The Allentown/Upper Freehold Municipal Alliance to Prevent Drug and Alcohol Abuse is sponsoring a Dec. 18 concert featuring The Princeton Garden Statesmen at the Allentown Presbyterian Church.
By: Dana Lynn Flatekval
UPPER FREEHOLD The soothing, melodic voices of 40 men will fill the Allentown Presbyterian Church this month to spread holiday cheer and raise money for a worthy cause.
The Allentown/Upper Freehold Municipal Alliance to Prevent Drug and Alcohol Abuse is sponsoring a Dec. 18 concert featuring The Princeton Garden Statesmen at the Allentown Presbyterian Church. The church is located on High Street and the concert begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 each and proceeds will support the alliance’s school and community programs.
The concert also will feature Four Seasons at Upper Freehold residents John and Christine Nanni, who are singers with the Trenton-based Boheme Opera, a professional company with artists from the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera and Florida Grand Opera.
The Alliance services Allentown and Upper Freehold and provides substance abuse prevention efforts in the Upper Freehold elementary and middle schools, Allentown High School and the surrounding community.
The Princeton Garden Statesmen, whose members are from Princeton, Hamilton, Trenton, Allentown and New Egypt, perform songs ranging from ballads to gospel, to four-part a cappella barbershop-style.
This particular group began in 1968 when two men who met in a barbershop came together. The current Princeton Garden Statesmen, which has 40 members, has been recognized by the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBQSA) as the No. 1 Barbershop Chorus in the region.
The group is an official chapter of the SPEBQSA, an international nonprofit organization whose proceeds provide executive leadership and harmony education programs for its more than 35,000 members.
Alliance Chairwoman Joanne Schuh said the group must raise $8,000 each year, which helps local kids struggling with substance abuse problems. The money funds camps, peer leadership and prevention programs, which includes counseling.
"We teach the children skills so that they can resist the temptation to try drugs," Ms. Schuh said. "We try to get our name out there whenever we can so that the new residents and present residents know who we are and what we do."
Ms. Schuh said since December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Month, also known as 3D Month, the alliance thought it would be a good idea to promote drug and alcohol awareness in the community and to try to prevent impaired driving during the holidays.
According to the most recent statistics released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), while New Year’s Eve alcohol-related fatalities increased from 35 in 2001 to 45 incidents in 2002, Christmas alcohol-related fatalities decreased dramatically from 281 in 2001 to 68 in 2002.
The NHTSA credits the decrease in fatalities related to alcohol to drug and alcohol awareness programs such as the Allentown/Upper Freehold Municipal Drug Alliance.
"This will be a nice evening out and will let people know about the alliance and the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs," Ms. Schuh said. "We want people to know they can have a nice evening without alcohol."
Mickey Levitan, who has been a member of the Princeton Garden Statesmen for 28 years, said he found out about the alliance after reading an article in a newspaper. He said he attended an alliance meeting and mentioned his idea to have the chorus perform a benefit concert.
"They seemed very interested in the idea," Mr. Levitan said. "We pressed on with it and picked a date."
Mr. Levitan said people should come to see the Princeton Garden Statesmen perform because the music is unique and relies on the harmonies of all of the men.
"The different harmonies create a very nice sound," Mr. Levitan said. "The sound and the combination of the stage presence and music make us a different type of group.
"The excitement we exude when we sing is amazing," he said.
He said the Princeton Garden Statesmen and Mr. and Mrs. Nanni will be singing all sorts of holiday music throughout the evening including favorites like "Silent Night" and "Jingle Bell Rock."
"This type of activity is a good alternative to trying drugs and alcohol," he said. "We are like a big family."
The Princeton Garden Statesmen practice every Tuesday at the Princeton Forrestal Village on Route 1 in Princeton. For more information on the event or the chorus call 252-1515.

