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the voice of the abingtons abingtonsuburban.com | sept. 22, 2016
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RAisE YouR VoicE Wally Gordon Singers begin rehearsals by Caitlin West staFF WRiteR
A singing group that has entertained the Lackawanna Valley for many years will welcome new members as it begins its season. “I think if you like singing and want to get to know other singers in your community, just come out and enjoy the time together,” Roger Clapp, the board president of the Wally Gordon Singers, said. “It’s just an hour a week [rehearsal], and it’s good for the soul.” After its namesake, Wally Gordon, founded the group, it spent many years performing in and around the Scranton area. About 15 years ago, rehearsals moved to Clarks Summit United Methodist Church, where the group continues to practice and perform. Today it has about 30 members “from all over the valley,” Clapp said. The next rehearsal is Tuesday, Sept. 27, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the church, 1310 Morgan Highway in Clarks Summit. Rehearsals will continue there each Tuesday at that time. Membership is open to high school and adult singers, and no auditions are required. Tuition is $20. “We do have a $20 music fee, but we hold that lightly,” Clapp said. “If people want to just TS_CNG/SUBURBAN/PAGES [S01] | 09/21/16
come and sing and the $20 is a barrier to them doing it, we don’t push it.” Clapp joined the group about 10 years ago after moving to the Abingtons from Wyoming County. His first impression was that “it was a very friendly group. They just enjoyed getting together and singing.” The music is fairly easy, he said, and members can take it home to learn, too. “We don’t do regular classical pieces like Bach and Beethoven and Mozart and things like that,” Clapp said. “It’s show tunes and religious music and popular tunes. Like our last concert was Disney, and so we sang a lot of the old favorites from Disney that I remember when I was growing up as well as some of the new ones like Frozen and the current musical pieces that they do. So it’s a mix of those type of music.” The group performs two primary concerts each year, a holiday one in early to mid-December, which it presents free to the community, and one in late April or early May for which tickets are required. “We also sing at Christmastime in the Wyoming Valley Mall, and we also do some work with small churches as well as nursing homes,” Clapp said. “And we have a quartet that is available to do various community events. Like if Clarks Summit or Clarks Green is having an event, we’ll usually bring the quartet out to sing.” The group gives people an oppor-
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Singers Marci McDermott and Fred Ross of the Wally Gordon Community Singers harmonize at Clarks Summit United Methodist Church.
(DAVID FALCHEK/STAFF PHOTO)
tunity to sing locally, Clapp said, and does not require much time from its members. “It just gives them an opportunity to be together ... for fellowship, to be together as a group of people, and we get to know each other,” he said.
if You go
rehearsals: Tuesdays, 7:30-8:30 p.m. Where: 1310 Morgan Highway, Clarks Summit cost: $20 tuition Details: Call 570-561-6005 or visit the Facebook page.