Lake Effect Harmony Chorus to hold open house for prospective members

Don’t call the Lake Effect Harmony Chorus a barbershop choir. While the a cappella, or unaccompanied, group sings in four-part harmony — a feat not easy to accomplish correctly — they shy away from the image the word “barbershop” conjures.

“People think of four old men in straw hats and red and white striped vests,” said Sue Gentile, who co-directs the group alongside Sonne Durphy.

Yet Lake Effect Harmony, a chapter of Sweet Adelines International, is anything but stiff or dated. Each performance offers new songs, costumes, theatrics and choreography.

“In reality, we are more like a show chorus,” Gentile said. “It’s like going to a Broadway show.”

Lake Effect Harmony sings a range of music, including rock and roll, ABBA and Josh Groban covers, and traditional patriotic songs.

“It’s so much fun to see the people in the audience and their reactions when we start to sing and dance,” said Lois Smith, Lake Effect Harmony member and social chair.

Durphy and Gentile founded the chorus in 1991. Both music teachers and members of Sweet Adelines, the pair realized that there was not much opportunity for women to sing in an a cappella group locally.

“There was no chorus like this in the Southtowns. We decided to see if there was any interest in the area for singing and it grew from there,” Gentile said.

Interest grew so much that the chorus gained members from as far away as Ellicottville, Lockport, Jamestown and even Warren, Pa.

“And they don’t miss a single rehearsal,” said June Donovan, an eight-year member of the chorus, as well as Lake Effect Harmony president and Sweet Adelines regional board member.

For the 25 women who are members of Lake Effect Harmony Chorus, coming to weekly rehearsals means more than learning a new song or dance.

“It’s a place for women who think they can’t do something special to find out they can,” said Gentile.

“You watch them come in the door originally and in two years you watch as their confidence grows,” said Durphy.

Donovan remembered experiencing a similar transformation when she joined Lake Effect Harmony.

“I’m an entirely different person now,” she said. “I grew vocally and I grew as a person.”

Not only do members gain self-esteem, but they gain lifetime friendships.

“It’s like having 24 other sisters,” Donovan said.

The chorus acts as a support group for its members who may be dealing with illness or other hardships.

“We have a woman in our chorus that had a lot of tragedy in her life. She said that if it wasn’t for this chorus, she doesn’t know if she would have made it through those tough times.” Gentile explained.

Yet the group is not just a social club. To remain a member, you have to be serious about singing.

“This is far and above a community chorus,” said Gentile. “This is pretty intense learning how to sing. It’s a commitment.”

“You’ll find that just missing one night will really put you behind,” Durphy added.

Part of the necessity for a serious attitude and hard work ethic stems from the fact that singing a cappella four-part harmony is hard to master.

“There is no backup. We are our backup,” said Donovan, who explained that a lack of accompaniment makes it difficult to stay in tune.

The chorus also works hard to prepare for its annual Sweet Adelines regional competition in Syracuse. Last year, the group came in third place in its region, out of a total of 34 choruses. Since it became a chartered Sweet Adelines group in 1996, Lake Effect Harmony has earned multiple first and second place wins in the regional competitions.

Although it is a contest, all the rival choruses still encourage one another.

“The other groups actually cheer for you,” Smith said.

As a chartered chorus of Sweet Adelines International, the educational opportunities for Lake Effect Harmony members are endless. Free workshops, conferences and training booklets and CDs are offered to both chorus members and directors.

“I probably have learned more from these (Sweet Adelines) schools than I did going for my bachelor’s or master’s degrees,” said Durphy. “They are so well organized and well put together.”

During the month of January, Sweet Adelines International is holding a global membership event to raise awareness about the organization and its mission to advance the art form of four-part harmony through education, performance and competition.

As a part of the global membership campaign, Lake Effect Harmony will hold an open house on Tuesday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. in the basement rehearsal hall of Faith United Church of Christ, 8651 Boston State Road in Boston.

“People do not have to come with the intention of joining, they can just come to find out more,” Durphy said.

For those who do decide to audition, Durphy promises that the audition process is far from frightening. Prospective members have five weeks of rehearsals to learn a song before they actually try out. When they do have an official audition, they never have to sing solo if it makes them feel uncomfortable.

Once one joins the Lake Effect Harmony Chorus, she is never going to want to leave, explained Donovan.

“(Durphy and Gentile) make it so much fun to produce and perform songs,” she said. “They’re half the reason people join and keep coming back week after week.”

For more information on the Lake Effect Harmony Chorus, call Donovan at 627-4894, email her at junemdonovan@yahoo.com or visit the chorus’ official website at www.lakeeffectharmony.org.