By BERNADETTE LAURITZEN:
The pandemic has taken a lot out of many people. One of those pieces of magic is seeing and hearing live music. The Lads of Enchantment (LOE) are coming back together to bring that big, round sound to the people of Los Alamos.
Maybe it is finally time to ask yourself, is it time to put myself out there? That answer is yes and here’s your chance.
LOE chorus member John Baillie gave it a try and has been smitten ever since. It started with a simple question. How do you sing without music? It starts with a pitchpipe playing the keynote, he was told.
“I was invited to a barbershop show in 1995 by a friend of mine Don York, a bass singer for the Lads,” Baillie said. “The show was called, “A Salute to Disney’s Favorite Songs”. He invited me to join the chorus directly after that.”
Baillie became a Lad, then a board member at large, then president of the LOE, followed by becoming show chairman, directly involved in searching for guest quartets for their annual show. Historically, the Lads have done an October show, which runs for two nights and features a guest quartet from a national showcase event.
What has Baillie enjoyed most about singing? “There is an enormous satisfaction when a chorus gets it right,” Baillie said. “I remember once when the Lads of Enchantment were singing the song Shenandoah in a show at United Church. There was not a dry eye in the audience, and I could feel the emotion in my own voice.”
Have no formal training or even experience? No need to worry. Baillie had not sung since junior high school. He believes that if you have the simple skill of singing Happy Birthday with others, they can teach you to sing barbershop.
The key to barbershop singing is to match or blend to your neighbor’s voice. There are usually no solo parts, so no one needs to stand out above the rest of the chorus.
The Lads of Enchantment meet weekly on Thursdays for rehearsals at United Church on Canyon Road. For the last few years prior to COVID-19 the Lads of Enchantment have joined forces with the Santa Fe Harmonizers to perform in Los Alamos and Santa Fe.
Learn more by calling Baillie at 505.662.6656. By the way, the Lads of Enchantment have ladies, too, all are welcome. Come give them a try.