READY, SET, SING!
Chordsmen in concert on Sunday.
A love of singing is what led Charlie Stephen to the Cape Breton Chordsmen but it’s the camaraderie that keeps him coming back.
“Singing is good for the soul and the new friendships that you make,” said Stephen, 74, on Monday. “It’s good for you physically too.”
Stephen joined the chorus about seven years ago after hearing the Cape Breton Chordsmen perform at the Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay.
“It swept me away,” he recalls, adding he’s been singing with the group ever since.
Fellow singer Fred Miles, 80, agrees.
“I just love to sing and it’s a great hobby,” said Miles, who has belonged to the chorus for about 12 years.
The two are involved in the organization of this Sunday’s gospel concert at the United Heritage Church on the corner of Charlotte and Townsend streets in Sydney at 2 p.m.
The event will feature the Keltic Chorus, QuarterDeck, Hells Belles, The Songbirds, Quattro, Ken Chisholm and the Chordsmen, who will perform several selections each and participate in a singalong at the end of the show.
The all-male Cape Breton Chordsmen group was formed in 1972 and currently has about 40 members.
Jack Gardiner, 75, is the group’s president and a member for more than 15
years. He says the annual concert is a joint effort between the non-profit group and the church and it will split the proceeds with the church. With
350 seats available, expect the church to be full for the Sunday afternoon concert but Gardiner says tickets will be available at the door or from members.
“Singing four-part harmony is not rocket science but at the same time it does take some practice and when it comes together, it does make a unique sound,” said Gardiner.
“When you get doing it, you get hooked on it.”