The Shelter House and ‘Pieces of Eight’ combine rich heritage and contemporary value
The Emmaus Shelter House Society held its annual Patriots Day dinner recently at Citizens Fire Company #2, Emmaus.
Dating from circa 1734, the Shelter House, as described on the society’s web page “...is considered the oldest continually inhabited dwelling in the Lehigh Valley.” Given the Shelter House’s rich and continuing history, the evening’s entertainment was most appropriate.
Pieces of Eight, Phillipsburg High School’s all girl barbershop chorus, gave a professional quality a capella performance.
To introduce the group, Peg Millard, Shelter House board secretary, provided background on the evolution of barbershop music. The harmonious blending of male voices has a long history, and in 1945, with the founding of the Sweet Adelines, women joined the ongoing barbershop tradition. As a nod to their male predecessors, the women have retained the vocal designations of bass, baritone, tenor and lead.
Led by Debbie Keretz, whose credits include previously directing the award winning Lehigh Valley Chapter of the Sweet Adelines, Pieces of Eight sang musical styles ranging from Kool and the Gang’s bouncy “Celebration” to the stirring “Battle Hymn of the Republic” with seemingly effortless perfection.
However, as Keretz explained, the girls harmonious excellence results from practice and commitment. Acceptance into the chorus is based on a yearly audition for all participants. Because Pieces of Eight is an extra-curricular activity, practice sessions are held 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays.
Keretz said Pieces of Eight captured the one and only superior rating at a recent adjudication, She also related that working together for a common goal turns girls who might never have met into friends.
Twenty-four years ago Keretz formed the group and christened it Pieces of Eight. Her word play references the eight notes of a musical scale and the golden quality of her young musicians. Pieces of Eight and the Shelter House share the qualities of rich heritage and contemporary value. Blending them for an evening underscores the preciousness of each.