With strictly acapella music, the Garden City Chorus will take its audience back into a time of singing valentines, quartet songs and men sporting tuxedos at its 59th annual show on Saturday, Oct. 29.
Famous for snazzy barbershop choral music, the chorus will perform classics such as “Hello My Baby,” “Who Will Buy” and “The Chordbuster March.”
Member Maurice Lewis joined his first barbershop chorus in his late 40s. Since then, he has been involved in four barbershop choruses over the last 23 years while moving to various states including West Virginia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Georgia.
“There are some areas that don’t have [barbershop] choruses, and I feel sad for them because everybody should be singing,” said Lewis. “On top of everything else, it turns out that I’ve developed some pretty doggone good friendships in spite of differences in politics.”
Inspired by the T.V. show “Car 54, Where Are You,” Lewis was first introduced to the genre as a young child, and instantly fell in love with the music and the intriguing harmonies.
Lewis said, throughout all his moves, barbershop choruses have not only added music to his life but have also acted as a gateway to establishing quick, meaningful connections in a new community.
To Lewis, music can bring people from all different backgrounds together because they are able to share a passion and can develop sincere camaraderie in a time where politics often cause division.
Most Garden City Chorus members initially joined for the music but they’ve stayed for the brotherhood and fellowship, they said. Practicing every Tuesday evening for up to two hours at a time has helped them form deep connections.
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Chorus member Bob Kaltenbach expressed how the musical group is made up of an amazing bunch of men who treat each other like family and have a long history in the North Augusta area.
Fellow member and assistant director, George Kasarjian, has also developed significant memories.
After spending half of his life in New York and the other half in California, Kasarjian moved to North Augusta in 2018 following his opera career. After moving, he joined the local barbershop chorus and said he fell in love with powerful chords the genre often utilizes.
In the past, Kasarjian said he always sang for a paycheck. Although it acted as a great second income, it altered his perspective of the industry.
“There’s just something a lot different about it not being a vocation, but more like a way to live,” he said. “It’s just been a much different experience for me than in New York, and in many ways much more gratifying.”
Sharing both happy and sad memories, Kasarjian said the chorus has even grieved the death of past members and performed at funerals in honor of an individual’s contribution to the musical talents of the group.
For president of the Garden City Chorus, John Bass, he has learned most of them are involved because they love learning the music together and performing. They sing as a result of love for each other and working as a group to perfect pieces for audiences; the music is all about blending voices and creating satisfying tones that shake a person’s core.
“You get a pitch pipe, a tone and off you go,” he said. “It’s being able to participate in a group of like-minded guys that assist and support each other.”
Being in many choirs from different schools and churches, Bass said Garden City is a chorus with a rare environment – one filled with an unexplainable fondness and enthusiasm that views itself as a team.
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When conventions for barbershop are held, despite language barriers, Bass said musicians from all over the world are able to sing together and connect with traditional genre songs referred to as “polecats.”
“In this group of diverse people, it doesn’t matter what race, color or creed you are,” he said. “You might not be able to converse in English, but you can still sing the polecats and that forms a bond within the group.”
Director for more than 20 years, John Phillips found the chorus from a newspaper ad for singing valentines in 1992. After purchasing one for his wife, Phillips immediately joined and has been loving every minute since.
Phillips said he loves how anyone can join, trained or untrained, and add special substance to the music and be a part of creating something bigger.
“It’s a synergy, and it’s just a unique American artform,” he said. “And when it’s done right, it’s very good. We’re proud that this is our 59th consecutive show … and we’re proud of being the only chorus preserving this artform in the CSRA.”
Through his directing, Phillips hopes he can pass on a love of music and the four-part chord to his singers. Most of all, he hopes his legacy is leading a group in supporting and encouraging each other – inside and outside the pages of sheet music.
While Phillips expressed his wishes of wanting more people to know about and support the chorus, he also feels they are one of the area’s best kept secrets for those who really appreciate the history of music.
The barbershop music style was first associated with African American southern quartets in the 1870s and was characterized by sharp harmonics. Later famous for upbeat and charming tones, barbershop quickly became a favored starting point for several entertainers, according to a history written in a previous show program.
Jimmy Fallon, Dick Van Dyke and former president Harry S. Truman participated in barbershop choruses after the genre repopularized in the early 1900s. However, these choruses are not just about creating artful music – to the most devoted, it is about something a little more meaningful.
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After paying for chorus expenses, the donations allow the group to give local students financial aid to support their musical dreams, Phillips said.
Aside from the annual concert, the chorus still upholds the tradition of selling singing valentines each February and performing in their neat tuxedos and red ties. From donations, singing valentines and concerts, the chorus strives to provide community scholarships ranging from $2,500 to $3,000 for those pursuing a degree in music.
The chorus is looking forward to their performance in the Wesley Center at the Grace United Methodist Church located at 639 Georgia Ave. The concert will start at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29, with free, but limited tickets.
To learn more about the Garden City Chorus, visit www.gardencitychorus.org or call (803) 599-4228
Liz Wright is a staff writer covering education and general assignments for The Augusta Press. Reach her at liz@theaugustapress.com
