‘Not Your Grandma’s Music’

Chisholm Trail Chorus Features Contemporary Tunes

 Singing a cappella style means your only instrument is the voice. And when you sing a cappella with four specific voice parts – well, that’s a special sound called barbershop harmony.

 Barbershop is one of the four original styles of American music. The others are jazz, gospel and country. And while it is a genre that evokes images of red striped jackets and singers standing around a barber’s pole, barbershop has evolved into a highly competitive ensemble that attracts all ages and genders.

 One of the oldest barbershop choruses in the state is Chisholm Trail Chorus, based in Temple. Founded 25 years ago, the all-female chapter of Sweet Adelines International boasts a host of medals and skilled voices dedicated to this uniquely American craft.

 Chisholm Trail Chorus will celebrate its silver anniversary on Saturday, November 17, when it presents "A Stellar Journey" at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Cultural Activities Center in Temple. Tickets are available at Precious Memories Florist in Temple and the CAC box office.

To paraphrase an advertising slogan, “This is not your grandma’s barbershop music,” says marketing chair Carol Mouché. “While we do keep some ‘oldies’ in our repertoire, we also sing contemporary music from popular musicals and movies. And anyone who recently watched the PBS special, ‘The War,” heard a patriotic song called ‘American Anthem.’ That is one of our signature pieces that will be performed at the show.”

 Other performers highlighted during the show will be champion accordionist Mike Middleton, MD; pianist Darrell Leverkuhn of Arlington and vocalist Madlyon Oppermann and The Country Boys from Little River.

Pianist Darrell Leverkuhn grew up in the small town of Waller, Texas, northwest of Houston, where he began playing piano in church at the age of 8. He lived in Temple for 10 years, where he was accounting supervisor for the Temple Daily Telegram. He has performed for more than 74 churches of various denominations in 43 cities in 5 states.

 Leverkuhn has performed as guest pianist for the Temple Daily Telegram’s Pioneer Day Celebration; Salado Performing Arts League “Taste of Salado;”

Belton High School Madrigals and Choir; and Temple Altrusa’s Christmas Fashion Show.

Madlyon Oppermann, a former member of Chisholm Trail Chorus, is a familiar performer in Central Texas. She and The Country Boys play the 4^th Saturday of every month at The Texas Rose on Highway 93. Shorty Grisham plays bass guitar; Bill Dearmoor plays the acoustic guitar and James Adams is featured on drums. The musicians perform together in this group and have offered their talents to other bands as well, including stints in Nashville, Beaumont, Georgetown and Copperas Cove.

 Mike Middleton, MD, director of nuclear medicine at Scott and White, has been a performer and educator at the Texas Accordionist Association. He began playing the instrument as an 8-year-old and the accordion helped him pay his way through college at Southwestern University. Middleton won the Texas State Accordion Championship in 1981 and 1982. Most recently, he earned first place at the 2001 Texas Folk Music Competition hosted by the Accordionists & Teachers Guild/Texas Accordion Association.

Chisholm Trail Chorus presents jazz vocals, choreographed pop tunes and award-winning harmony to the community through weekly education classes and frequent performances throughout Central Texas. Carol Scherer, who helped found the chorus in 1982, has directed the group for the past 10 years.

Members meet each Thursday night at the CAC to rehearse, coming from as far away as Austin, Waco, Georgetown, Lott and Lampasas County. The chorus shares its talents throughout Central Texas, including performances at the Bloomin' Temple Festival, Salado Christmas Stroll, Belton's "Concert in the Park" series, the Temple Chamber of Commerce annual banquet and area nursing homes.  

For more information, call 254-982-4873 or view their website at: www.evg.org/chisholm 

Chisholm Trail Chorus members and their hometowns are:

·        Austin: Katie McClellan