Wednesday, July 18, 2001
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Wednesday, July 18, 2001 |
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Southland always looking for new voices By JANETMcGREGOR
They weren't in their usual spiffy attire, but the melodious sounds were still the same. Recently the Southland Chorus hosted an open house "practice session" for friends, the curious and those wondering if their voices would blend with the chorus. The Southland Chorus is a well-known local men's a cappella chorus singing barbershop style four-part harmony. Conrad Harris, public relations chairman, noted, "Any man who can carry a musical note in some form or fashion is invited to join us." One of the purposes of the open house was to give visitors an idea of how the group works and practices to reach the polished tunes most hear at events. Many of the members do not read music and all songs are sung from memory. To show how a song was learned, the group introduced three new songs and invited visitors to join in. The director, Dick Nawrocki, and a few seasoned veterans led the group as they roughly sounded out the music. They practiced, repeated and improvised until a more harmonious sound issued from the attendees. It is a fun-loving group of guys who work their vocal chords hard and yet manage to enjoy themselves at the same time. They frequently entertain at charity events, class reunions, churches, senior centers, schools and other public events. They typically work simply for the love of what they do, although any money received is appreciated and used to support the group and its charities. The nonprofit group recently has its annual well-attended fund-raiser at the Sams Auditorium in Fayetteville. The chorus adopted the Southwest Christian Hospice and Hope House last year, and members support youth activities and causes involving the elderly. Those interested in finding out more about the chorus are invited to watch or join in at regular Thursday practice sessions at 7 p.m. at the Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church, 101 Peachtree Parkway, Peachtree City, or call Conrad Harris at 770-461-5174 or Thornton Cutler at 770-487-6772. "Come sing with us as often as you like," said Harris, "and when you feel comfortable with us, sign up."
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