video: Rhode Island Barbershop Quartet Has The Ultimate Valentine’s Gift
Thursday, February 07, 2013
Make it a Valentine's Day they will never forget with a serenade from the Generations Barbership Quartet, the most popular group of its kind in the country. Photo: Generations Barbershop Quartet.
GoLocalProv spoke to Steve Isherwood, lead singer in the Generations Quartet, about Barbershop music and singing for this special audience of loved ones.
How long has the Generations Quartet been singing together?
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThis particular group of men has been together for 4 years. The Generations Quartet as an organization has been around for 145 since the founding.
What songs do you sing to recipients of Singing Valentines?
Typical love songs like “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and “My Wild Irish Rose.”
Do you offer Singing Valentines every year? How popular are they?
We have been doing them for the last 15-16 years and some people will book us year after year. We sell out of Singing Valentines every year because we can only travel to so many people.
The Singing Valentines are an unforgettable experience; we usually leave the women in tears—it’s very, very special. Most men don’t know what to get their wives, their mothers, their grandmothers. I tell them: get her a Singing Valentine! My favorite thing is to go into a nursing home during meal time because when we sing to a woman in front of all her friends she’s the talk of town in the home for that week.
What makes Generations the most popular quartet in the nation?
A typical quartet sings about 15 times a year but the Generations Quartet made 121 appearances last year, usually at senior centers and nursing homes. The Generations Quartet has a huge repertoire of songs from the 1890s-1960s, which offers a wide range of musical tastes and something for everyone in the audience.
What kind of events does the Quartet usually get hired to sing at?
We sing at parades, fairs, festivals, birthday parties, anniversaries. When someone turns 90 or 100 years old, it’s great to hire the Generations Quartet. The person will love hearing the quartet sing songs from when they were young.
Are there any other signature events the Quartet will be singing at this year?
I got us into the Boston St. Patrick’s Day parade and we have assembled a 100-man chorus. We will also be marching in the Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City as part of a 200-man chorus.
Want to hear the Generations sing? Watch them, here.
The Generations Quartet will be delivering Singing Valentines February 11-14th. Prices start at $50 and money raised will help the Generations Quartet travel to the Thanksgiving Day Parade later this year. To make your reservation, call 401-578-2260. Spaces are limited. For more information, visit here.
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