Members of the Cheshiremen Chorus sport festive ties for their Holiday Harmony concert Saturday afternoon at Heberton Hall in Keene.
Hark, the heralded Cheshiremen sing!
The Cheshiremen Chorus gave its first holiday concert since 2019 at Heberton Hall in Keene Saturday afternoon before a packed house.
The a cappella, men's barbershop ensemble performed a range of pieces, from 15th- and 16th-century carols to upbeat renditions of classic Christmas tunes, and ended its Holiday Harmony concert with a handful of sing-a-long pieces.
The chorus, a nonprofit arts organization, is volunteer-run and currently has 21 members.
"Most of our advertising for this was by word of mouth," said Music Director Mark Brosseau of Sullivan. "So, to see basically every seat filled was really invigorating. And for some of our guys, something like this could've really boosted their spirits."
The concert also featured the UpGray'd Quartet, which consists of Brosseau and fellow Cheshiremen members John Devlin, Craig Fisher and Steve Salamin. The group told the audience about the parts that make up a barbershop quartet -- at least one person each on tenor, lead, baritone and bass -- along with performing a handful of renditions of '50s and '60s holiday classics, such as "Jingle Bell Rock" and "The Secret of Christmas."
Roughly 100 people of all ages attended, many donning festive apparel themselves from head to toe. Throughout the show, audience members could be seen either mouthing the words or bobbing their heads to the beat of the music.
Angels We Have Heard on High Your browser does not support the audio element.
Brosseau, who has been a member of the Cheshiremen since 2002, said the chorus was hit hard with the loss of a large number of its singers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The group had to cancel performances and rehearsals, and saw its membership dwindle. The ensemble was chartered and founded in 1952, making it the first and oldest chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society in New Hampshire.
Since 2020, Brosseau said the group has worked to get back to "its former glory." He noted the Holiday Harmony concert Saturday marked a significant milestone in that journey, with a multi-generational presence in the crowd.
"Our main audiences have traditionally been seniors," he said. "To have the younger generations taking an interest in what we do is really important for our future."
There are no auditions required and the group welcomes men of all ages to participate. New members can drop in to weekly Tuesday evening rehearsals at the United Church of Christ in Keene. The next rehearsal is Jan. 7 at 6:30 p.m. The next performance for the group will be at Duty Calls, a partnership between The Sentinel and Front Line Foundations of North America that honors first responders and military service members, on March 13.
Deck the Halls Your browser does not support the audio element.
"We might sing some holiday tunes to get into the groove of things again," Salamin, of Keene, said with a smile about the group's next rehearsal. "But mostly the New Year will be about us having some fun, enjoying some time together."
Salamin, who has been a member of the chorus for roughly two decades, noted that the group's resilience through the pandemic has brought him a lot of hope.
"We've got a small group nowadays, but we're mighty," he said. "I'm really proud of what we've been able to do together."
Cheshiremen member Dennis Hattie of Peterborough said he signs all of his emails with "Sing more, have fun and serve others." It's a message that resonates for a lot of the men in the group, he said.
"And that's really what life should be about."
To learn more about the Cheshiremen Chorus, people can visit cheshiremen.org or call 1-877-31B-SHOP and leave a message.