Liberty Oak Chorus still producing sweet sounds
45-member group will
perform at Toms River
PHOTOS BY VERONICA YANKOWSKI Kathy Feher, musical director of the Liberty Oak Chorus, directs the 45-member group.
middle school Sept. 20
By linda denicola
Staff Writer
How sweet it is, the sound of beautiful voices singing in harmony. For members of the Liberty Oak Chorus, a women’s barbershop group, the jubilant and essentially American style of harmony singing is fun, but not as easy as they make it sound. It takes learning a new style of music, balancing with other vocal parts and practice, practice, practice.
Barbara Cheong rehearses with the Liberty Oak Chorus as the group prepares for an upcoming performance in Toms River.
In fact, the 45-member chorus, part of the Sweet Adelines International, practices every Wednesday from 7:30-10 p.m. at the West Freehold School, Stillwells Corner Road, Freehold Township. When a show is coming up, they practice even more, hiring coaches to work with the singers to get them ready for the performance.
The chorus members are now rehearsing for their next show, on Sept. 20 in Toms River, where they will sing with a men’s barbershop chorus at the Toms River Intermediate School East, Hooper Avenue, at 7 p.m. The evening’s event will run from 5-10 p.m.
Joan Halpern, a Howell resident and member of the Liberty Oak Chorus, based in Freehold Township, said she has been singing with the chorus for a decade.
"I kind of walked in the door 10 years ago when they were having a membership drive. They put me in the baritone section, but that was tough for me. Then I went to lead and bass and back to lead again," she said.
Victoria Shernicoff and Terri Gottfried are members of the Liberty Oak Chorus, which will celebrate its 22nd year this month.
Halpern said she was not able to read music when she started, but she has been able to pick it up over the years.
"For the most part we learn from tapes and sheet music," she said.
Halpern said she had never sung in a chorus before, not even when she was in college. When she went to the membership drive, she was really looking to meet people and she liked to sing.
"We moved here 15 years ago. I had friends, but I wanted to meet other people. My youngest had just started first grade, now he’s a junior in high school. Some people join because of the music, I did it for the friendship and then the music," she said.
Halpern is now the membership chair of the chorus, which will celebrate its 22nd anniversary on Sept. 29.
Barbara Harris, who has been with the Liberty Oak singers for six years, said she joined the chorus because of an ad that Halpern had placed in a newspaper.
"It was a very sexy looking female silhouette urging ladies to come to a guest night," she said. "I joined because I promised myself that I would learn to sing better and possibly perform for a live audience. Wow! Did I ever.
"I have learned so much about vocalization from various tutors in our organization. Kathy Feher, our director, has been an inspiration to me and Mary Walaszek, our section leader and assistant director is a gem. Gail Reilly (Dr. Gail) keeps us honest and on the notes," she said.
Harris has a daughter, Jill Grois, who is also in the chorus.
"She started singing with us because I begged her for two years to come and see what we did. She is a vocal music teacher in East Windsor schools and sings the same baritone part that I do. She loves it, too. I rarely miss a rehearsal, even when I’m sick. It’s the highlight of my week. I still work part time, but this chorus is my bliss," Harris said.
Halpern explained that all of the women sing four-part harmony, which includes a lead, tenor, baritone and bass, based on the voices in the men’s barbershop organization, of which the Sweet Adelines is an offshoot.
The Liberty Oak Chorus is considered a medium-sized group; others are smaller with less than 15 members and some are much larger.
"When a woman comes in the door, we voice-place her. Sometimes she is really shocked because she thinks she is a soprano, and she turns out to be bass," Halpern said. "Occasionally someone will not pass the audition. Although we sing as a chorus, you have to be able to sing your part in a quartet. The first time you sing, it is with a section leader. The second time, you have to fill your part in the quartet."
An article in the Sweet Adelines International magazine The Pitch Pipe explains it best. "Many classical singers experience a shock … when barbershop style greets a non-barbershop singer. More than a few women who visit our choruses will be mightily confused during the first several rehearsals."
The article explains that voicing is completely different. Sopranos don’t get the best parts. It is the lower voices, the soprano/high alto that get to sing the lead, the melody. The tenor part, which not all sopranos can sing, is the top barbershop part.
"The timbre of the voice may not be sweet enough, the voice may be too heavy, or the vibrato may be a bit uncontrollable. To blend with the other … voices the tenor has to float, but be able to sing like a bee when her notes call for it," writes Dede Nibler in the article.
Halpern said the chorus does not need new members right now.
"We have auditions and usually do a membership drive in September, but this year we chose not to because we kind of want to stay the size we are. We haven’t lost anyone, except for one person who is moving to Florida. It’s up to each individual chorus to decide what size they want to stay," she explained.
According to Halpern, chorus members come from Howell, Wall Township, Lakewood, Freehold, Interlaken, Farmingdale, Marlboro, Brick, Morganville, Allentown, Englishtown, Jackson and Toms River.
"We are the southernmost chorus in our region. There is another chorus in Cape May, but they’re in another region," Halpern said.
Started in 1945, the international organization has spread as far afield as Australia and New Zealand. The Sweet Adelines choruses are broken down into regions. The Liberty Oak Chorus is part of Region 15, which includes 14 choruses.
"Once a year we compete against other choruses in that region. The competition is usually held in the spring in Philadelphia. Whoever wins first place overall goes on to compete in an international competition. This year it was held in Arizona. Next year it will be in Indiana. It’s always in a different place," Halpern said.
As a nonprofit organization, the members raise funds in order to buy music and costumes. They pay the coaches that come in and get the chorus ready for competition. In addition, "this year we came in second place in our mid-size division and fourth overall, out of nine choruses," she said.
Halpern said she has met wonderful people and has made friends, but noted that being a member of the chorus takes commitment.
"It’s interesting and you’re always learning. It takes time to be able to hold your own voice and to and train your ear," she said.