Voice of Barbershoppers sing of camaraderie.
Music Director Patrick Hannon, left, a third generation barbershopper from Lindsay, Ontario leads the East York Barbershoppers through rehearsal at Harmony Hall on Tuesday. The vocal group and Harmony Hall are celebrating their 60th anniversary. The barbershoppers built the hall and have called it home since its inception.
Photo/MIKE POCHWAT
Every Tuesday evening the sounds of "oh" and "ah" in lead, baritone, tenor and bass float out of Harmony Hall.
Upstairs, inside the main rooms, the voices of more than 25 men singing their hearts out sounds somewhat unfamiliar. The voices belong to the fathers, grandfathers - and even some youngins - who make up the East York Barbershoppers, which this year celebrates 60 years of camaraderie, charity and crooning.
George Shields has been with the group since the beginning and he's still going strong and standing in his place in the second row.
Shields has been singing basically since he could talk.
"All my life and I have my two boys and my son-in-law in the chorus also," he said.
As a young man of just 25 he was singing in a church quartet in Riverdale when he was told about the barbershoppers society (there was a group in Toronto) and so a few guys got together and formed an East York chapter.
Shields has served on the executive every year including as president - right after his brother Al Shields, who was the first president (he's since passed away) and he was the chorus director for 31 years. Today he is director emeritus and still heavily involved in the organization.
While he loves singing, it's not the main reason he's stayed involved.
"You just meet the most wonderful people," he said. "It's people who keep you coming back."
He's had many great experiences with the group, which has participated in three goodwill tours of England, Scotland and Ireland and 14 international competitions - including placing in the Top 5 seven times. Shields even met his wife through the group - she was a member of Sweet Adeline (the barbershop group for women).
Music director, Pat Hannon, may not have the experience of Shields, but barbershopping is in his blood. He's a fourth generation member.
"My dad started singing barbershop because his dad sang barbershop and his dad sang...It's almost destiny, I guess," he said.
Babershop groups sing songs from days gone by using four-part chords. At 31, Hannon might not fit the mold of a barbershopper, but he's been doing it for years.
"The stereotype is the older gentleman with a handlebar moustache singing around a radio," he said. "We sing music that is not familiar to my generation. I'm familiar with it because of my dad and what he played."
Hannon is committed to barbershopping, after beginning with the Peterborough chapter he moved on to directing the East York group though it requires him to drive home to Lindsay late on Tuesday nights. He loves it.
"The natural ring of the chords by nothing but the human voice," he said. "It's a really unique art form."
An art form that doesn't require a background in music (though one of the members, Ron Whiteside, was a vocal coach at East York Collegiate and now he's passing on his expertise).
"It's not a science, you don't have to be a musician to do it," Hannon said. "Anyone who can sing a couple notes can sing barbershop."
The barbershoppers are about much more than singing.
"It's not just going to a music rehearsal, it's so much more than that," he said.
There are regular meetings and conventions, and events for the members' families.
"We have more get-togethers when it's not just about singing, it's about family," Hannon said.
For executive member Barry Tripp it's much more than a hobby.
"It's a lifestyle because not only do we have the community you see here, but I can go to any major city on a Tuesday night (that has a barbershop chapter) and I can walk in and sing with them," he said.
He began singing with the Scarborough Dukes of Harmony, but then sought out the East York chapter.
"This is kind of a mecca," he said.
The chapter is known just as much for its heart as for its singing.
The East York chapter built and owns Harmony Hall, which is also the headquarters of the Ontario district. The building opened in 1968 and is also used by seniors groups and others in the community. The walls are lined with awards and accolades including related to the chapter's charity work.
Shields created the Harmonize For Speech Fund, which supports the Speech Foundation of Ontario. It's raised nearly $5 million to date.
"It's quite amazing really what we've accomplished," he said. "It really is a service group, too."
For his contributions with the barbershoppers and in the community, Shields was awarded the Order of Canada in 1986.
Tripp is interested in keeping that legacy going.
"This thing will disappear if we don't get younger interest," he said.
The hope is there. He believes there is a growing interest from young people in a capella singing. Tripp is reaching out through his position as VP communications by redesigning the group's website (www.eybs.ca).
While the East York Barbershoppers membership is less than the highs of the past (once it hit 100, but more commonly was in the 40 to 50 range), the interest in the style that began in the American South in the early 1900s remains strong worldwide.
Canada is set to host the 2013 international convention at the Air Canada Centre when barbershoppers from around the world will descend on Toronto.
"They'll be at least 10,000 people for the international because they all want to come to Canada," Shields said
Groups with snazzy names such as the Toronto Northern Lights will gather along with the East York guys who've never felt the need for flash.
"We've always just been the East York Barbershoppers," Shields said.