Sheer fun

Most music falls into one of two categories -- vocal or instrumental.

But the only instruments the Nylons use are their voices -- with an outstanding a cappella sound of blended harmonies and smooth arrangements.

You can hear The Nylons sing seasonal songs and classic doo-wop tunes on stage at The Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin, at 8 p.m. Friday.

With seven gold and platinum recordings, this four-member vocal group is an international success story.

In 1979, four Toronto actors -- Paul Cooper, Mark Connors, Claude Morrison and Denis Simpson -- decided to create a band using only their voices. The four were singing in the back room of a Toronto deli, and soon were performing small after-hours gigs and benefit performances.

With a reputation building among the art circles of Toronto's Queen Street,, The Nylons were ready for prime time.

In April 1979 the group had its first "professional" engagement in an upstairs (and unlicensed) club across the street from the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. The seats were hard, you couldn't buy a drink, the sound system was terrible -- and a single nylon hung from the center microphone.

The original two-week run turned into an additional six weeks, and The Nylons became media darlings.

They had a 17-week run at a Queen Street club, and by the time The Nylons' self-titled debut album was released in early 1982, the group had built a national reputation as the result of constant coast-to-coast touring.

The record went platinum in two months, and the group's second album, "One Size Fits All," which came out at the end of the same year, also garnered platinum status.

The Nylons' popularity has taken the group to Australia, Holland, Japan, across Canada numerous times and throughout the United States, often with artists like the Bee Gees, the Beach Boys and The Pointer Sisters on the bill.

The group is celebrating its 25th anniversary in the recording industry with the release of its 14th CD, "Sterling."

"The CD celebrates 25 years together in recording art, but in February we will begin to celebrate 30 years as a group," said Claude Morrison, the only original Nylons member still in the group.

"I take it day by day," Morrison said. "It's been a wild ride and I do all I can to hold on."

The Nylons continue to perform worldwide to passionate audiences and critical acclaim. Counting the current lineup, there have been a total of 12 members in the group's 27 years.

The group's energy and spark continues, evidenced by the two most recent tracks recorded for "Sterling" -- with the present lineup of Claude, Garth Mosbaugh, Gavin Hope and Tyrone Gabriel.

"We do about 70 to 80 appearances a year, most of them one-nighters," Morrison said.

Tickets are on sale now at The Hemmens box office, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. To order by phone, call (847) 931-5900 or order online at www.hemmens.org.

If you go

What: The Nylons Christmas Show

When: 8 p.m. Friday

Where: The Hemmens, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin

How much? $20-$40

Info: (847) 931-5900 or www.hemmens.org