FOR: Long Island Harmonizers Chorus
IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

The Nassau Mid-Island Chapter - Barbershop Harmony Society
CONTACT: Bob Heim, V.P. Public Relations 
E-Mail: heimbob@aol.com

 

BARBERSHOP HARMONY CHAPTER'S 2011 ANNUAL SHOW -- THE ORGANIZATION'S 61st

TO FOCUS ON SPEAKEASIES OF THE 1930s  -- HOT SPOTS FOR MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT 

 

WESTBURY, NY -- The early 1930s. It was still a time when a whispered password or a secret knock, could get a "thirsty" New Yorker a table and the illegal opportunity to satisfy a craving for wine and spirits. Bootlegged alcohol drew patrons day and night, yet it was another ingredient that made the "speakeasies" of the day even more inviting. Quite often, they were places  for superb entertainment -- vaudeville acts, jazz bands, individual singers and singing groups included.

 

In 2011 the Nassau Mid-Island Chapter of the The Barbershop Harmony Society will take its audiences back to those days of Prohibition when Manhattan alone boasted thousands of illegal bars and nightclubs -- many of them not only showplaces for established stars but for entertainers perfecting their crafts.  The organization's 61st Annual Show, to be presented next spring, will feature music by the Long Island Harmonizers chorus, its talented quartets as well as a guest quartet traditionally part of each year's productions. The exact name of the show, venue, dates and the guest foursome are yet to be announced.

 

"We are excited about the theme we've decided upon," said Gene Kammerer, who currently heads up the music committee for the Long Island Harmonizers chorus. "The 1930s were a time when a significant chapter of American life (and a goldmine for live music)  -- the speakeasy -- drew to a close, and a very different kind of 'chapter' late in the decade was to be born with enormous impact on those who loved to sing.  It was the establishment of Chapter 1 of what was to become a Barbershop Harmony Society that today numbers nearly 30,000 members in the United States with affiliate organizations in nine countries.  Our Society got its start on April 11, 1938 thanks to the vision the vision of 26 men. "   

Speakeasies so-named were born in Pennsylvania in 1888, when the Brooks High-License Act raised the state fee for a saloon license to $500 from $50. The number of licensed bars promptly plummeted, but not all the barkeeps unable to get a license shut their doors. Kate Hester had run a saloon in McKeesport, just outside of Pittsburgh, for years; refused to pay for the new license fee and wanted to keep from drawing attention to her newly illicit joint. When her patrons got too rowdy, she hushed them in a hoarse whisper: "Speak easy, boys! Speak easy!" It wasn't long before Hester's "expression became common in McKeesport and spread to Pittsburgh," noted the New York Times in 1890. Pittsburgh may have pioneered the concept, but it was in prohibition New York that the speakeasy came into full flower and fame.

 

The nonprofit Long Island Harmonizers chorus under the direction of Maurice Debar, rehearses Tuesday evenings at Winthrop Hall, Church of the Advent, 555 Advent Street, in Westbury from 8 until 10:30 pm.  Those interested in becoming a part of the organization, largest of its kind on Long Island, are welcome to listen and apply for membership with a simple audition. 

 

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FOR: Long Island Harmonizers Chorus
IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Nassau Mid-Island Chapter - Barbershop Harmony Society
CONTACT: Bob Heim
E-Mail: heimbob@aol.com

CHAPTER MOURNS LOSS OF ITS LONGEST MEMBER

 

WESTBURY, NY -- The Nassau Mid-Island Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society has been saddened by the loss of its longest active member, Stanley Squires, who passed away on June 21. Squires, a member of the Long Island organization for 48 years, sang with the group until health concerns, hospitalization and rehabilitation decisions in Maine forced him to miss rehearsals in late May. He was 88. 

 

Much beloved, he was a dependable staple in the Chapter's bass section, proud to be associated with the art form he loved so very much and unwavering in his longtime passion for it.   In mid-May he was pictured holding a Souvenir Special Events Program handed out in connection with "New York State Barbershop Quartet Day, " held July 18, 1964, at the New York World's Fair...an event at which he proudly performed (see website photo gallery page).  

 

In reflecting about Stan's character and significant contributions to the chapter for close to half a century, Maurice Debar, its musical director for more than a decade, declared: "If anyone deserved the title 'gentleman barbershopper' it was Stan. He set an example of kindness, devotion and the love of music. He is already deeply missed."

 

Other sentiments on behalf of the Chapter included those expressed George Seelinger, Nassau Mid-Island Chapter President, who observed: "From the moment I met him, Stanley impressed me as a perfect gentleman and a real class act. His talent and demeanor exemplified the very best of what we are about.  We are made poorer by his loss but forever enriched by having known him.  He will be sorely missed."

 

Sincere condolences are offered to his family.