Group’s singing, service bring sweet harmony to community

Some people leave a Harmony Project concert feeling inspired to get involved with the arts and service organization.

At least, that was the case for Kirk Fisher and Cheryl Hooker. Both were moved to join after seeing just one show.

The choir doesn’t require its members to have vocal training, nor does it require an audition to join. But when hundreds of singers from every corner of central Ohio join their voices, most in the audience have a similar reaction.

“I was blown away,” said Fisher, 63, who joined four years ago.

Hooker echoed that sentiment — literally.

“I was completely blown away and was inspired,” said Hooker, 57, who joined

in 2011.

Others might have the same response on Thursday night when 1,000 voices come together to fill Nationwide Arena with uplifting music.

The annual holiday concert raises money for the organization’s community-service projects, a vital component to its mission. Organizers couldn’t provide an estimate for the amount of money the show is expected to raise.

Although the Harmony Project has put on a December concert every year since 2009 (in addition to a spring show), this represents its most ambitious performance to date.

Jane Pauley, who did a story on the group last year on “CBS Sunday Morning,” will host “The Concert for US.”

Also, the choir has doubled in size to accommodate the growing number of people who want to be involved.

The main choir, which once stood at 250 members (with a bloated waiting list to join), now features 500 singers (and a slightly smaller waiting list.)

Joining them on stage throughout the evening will be 350 students from schools across central Ohio; 30 to 50 singers who are homeless or have developmental disabilities; and a 30-piece orchestra and band.

In addition, for the second year in a row, 20 inmates from the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville who form the Inside/Out choir will be released for the night to perform. The women are members of the prison’s Tapestry Program, aimed at helping them recover from addiction.

“When I stood on that stage (last year), I just felt like this is where I belong,” said Christianna Macauley, 38, an alumna of the Tapestry Program who was released in May.

Macauley, of Lancaster, will speak about her experience at Thursday’s show.

“When were incarcerated, you can imagine you feel pretty low about yourself; the Harmony Project is really unique because they’re so, so nonjudgmental, and they’re so loving and encouraging.”

Other guests include Peggy Kriha Dye of Opera Columbus, the Momentum Excellence dance team and the self-described “mountain rock” group Grassinine.

The massive lineup, and

anticipated 7,000 attendants, dictated a move to Nationwide Arena from the Ohio Theatre after the Harmony Project sold out the venue for two nights last year.

The result, said Harmony Project founder and creative director David Brown, is a show with a better representation of the diversity found in central Ohio.

“We’re able to feature more layers and textures from the community,” said Brown, a Louisiana native and former Capital University student.

From a gospel rendition of the Styx song “Come Sail Away” to a stripped-down version of Christina Aguilera's “Say Something,” the musical numbers will touch on various themes of the holiday season. Each song will be accompanied by a historical quote projected on a screen.

“Every one of those songs has a message that calls us to be there for each other in some way,” Brown said.

Also new this year: about 30 other area nonprofits will set up tables inside the arena to educate visitors about their mission.

“It is an opportunity to expand and broaden our vision and hopefully bring people in the Columbus community into one place,” said Fisher, an Upper Arlington resident who works for the city of Dublin parks and recreation department.

“Our reason for existence is above and beyond a choir that sings.”

Indeed, Brown's vision in 2009 was to provide the perfect antidote to divisiveness based on religious, political or ethnic differences.

That came in the form of the Harmony Project, which sought to unite people through music and community service. Though the members sing, of course, the only requirement is that they participate in service projects.

“Those things that normally divide us socially are kind of set aside, and we work on building a social infrastructure that connects people who normally would not be connected,” Brown said. “Those are not the things that should stop us from building a playground in a park.”

He emphasized that while there is a waiting list to join the choir, anyone is welcome to participate in the community-service projects.

Hooker, a vice president of human resources at Express, initially joined for her love of singing but quickly found a passion for such meaningful work. Whether she's serving meals at a shelter or painting a mural at a school, Hooker, of Bexley, has relished the chance to interact with people from all walks of life.

"I think Columbus is really lucky to have David and to have a community of people that want to invest time to be part of this thing bigger than all of us," Hooker said. "I’m really proud to be a part of it. I really am.”