More than 12 years ago, Steven Ritz joined the Pine Barons Chorus and now the Cherry Hill Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society is constantly on his mind in one way or another.
“I have found something that truly makes me feel happy,” said Ritz. “I look forward to doing it.”
The practice is really special, he said, as it always brings smiles to the faces of those who experience it.
Ritz is also a member of one of the group’s four quartets.
In Cherry Hill, the roughly 30 member a cappella group will present their 16th annual Holiday Show at St. Andrews United Methodist Church on Route 70 East.
Head out on Saturday, Dec. 15 at 2 or 7:30 p.m.
General admission tickets are priced at $12. There is a senior discount of $10 and student discount at $5. Groups of 10 or more are admitted for $8 each, and children 6 and under are free.
Making the show even more locally infused, Cherry Hill High School West Singers will be guest performers.
“Barbershop singing is an unique American musical form,” Ritz, a baritone singer in the chorus, said.
In Barbershop singing, he said, there are four parts that create a harmony in balance.
That balance helps to expand the sound.
“Some people say it sounds like a phantom voice,” he said.
The men’s group sings rotating around a melody from memory with no instruments.
A cappella is different from other groups, such as doo-wop, in that the members are always singing the same words and sounds, Ritz said.
Songs performed are generally traditional, as a cappella emerged around the turn of the 20th century in, of course, barbershops.
Themes include family and love.
Groups do also sing more current songs in the style, he said.
“It’s not just four guys singing under a lamppost singing ‘Sweet Adeline’ anymore,” he said.
According to the Barbershop Harmony Society’s website, the practice began in 1938.
As for the local group, they’ve been charming audiences since 1949, according to their website.
Once men join the group, Ritz said, they never leave. The only regret is that they did not begin earlier, he said.
“You’ll never meet a group of nicer people,” he said of the collegiality that exists in the chapter.
Generally, men become active in the group around middle age, but they are always on the look out for younger members, Ritz, who joined the group when he was 37, said.
Each Monday night throughout the year at St. Andrews from 7:30 to 10 p.m., the men gather together to practice.
“They’re our home away from home,” he said.
In addition to the Holiday Show, the group has performed at several venues in the region.
As the year progresses, the barbershop seasons continue to morph.
Right now, the group is in “holiday mode,” said Ritz.
With an open door policy, anyone can attend rehearsals.
And what is the effect of the visit? A case of singing by the time the night’s over.
It’s not necessary to read music, he said, but it is helpful.
Singing in tune is, however, a requirement.
The test to see if you sing in tune, said Ritz, is singing “Happy Birthday” without people staring.
The local chapter has members from surrounding towns, including Medford, Moorestown and Haddonfield, he said.
As a holiday treat, some men from the community sing six songs in the holiday chorus after six weeks of practice.
Sometimes, those men join for the rest of the year.
Learn more
Follow the Cherry Hill Pine Barons Chorus online at www.thepinebarons.com.
There is a detailed FAQ page with more background on the chorus.
For additional information on the Barbershop Harmony Society, visit www.barbershop.org.
