The Acorn – Sept. 17, 2025 – OCS Weekly News

Type of post: Chorus news item
Sub-type: The Acorn
Posted By: Evie Snapp
Status: Current
Date Posted: Wed, Sep 17 2025
The Acorn – Sept. 17, 2025 – OCS Weekly News

1. High Notes
  • Sept 15 (Mon) – It’s a special night when the singers outnumber the audience! The attendees still loved the show and are already asking us to come back. Great job balancing our tones in that space.
    • Congrats to both Pam and The Metro Gnomes quartet on their first official public performances!  
  • Sept 22 (Mon) – Performance Coach Gary Plaag will be at our regular rehearsal! We’re back in our Searstone space.
    • Please don’t be late, and be open minded to hearing his suggestions.  
  • Holiday Chorus starts Oct 13 (Mon) – We’d like every member to invite at least ONE person to join HC this year!
  • Oct 17 (Fri) – 50th Anniversary Party! 4p – 8p. Beech Creek Shelter at Crabtree Park.
    • Reminder – if you haven’t RSVPed yet, please do. Didn’t get the eVite? Contact Warren or Andy.
2. Overtures
  • NOMINATIONS for 2026 Board – board must be locked by Oct. 15:
    • President – Larry Hill
    • Secretary – Liz Kasberg
    • Treasurer – Warren Fuson
    • VP of Music and Performance – Mike Muha
    • VP of Membership – Mark Roblez
    • VP of Marketing – Bob Inskeep
    • Members-at-Large – Michael Field, Andy Fuson, Michael McQueen
    • Want to serve?? Please contact Gary ASAP.
  • N.C. State Home Game Concessions – This is our KEY fundraiser for the year. Sign up here:  https://tinyurl.com/25OCSconcess
    • We need THREE people for both of the following games:  
    • Nov. 21 (Fri), 8pm game time
    • Nov. 29 (Sat), time TBD
  • New name badges are here! How do you get one?
    • Work a shift at NCSU home game concessions – no cost.
    • Join as a NEW OCS member – no cost.
    • Current members – replace for $20 (reach out to Warren).
  • 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.”
  • Fundraiser or Concert Suggestions? – Contact a member of the board and let us know.

3. Carol's Cadence
  • Congratulations on another entertaining show this week! The audience was small, but they clearly enjoyed it!
  • We did run into some pretty choppy singing on a few songs last night - Lazy Day and 59th St Bridge Song stand out in my memory - so PLEASE keep working on the feeling of leading with the vowel instead of rushing from consonant to consonant. This will also help with synchronization.
  • For our coaching with Gary Plaag next week, we will start with some warm-ups and then sing through our songs for Gary and let him do his thing. I'd encourage the few folks who only sing in the men's chorus to come and observe the whole evening so you have a feel for how Gary communicates before you tag in after the break.
  • Work on learning the Holiday songs – we’re only a few weeks away from officially starting holiday & Holiday Chorus rehearsals.
    • If you’ve sung them before, please REVIEW – don’t assume you remember all the notes correctly.
  • For Rehearsal on Sept 22 (with Gary Plaag):
    • What a Wonderful World (Mixed)
    • Hey, Good Lookin'     (Mixed)
    • Lazy Day        (Men’s)
    • Over the Rainbow       (Men’s)

4. Accelerando
  • 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 – Please invite people to this FREE experience! The HC:
    • Offers guests a chance to try barbershop (for free!) for a few weeks – then sing with 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/sweater 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?)
  • 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)
    • WOMEN’S
      • Silent Night
    • MEN’S
      • Christmastime is Here
      • Jingle Bell Rock
      • What Child is This
      • Winter Wonderland
      • God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

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!
  • Please continue to send Nic Cols your prayers adn wishes. Follow his journey on his Caring Bridge site: https://tinyurl.com/CBNic