Oct. 30, 2006- It is all about the voice, harmony and sound

By Rosemary Revell, Democrat staff writer

THE PONDEROSA HIGH SCHOOL all-male Baritone Chorus rehearses selections for the evening of Barbershop Harmony set for Saturday at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 3111 Tierra De Dios Drive in El Dorado Hills. Democrat photo by Joanne McCubrey What: Barbershop Harmony Who: Placerville Gold Rush Chorus Where: Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 3111 Tierra De Dios Drive, El Dorado Hills When: Saturday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m. Cost: adults $15, children $5 Information: 644-4151

Before there were percussion, wind or string instruments, there was the human voice. Raised in early chant and song, human voices sang a cappella long before the term was coined. Italian in origin, a cappella means “like in the chapel” and refers to voices singing without instrumental accompaniment.

An American contribution to this ages-old musical form is barbershop harmony. Originally performed by four male voices, barbershop evokes small town America in the early part of the 20th century when musical selections were often somewhat sentimental in nature. While the earliest roots may well have been among the African American community, barbershop harmony has expanded to include men of any ethnic group, choruses, women and young adults.

The Placerville Gold Rush Chorus is presenting an evening of Barbershop Harmony on Saturday at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 3111 Tierra De Dios in El Dorado Hills.

Showcasing this performance is Late Show, 2006 Northern California East Division champions as well as 20th place competitors in the 2006 World Barbershop Competition.

Placerville Gold Rush Chorus and chapter quartets will also perform, and appearing under the direction of Janet Matranga, director of vocal music at Ponderosa High School in Shingle Springs, is the Baritone Chorus as well as a men's quartet called Bunch of Goofy Guys (BOGG) and Half and Half, a women's quartet.

“Barbershop harmony isn't just for old guys; the kids really love the sound, and more and more are getting involved,” said Keith Eckhardt, until recently the music and performance vice president of the Placerville Gold Rush Chorus.

The music

During intermission, the public is urged to participate in the Youth in Harmony raffle. All proceeds of the raffle will benefit the Ponderosa High School vocal music program.

“Barbershop quartet is one part of our heritage. People love barbershop. It isn't easy to sing, but novice singers can develop tonal memory. I send as many young men as I can to harmony camp. There, 90 men are singing together,” said Ponderosa's Matranga,

On an October Friday at Ponderosa High School during lunch time, some of the members of Matranga's all-male Baritone Chorus were rehearsing. Composed of cool characters - football players and drama students as well as students from all walks of campus life, the chorus produced totally awesome vocal music. The students sang a Civil War song, a nonsense song, a romantic song, and an animal spiritual - all selections that the chorus will perform at the evening of Barbershop Harmony.

“The Baritone Chorus will perform a traditional variety of music,” said Matranga who has the reputation of inspiring her students to reach the peak of their potential.

Matranga's men's quartet, Bunch of Goofy Guys, is composed of four men from the Baritone Chorus: Jason Dyer, 17, of Cameron Park, a senior; and Kent Melville, Matt Provencal, and Doug Orofino, all 16 year old juniors from Cameron Park. Although the four men have dubbed themselves goofy, the music that the group produces is serious barbershop performed with talent, vim and vigor.

The Ponderosa High School vocal music program is producing great music this year in spite of some challenges.

“This year, they changed the junior high boundaries. I lost a lot of kids to El Dorado High School. And there's so many demands from academics this year that I lost 20 people from my program,” said Matranga in commenting upon her struggles to keep the voices in her lineup.

The director

“I was born into music. From the time I was 5 years old listening to the ‘Hit Parade,' I knew who I was. I had excellent training, too. I had a woman very strong in music at church. She had studied at St. Olaf College (in Northfield, Minn. - a Lutheran college with a world class program in music including vocal music). She had me singing in front of the congregation from when I was 8 years old. When I was 16, she had me directing and accompanying the Sunday School. I went to the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. I studied voice. I sang with opera and musical theater,” explained Matranga.

“All performers have to stop being gypsies at some point. I had a family. I've taught for 10 years now. I taught in one other high school before Ponderosa. When I came here, I noticed immediately that students here are very nice to each other. Also, they become very bonded when they study music together. I give great credit to Lorna Perpall who was music teacher here before me for 25 years. She established a campus environment of music. I could follow in her footsteps. We have fantastic living composers, so we continue to perform music literature,” said Matranga who each year has students apply for and get accepted to sing in the Capitol Honor Choir, the Regional Honor Choir and the All State Honor Choir.

Matranga herself is a member of the American Choral Directors Association which she describes as “a professional organization of choral directors who hang together and learn from each other.”

“A big perk of my job is that so many of my students go on to pursue a career as performers or as music educators,” said Matranga.

Tickets for an evening of Barbershop Harmony are available at: Sierra Music Center, 4615 Missouri Flat Road, Placerville, 622-3730; Cameron Park Music Academy, 4100 Cameron Park Drive, Cameron Park, 676-5422; Beds N Stuff, 6200 Pony Express Trail, Pollock Pines, 647-2766; River City Bank, 348 Main St., Placerville, 626-0700.

For information or tickets call 644-4151.