PenBay Singers' Pops Focuses on the 50's

Belfast, Me.-June 8 and 9 at 7:30, the Belfast Boathouse will rock, roll, laugh and maybe swoon a little with the  beats, silliness and passions of the diverse popular music of the 1950's. Led by Music Director Rick Dostie at the keyboard and accompanied by veteran bassist, Don Knowles  from Marlborough and drummer Andy Clifford from Bangor, the 30+ voice Belfast-based chorus will offer solos, ensemble and choral arrangements ranging from Broadway shows of the era to a medley arrangement of typical top 40 tunes and hits from such as Bill Haley and the Comets, and yes, Elvis. The admission price is $12 payable at the door. Refreshments will be served at the break.

If "Hey nonnydingdong a-lang a- lang a-lang a-lang" and "Sh-boom, sh-boom, yadadadadadadadadada" never turned you on when you heard them the first time, they might not now, either, but the style is guaranteed to get your attention, especially if you ever paid  notice to doo-wop and scat or perhaps the Scottish rhythm  songs consisting solely of odd phonemes. Making rhythmic patterns with non-words is a very old tradition, in fact - it just looks very, very funny when written out in sheet music, and the Penobscot Bay Singers, especially the younger members who had never heard the music had a hard time singing it with a straight face for several rehearsals. The singers are working at making the music authentic, but having a good time, too - and it's hard not to with such gems as Warren Davis, George Malone and Charles Patrick's "Book of Love" and Max Freedman and Jimmy DeKnight's "Rock Around the Clock". The audience is encouraged to get up and use the space at the back of the hall to try out their old "Stroll" or "Chicken" moves, or just twist away. If the fifties is part of your youth you probably won't be able to keep from singing along, too. That's just fine!

The Penobscot Bay Singers performs two other concerts each year in the Belfast area at Christmas and near Easter. These feature classical and liturgical works both large and small. The group is ending its 39th season with the Pops and will start rehearsals again in September. New members (and returning) are always welcome as are donations, as member dues and concert income do not meet all our expenses. During the rest of the concert season, PBS is accompanied by Belfast resident, Linnea Johnson and when the budget allows, other instrumentalists from central Maine. Angels interested in sponsoring a particular work or an instrumentalist or anyone wanting more information about the group or to make a donation can write to: Penobscot Bay Singers, PO Box 5, Belfast, Maine, 04915. PBs is a 501(c)(3) organization.