down the set, sweep the floor (that's my special job) and turn out the lights. Despite the hard work and late nights this is something we enjoy.