The Classic Harmony singing group takes a break from a recent rehearsal at The Lincoln Home in Newcastle to gather around John Harris 1941 Lincoln Continental, the perfect vintage backdrop for a group of seasoned singers. (Photo courtesy Beth Preston)
Every Tuesday from 2-3 p.m. there are sounds of singing and laughter coming from the social room at The Lincoln Home in Newcastle. The group making all that music and fun is Classic Harmony.
Last spring Classic Harmony organizers Beth Preston and Sean Fleming made a test run to see what interest might be out there for a non-auditioned choir geared toward singers aged 55 and older. There were 35 regular attendees. Since then, Classic Harmony has been taken under the wing of local choral group, Tapestry Singers, allowing it to be part of the tax-exempt organization.
The fall semester began Sept. 3 and has increased its membership to a little over 50 singers.
“We have music-readers, part-singers, and people who just want to sing the melody,” Preston said. “We don’t worry about making mistakes because the most important thing is to have fun.”
The group sings a wide variety of music, from pop to Broadway to old-timey tunes. All of the music choices showcase the incomparable Fleming at the piano. There are songs in unison, two parts, and three parts, a little something for all skill levels.
This semester’s concert will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at The Second Congregational Church of Newcastle. Then on Tuesday, Dec. 3 Classic Harmony will host a community holiday singalong.
Classic Harmony welcomes singers aged 55-plus of all abilities, regardless of previous singing or musical experience. Singers under 55 years of age are also welcome.
“People who didn’t get a chance to sign up for semester one should check out the information on the website for the semester two schedule,” said Karen Haney, Classic Harmony’s manager.
For more information, go to tapestrysingersmaine.org/classic-harmony.
