This Monday, the hall was cold, but the women on the risers crackled with energy, their love for their art clear. "Your palate should be lifted, your eyebrows should be lifted, you should have an inner smile," Gabrilovitch said. Let the rib cage drop and you lose the sound, she said. They should be pressed against bra straps, forming a space for sound to resonate.
Rehearsal starts with stretches and then, when the singers gather on the risers for vocal exercises, assistant director Lee Gabrilovitch has strict instructions about rib cages. The chorus rehearses every Monday night at the Knights of Columbus hall on Pine Street. It's the chill-inducing part, and even a non-musical person can recognize it. When it's done well, the four parts - bass, baritone, lead and tenor - form what are called ringing chords, a fifth note that hovers in the air when the song ends. The appeal of barbershop is the challenge of singing four distinct parts without musical accompaniment, Hunter said. Some, like Hunter, wanted an outlet and love to sing. Others are recent college graduates who performed all the way through school and didn't want to give up the camaraderie of being a member of a singing group. Some are retirees who stepped away from singing and now have time to devote to it again. It draws singers both old and young, said assistant director Jennifer Hunter. There are 35 members in the Saratoga chorus. In 2008, Saratoga Soundtrack Chorus was chartered by Sweet Adelines International, which was founded in 1945 by the wives of barbershop singers. A men's group, the Racing City Chorus, has been around since 1956. The chorus was founded in 2006 by women who had been in other community choruses or church choirs, and, because there was no barbershop singing for women in Saratoga Springs, wanted a local chorus. Customers have four songs to choose from. They hope it will bring in money for travel expenses, costumes and sheet music. It's a fundraiser they're trying for the first time. On Valentine's Day, the members will hit the road four at a time to deliver singing telegrams. They routinely place within the top five at international competitions. The Saratoga Soundtrack Chorus sings barbershop to chill-inducing effect. To order, send an email to or call 878-4731.
Four songs to choose from: "It Had Be You," "Wonderful World," "So Happy Together" and "We Go Together." The singers will travel from Lake George to Rensselaer, including Albany and Schenectady, but they are flexible. A singing Valentine is $75 and includes Dove chocolates, a souvenir button and card. Quartets from the Saratoga Soundtrack Chorus will travel the region to sing sweet songs on Valentine's Day. The tenor harmonizes above the melody, the bass sings the lowest harmonizing notes and the baritone completes the chord. The melody - the most recognizable part - is sung by the lead. Barbershop harmony is a style of unaccompanied vocal music.
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