The Acorn – Aug. 30, 2025 – OCS Weekly News

Type of post: Chorus news item
Sub-type: The Acorn
Posted By: Evie Snapp
Status: Current
Date Posted: Sat, Aug 30 2025
The Acorn – Aug. 30, 2025 – OCS Weekly News

1. High Notes
  • Sept 1 (Mon) – NO REHEARSAL – Happy Labor Day! (Feel free to work on your holiday songs in the meantime…)
  • Aug 25 (Mon): Great job at our concert at The Cardinal in North Hills. We debuted two new songs and survived!
    • New Performers: Congrats Ray on your debut and Deanna in your second performance.
    • New Official Members: Welcome to our newest OCS members Pam and Annie (and shout-out to Annie who was in the audience at the Cardinal.)
    • Awesome Quartets: Fantastic job Never Home 4, who blended and projected wonderfully across that odd room! Also, lovely showcase by The Metro Gnomes: Paul, Tim, Larry, and Ashley sung “Row Row,” showing what they learned at Lakeside Harmony.
  • Sept 8 – in TWO WEEKS – (Mon): Searstone, 19001 Searstone Drive, Cary, 27513. Building 19001, in the Auditorium.
    • 5:30p:  Board meeting – all welcome (especially if you’re interested in becoming a board member!)
    • 6:45p:  Rehearsal
2. Overtures
  • N.C. State Home Game Concessions – Thanks to those already signed up to work – we have a few spots open and need backup workers as well! Remember this is our KEY fundraiser for the year. Sign up here:  https://tinyurl.com/25OCSconcess
  • GAME HELP NEEDED: 
    • Sept. 6 (Sat), 12 pm – NEED 3 PEOPLE - contact Gary ASAP! 
    • Sept. 27 (Sat) – need one more volunteer
    • Oct. 4 (Sat), time TBD
    • Nov. 1 (Sat), time TBD
    • Nov. 21 (Fri), 8pm game time
    • Nov. 29 (Sat), time TBD
  • Meetup Group – Remember to RSVP for each rehearsal and afterward, RATE us on Meetup. We are listed under Oak City Sound or “Raleigh Area A Cappella Singing Meetup Group.”
  • New name badges are here! Current members who would like to replace their old badge with the new style can contact Warren ($20 cost). Reminder: NEW members (who are joining now) receive a name badge at no cost.
  • Fundraiser or Concert Suggestions? – Contact a member of the board and let us know.

3. Carol's Cadence
  • It was another great show on Monday, despite the challenging performance space.
  • Keep working on our newest songs and be thinking about what songs you think we are most confident about for our performance coaching session on September 22.
  • Enjoy the Labor Day holiday!
  • For Rehearsal on Sept 8:
    • Mixed:
    • Hey, Good Lookin'                
    • What a Wonderful World      
    • I Didn't Want to Fall              
    • Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
    • It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
    • Men’s:
    • Happy Together                     
    • Lazy Day       
    • 59th Street Bridge Song
    • What Child is This Medley
    • Winter Wonderland

4. Accelerando
  • Sept 1 (Mon) – NO REHEARSAL (Labor Day)
  • Sept. 15 (Mon), 7pm: The Oaks at Whitaker Glen
  • Sept 22 (Mon): Our Rehearsal session will be with performance coach Gary Plaag.
  • Oct. 13 (Mon): First rehearsal for Holiday Chorus! Invite people to join!
  • Oct. 17 (Friday) – Oak City Sound’s 50th Anniversary Celebration: Crabtree Park
  • Nov. 10 (Mon): The Forest at Duke
  • NEW Nov 24 (Mon): The Templeton
  • December 1 (Mon): Whispering Pines
  • December 8 (Mon): The Cardinal
  • December 15 (Mon), 7pm: Springmoor
  • December 16 (Tuesday): Holiday Show (public concert) – Halle Cultural Arts Center (downtown Apex)
  • December 22 (Mon), 7pm: Waltonwood (Lake Boone Trail)

5. Festivo (Holiday)
  • HOLIDAY CHORUS – We will again have the Holiday Chorus this year. Please invite your friends! The HC:
    • Offers guests a chance to try barbershop (for free!) for a few weeks – then join us in a concert(s).
    • Guests attend 3 to 6 rehearsals (starting Oct. 13, 7:30 – 8:15p)
    • Practice the HC songs (below) – no need to memorize.
    • No fee, no special costume – we will again do a holiday top and black bottoms.
    • HC singers are invited to sing at our holiday concert (Dec. 16, Tuesday) and/or at any of our holiday shows at retiree centers (Dec. 1, 8, 15, 22 – possibly Nov date?)
    • Physical and digital flyer is forthcoming.
  • Be practicing your holiday songs!
    • HOLIDAY CHORUS (remember, we will all be allowed to use sheet music for these; no memorization required)
      • Carol of the Bells
      • Holly Jolly Christmas
      • Mele Kalikimaka
      • I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas
    • MIXED
      • Gloucester Wassail
      • Merry Little Christmas (swing version)
      • Most Wonderful Time of the Year
      • S’vivon (aka The Dreidel)
    • MEN’S
      • Christmastime is Here
      • Jingle Bell Rock
      • What Child is This
      • Winter Wonderland
    • God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – arranged by our own Mike Muha!
    • Silent Night (SSAA arrangement) – arranged by our own Ashley Vernon!

6. In Harmony  (Around the BHS World)
  • Jan 13 – 18, 2026:  BHS Midwinter, Pasadena, California.
  • March 20 – 21, 2026:  Carolinas District Convention & Contest (2026), Location TBD (Asheville?)
  • June 28 – July 5, 2026: BHS International (2026) – St. Louis, Missouri.
  • Future International locations: 2027 – Minneapolis, MN; 2028 – Chicago, Ill.; 2029 – San Antonio, Texas

7. Major & Minor Moods
Please send our friends your prayers & best wishes!
  • Vern Pike is reluctantly retiring from OCS due to struggles with his voice and medications. We hope to see you in the audience or any time in the future.
  • Nic Cols is having some rotten side effects from the Avastin and hopes to have new options soon. Follow his journey on his Caring Bridge site: https://tinyurl.com/CBNic
  • Eva Snapp’s dad is having a stent put in on Monday the 8th – best wishes and prayers for an uneventful procedure.