Naperville barbershop chorus welcomes new singers
Maybe you’re a man. A man who loves to sing. Maybe you’re a man who sings in the shower. Or maybe you belt out Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” on karaoke night every chance you get.
Maybe you’re just looking for that next big step — a larger platform for larger performances.
The all-men’s Chorus of DuPage would be happy to oblige with a wide open stage available to anyone who enjoys singing.
The a cappella barbershop chorus will host a guest night Tuesday, Jan. 31, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 815 S. Washington St., Naperville.
“You can sing in the shower, you can sing in the church choir,” said member Daniel Garcia, 35, of Westmont. “If you have some ability and can show up, we’re pretty welcoming. It’s more about having a good attitude and having a little bit of ability.”
The group — a part of the DuPage Valley Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society — enters its 50th year with around 50 active members.
Members meet every Tuesday to practice and polish the barbershop style — a four-part harmony of bass, baritone, lead and tenor.
The chorus welcomed new director Craig Ahlgrim at the start of 2012. Ahlgrim, 39, of Westmont, is a third-generation barbershop performer who looks forward to camaraderie and enjoying a hobby with other group members.
“I hope it means constant fun times and to improve our singing level,” he said. “We hope to have as much fun as we can while singing and performing the best we can.”
The barbershop style lends itself to a union of performers of all ages, Ahlgrim said.
“It’s a bonding between the old and the new,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how old the person is, as long as you can make that chord ring. It’s a very addicting feeling to be a part of something like that.”
Although guest night is a special occasion to introduce people to the group, almost every week remains open to the public.
“There’s never a closed door rehearsal,” Ahlgrim said. “Sometimes we get people from other choruses who come by for an evening just to sing and enjoy themselves.”
Occasionally, someone in town on business will stop in to sing for the evening.
The Barbershop Harmony Society is an international singing organization with more than 26,000 men in the United States and Canada.
For information about the Chorus of DuPage, call (331) 444-2386 or visit harmonize.com/dupage.
If you go
What: Chorus of DuPages guest night
When: 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31
Where: Our Saviours Lutheran Church, 815 S. Washington St., Naperville
Info: (331) 444-2386 or membership@chorusof dupage.org