|
Presidential timbre By LINDA LOMBROSO THE JOURNAL NEWS (Original publication: March 25, 2004) Imagine all 43 U.S. presidents together on one stage. Now picture them singing in four-part harmony. Try not to laugh — until you've seen their look-alikes in Saturday night's "Salute to the American Presidents," performed by the barbershop choral group known as the Westchester Chordsmen. The show, at White Plains Middle School Highlands campus, is one of the non-profit group's two major annual concerts showcasing the singing that rose to prominence in the late 19th century. The Chordsmen, founded in 1953, are the Westchester chapter of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA), the largest all-male singing society in the world. What sort of men sing barbershop? In the case of the Chordsmen, it's doctors, auto mechanics, lawyers, plumbers, music teachers, chefs and everything in between. "One of the images that exists of barbershop is that it's old guys hanging around," says marketing consultant Stephen Bartell of Larchmont (who plays Jimmy Carter), "but we have all different shapes and sizes and ages." It's that mix that made the presidential salute such fun to cast — and something of a challenge to produce. "Barbershop is such a non-political activity," says chorus member and director John Fotia of Rye Brook, who wrote much of this weekend's show. "We wanted to take a theme that could be political, and not be political with it. Instead, we wanted to look at the leaders of our country and say, 'Hasn't it been great?' " Not that the show is purely inspirational. One of the highlights is a "Who's-on-First"-style exchange between George W. Bush and Dick Cheney ("one of the funniest pieces of political humor I've ever heard, bar none," says Bartell). There are other light moments featuring Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, and the Mount Rushmore Quartet in a rendition of "God Bless America." And through it all runs a selection of other songs, ranging from the spiritual "When I Lift Up My Head" to Broadway's "The Impossible Dream." For Chordsmen president Howard Pobiner, much of the a cappella chorus' success can be attributed to longtime member Steve Delehanty, who created the show's opening number and writes and arranges music for barbershop groups all over the country. "Steve Delehanty is the heart and soul of this chorus," says Pobiner, who lives in Dobbs Ferry. "Everybody looks to him for his style and his musicianship." And, apparently, for the perfect B-flat he emits — while blowing his nose — during the group's rendition of "I've Been Working on the Railroad.'' It's a talent that Delehanty cultivated during his 40 years with the Chordsmen, which started when he heard a small group of them singing at a club in White Plains. He quickly signed on as a member. Why does barbershop singing remain so appealing? "Number one, you don't have to be a professional musician and read music and have a fabulous voice," says Delehanty. "And there's an excitement in being part of a four-part harmony group. It doesn't take a super singer to do that. You just have to carry a tune and you're in business." The Chordsmen, who will hold an open audition next week, are always seeking new members. The group rehearses on Monday nights, competes in regional competitions twice a year and performs for a variety of charitable causes. Although membership dropped off in the 1980s, it has been rising steadily in recent years; the current roster is 77, including 16 who joined last year. Although several of the current Chordsmen are in their 20s — choral director Dusty Schleier is 24 — most of the men didn't join until they were around 50, says Delehanty, which he believes is a shame. "When people join, they always say the same thing: I wish I had discovered this 20 or 30 years ago," he says. "They say it's the best-kept secret, and it shouldn't be, because it's so much darn fun." For Fotia, whose father died just before Valentine's Day — when the group's quartets are busy delivering singing telegrams — the Chordsmen have become far more than a chorus. "They changed their schedules so they could get 40 guys together to come to the wake and sing," he says. "That's the most amazing part of this. The singing is wonderful, but it goes beyond that. You find the guys who are attracted to this are really, really caring people. They have a good heart." Send e-mail to Linda Lombroso |