THE GORGE — Now's the time to start singing. We have three active a cappella choruses kicking off 2026 with new rehearsals starting now. Maybe it's time to try singing again!
Our newest chorus, the "I Can't Sing" chorus, was a big hit after starting last Fall. Research shows that more than 50% of our population say that they can't sing and haven't tried to sing since early grade school. That's not really true ... and this new chorus is proving it. Just like learning to walk, it takes small steps to learn how to make musical sounds and eventually sing along with others. Many of our early students had fun singing, for their first time in years, with more than 30 other singers in our Harmony of the Gorge carolers during December. Anyone (men and women) wanting to explore singing again is definitely invited to come to our "I Can't Sing" chorus meetings which are starting this Tuesday, Jan. 13, and will continue on Tuesdays, 3-4 p.m. in the banquet room (fourth floor) in Down Manor.
Our women's Harmony of the Gorge Chorus (HotG) has undergone several changes over the last year. In June, we were invited as the only women's chorus to join a pilot program, Team Barbershop, aimed at CHANGE to revitalize and reenergize small shrinking singing groups across the country.
"Change is happening — and now our singers are looking for more women to come sing with us! Change is being brave enough to do something you would not have tried earlier," says Judy Galloway, our director. "One of our first joys was starting our 'I Can't Sing Chorus' which is building new singers who will eventually find their place in one of our choruses or other choruses in our communities."Â
Another big change for Harmony of the Gorge Chorus is that we are now members of the international Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) based in Nashville, Tennessee. BHS was originally a men-only group that recently opened their doors for women to join. Our singers voted to become a women's chorus under the umbrella of the Columbia Gorge Chapter of BHS starting at the first of 2026. We will be starting to learn some new 4-part a cappella songs during HotG's first meeting this Tuesday, Jan. 13, and we will continue on Tuesdays, 6-8 p.m. in the banquet room (fourth floor) in Down Manor. Please come and check us out.
The Wind Masters men's 4-part a cappella chorus has been gathering new singers during the holidays and will have their first meeting on Thursday, January 15th, and continue on Thursdays from 6-7:30 p.m. in the banquet room of Down Manor.
Information about the three choruses is available at www.ComeSingNow.com. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call 541-490-2481 and talk with Judy Galloway.Â
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