OFF THE BEAT

Keith Parker, 22, of University City, Mo., rehearses a solo for the Ambassadors of Harmony's 2009 holiday show in St. Louis.

Every year, the Ambassadors of Harmony men’s barbershop chorus puts on a holiday show at Touhill Performing Arts Center on the UMSL campus. In July, the chorus won the gold medal in the Barbershop Harmony Society’s international competition in Anaheim, Calif.

I’ve sung with the chorus for four years. We’ve been practicing vigorously for the show this month. It has certainly sneaked up on me.  I don’t quite feel ready.

Since we won the gold, the pressure has never been greater to give the performance of our lives. We’ve learned a bunch of new songs for this show, and for the first time, we’re even doing a live webcast of the show. My folks and my aunt and uncle will be watching from their home computer in upstate New York. Perhaps I can even persuade my buddy, Raaj, to watch the webcast from India.

Thanks to my relatives, friends, neighbors and coworkers who are coming to see the show in person and online.

The December performance will feature many of our usual standards and wacky antics as elves in Santa’s workshop, but also will turn sacred in the second act by following the story of the birth of Christ. We won’t be wearing tuxedos in the second act as we’ve done for years; we’ll be singing and performing as townspeople of Bethlehem.

Some of us are actually growing (or trying to grow) beards to reflect the people of the era. I’m well into the seriously painful-and-annoying itchy stage of the growth process. I reach for my razor every morning and would love to get rid of this red foreign growth on my face. (More on this in future blogposts.)

Anyway, showtime in just over a week away. Keith Parker, pictured above, has a solo at the beginning of a Hanukah song called “El Yivneh Hagalil.” It’s a hauntingly beautiful song, and his voice is perfect for it.

Oh yeah…champion quartets Vocal Spectrum and Crossroads will be singing too. They’re worth the admission price alone.