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Barbershop quartet happy to serenade anytime, anywhere

Hilary Caryl Russell, Staff Writer

February 26, 2004

Last Valentine’s Day some people in the Triangle were serenaded by not just one suitor but by four.

However the men who spend their time traveling to different places in the area for special occasions don’t limit their singing skills only on the celebrated day of love, they do it on birthdays, at Christmas party’s, retirement homes, and baseball games.

Imagine four handsome men showing up at your home, place of employment or even in a hospital, decked out in tuxedoes, prepared to sing to you, for you and only you.

Archie Steen, an Apex resident, has been singing with the Never Been 4 quartet for the past 10 years and said his love for barbershop harmony began all because of a PTA meeting.

“When we lived in Alabama m wife and I had two PTA meetings to go to. So she said you go to this one that has barbershop singing as the entertainment and I’ll go to the other one,” he said.

“And it was the biggest mistake she ever made because that was 41 years ago and I’ve been addicted to it ever since.”

Steen said one of the reasons he loves this kind of singing is that it comes from a time when music and singing was simplistic and bare bones.

“Our chord structure uses a lot of seventh chords and the songs that we mainly sing come from an era where songs were intended to be sung around the piano in a living room.”

Steen sings baritone in his group and explained how the different voices come together.

“We sing four part music. The lead sings the melody, the tenor is consistently above the melody and then there’s the baritone and the bass,” he said.

Andy Lesperance is also a quartet member of the Research Triangle Park Chapter of the General Assembly Chorus.

He said barbershop singing has sustained international popularity since the 1930s.

“This chapter was formed in 1975. We belong to the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America,” he said.

“It has 800 chapters, and was formed in 1938. Most of our chapters are in Canada and the U.S. but we also have chapters on every continent in the world.”

The local chorus has 40 active members but 70-80 men are in on the act at any given time.

Most chapters, including RTP’s, have more than one chorus, which serve as a training ground for new members and from that quartets are often formed.

“We are kind of a musical SWAT team, we go in and perform and don’t leave a lot of clutter behind,” said Lesperance, a Holly Springs resident.

“The bulk of music we sing is turn of the century music, though we try to stay as current as we can.”

Singing at retirement homes is especially popular, he said, because residents are so familiar with the songs they sing.

“The retirement homes and nursing centers request us and remember this music a lot more often than the high school kids do,” he said.

“They love the variety and last year we did a string of rehearsals at various retirement centers and they just loved them.”

Lesperance said the popularity of singing Valentine’s has spread not only to other special occasions and but to types of performances for people who call on quartets more than once for a serenade.

“We have a lot of repeat customers,” he said.

“Usually the first person they do it for is their spouse and then that goes over so well that they’ll do it for their aunt or mom.”

There have even been occasions, Lesperance said, when his group has been hired to call in a Valentine or forward a request for singing in another state. “In that case, if we are able to do so and if there is a chapter there, we have forwarded that request,” he said.

The group has performed at ribbon cutting events where they provide background music, and sung at church picnics.

The RTP chapter typically receives payment for their most of their performances, and Lesperance said some of that money is used in an educational setting to introduce the art of barbershop quartets to younger generations.

“Two of our seniors quartets visit about 35 high schools in a six county area (Wake, Durham, Orange,Wilson. Harnett and Lee). to introduce the A Cappella Barbershop style of vocal music to high school students in the public school system.”

“The RTP chapter program offers them free music and coaching and provides a performance opportunity in an annual High School Quartet competition.”

Lesperance said every participating school receives stipends. “The schools with the top scorers get additional prize money, plus medals and trophies. The top male and female quartets are featured on the Chapter’s Annual Show in May. This year’s competition will be held on Saturday, Feb. 21 at Garner High School,” he said.

Towards the end of the year, the RTP Chapter and the local Sweet Adeline Chorus sponsor an all-day Choral Festival and Show held the second Saturday in September every year. “Students are invited to learn about A CAPPELLA barbershop style singing in a structured classroom type environment from vocal clinicians and teaching quartets,” said Lesperance.

Pricing for a performance varies, but Lesperance said they typically perform gratis for charity events.

For information about the

Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America, go to www.spebsqsa.com. For information about the General Assembly Chorus and different chapters, including the RTP chapter, go to www.generalassemplychorus.org., or call 303-0284.



 

February 26, 2004

Local stores and area outlet malls may think they’ve got the best the sales in town, but two local women have come up with a two-fold way for sellers and shoppers to get the best deal around

And it only happens twice a year.

Cleaning out the closets has never been so much fun if it means picking up some cash. For those who want to outfit their little ones in the best that money can buy without breaking the bank, mark your calendars to attend the 10-day sale, March 3-12, at Prime Outlets in Morrisville.

And the best way to take advantage of this bi-annual sale is to volunteer for two 4-hour shifts or one 6-hour shift, which guarantees private shopping hours before the doors open to the public.

Apex resident and mother of three (with a fourth baby due in August) Beth Pendola and her friend Gail Walker, a mother and Fuquay-Varina resident, began their own consignment sale in Pendola’s garage six years ago.

The annual event began in Cary in 1998 with 30 consignors dropping off new to gently used baby items along with clothing, furniture and toys. It has grown from a two-ar garage to an outlet location in Morrisville with over 600 consignors participating.

The past 10 sales have been held at Community Life Church on W. Williams St. and N.C. 55 in Apex, but it’s become so popular, said Pendola, that a bigger space was needed for this year’s event.

“We started out in the multi-purpose room and began to take over every square-inch that wasn’t used and we got to the point where we’d really outgrown the location,” she said.

“So we will be in Morrisville this year and it is possible we will be doing our July sale there as well, but we will be looking for a larger space again.”

Two sales are held per year, in early spring and early fall.

Pendola said each consignor typically drops off 100 pieces to sell and with 600 consignors signed up for the event, there’s sure to be something for everyone.

Kids clothes, sizes 0-14, toys, strollers, and furniture will all be sold for varying prices but one thing sellers can count is the quality of the product. Only high-end, practically new, working items are accepted.

“Stuffed animals take up so much space and do not sell very well, so we don’t accept those. But we try to do a good job in accepting items that will sell and keep our quality up,” said Pendola.

Items that did not sell during the event that consignors do not pick up are donated to a local charity.

“The charity Birth Choice does a lot of counseling for pregnant women and it’s run by Catholic Parish Outreach,” said Pendola.

Although Pendola and Walker head up the event, almost 200 volunteers also donate their time to ensure the sale goes off seamlessly.

“W begin working about three months before the next sale so it’s very time consuming. But it’s not difficult and because consignors price their own items that makes it much easier,” added Pendola.

The sale begins March 3 at 1 p.m. for the volunteers who have worked at least two 4-hour shifts. At 5 p.m. volunteers who have worked less than an 8-hour day are then invited to shop until closing time at 9 p.m.

“Then our consignors shop next on March 4 at 10 a.m. Then we have a friends of consignors sale who come in and shop from 12 p.m. to closing,” said Pendola..

The public is then invited to shop March, 5, 6 and 8, from 10-9 p.m. March 7 the doors are open from 12 to 6 p.m.

On March 9, super volunteers can come back and receive 50 percent off specialty marked items from 1-9 p.m. and volunteers will receive 50 percent off specialty marked items from 5 to 9 p.m. On March 10-11, the public receives 50 percent off specialty marked items from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

“And then we’re trying something new this year where we’re doing 75 percent off all of our green inked priced items March 12 and 50 percent off all of our black inked priced items.”

Directions to Prime Outlets in Morrisville are as follow: Take I-40 West to Exit 284 (Airport Boulevard). Turn left onto Airport Boulevard. At the second light turn right onto Factory Shops Road. Take the first left into the mall parking lot. The Kids Everywhere sale is No. 400 across from Carters and KB Toys.

You are advised to park in spaces only, not on the street or risk being towed.

For information about the sale,

go to www.kidseverywear.biz.

To volunteer, sign up online at the website, email beth@kidseverywear.biz or call 303-7363.
 

Stam set to begin campaign

Shawn Daley, Editor

February 26, 2004

(Editor’s note: The following event was postponed until Saturday, Feb. 28 due to incelement weather.)

Apex resident Paul Stam is all set to kick-off his reelection campaign.

And he’s going to do it with a little help from his friends.

Stam will officially begin his campaign for reelection to the NC House of Representatives tonight (Feb. 26) from 5-7 p.m. at the Apex Chamber of Commerce building on Salem Street.

The event will be an RSVP-only crowd due to the limited space at the chamber building.

Joining Stam at the event will be governor candidate Bill Cobey and Wake County Register of Deeds reelection candidate Laura Riddick.

“Politics is a long process and you need to have a starting point,” said Stam. “Although we’ve known about the campaign for a year we thought we’d hold this event to mark the beginning.”

Fellow Republicans Cobey and Riddick will be on hand to show their support.

“I’ve worked with Bill for 20 years and I’m the co-chair of his election committee,” said Stam. “I know Laura from my day job (as a lawyer). I earn my keep at the Register of Deeds so I’ve come to know her pretty well.”

“I’m going to kick-off my campaign and they are both going to be here to sort of second the nomination.”

Stam serves the 37th district of the House of Representatives, which covers most of Apex, Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina. He served in the House in 1989-90 and again in 2003-04.
 

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