Inside Vocal Majority

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Imagine a group of 150+ men volunteering from all walks of life with varying degrees of musical talent and experience, with hearts full of joy, excitement and passion for singing. Call them Vocal Majority.

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  1. 03.07.2020

    I Thank My Lucky Stars

    Inside Vocal Majority I Thank My Lucky Stars Americans celebrate the Fourth of July every year, marking the founding of the United States. Usually an occasion for parades, parties, barbecues, concerts and fireworks, this most significant national holiday on the American calendar will be different this year. It may be quieter… with smaller gatherings…closer to home. But this doesn’t change the fact that Americans love this country and cherish our independence and freedom. On this day, we “thank our lucky stars to be living here today.” We also know that freedom isn’t free. Millions of men and women have put their life on the line to protect our freedom. So we thought you might like to meet some of the brave men of the Vocal Majority who served in different branches of our Armed Forces. In this episode, you’ll hear stories about the military  experiences of VM members Dave Huff, Clark Magee, Jim Patterson, Tony Stafford, Joe Frazier and Mike “MJ” Johnson. And of course the VM will sing a few of our favorite patriotic songs… The Star-Spangled Banner, Armed Forces Medley and God Bless the USA. A note about the production of this episode…longtime VM member/performer and historical contributor Frank Eastman traveled around the state of Texas during our time in quarantine and met (properly socially-distanced) and recorded the interviews you hear on this show. Then Frank and Nick Alexander, another longtime member/performer/show host and “voice” of the VM, edited the hours of interviews into this episode. The VM is extremely grateful for the efforts and dedication of these gentlemen. So Happy 4th of July everyone. We hope you enjoy hearing our stories and music. And we think you'll agree with us when we sing: “I thank my lucky stars... To be living here today, ‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom... And they can’t take that away.”

    34 мин.
  2. 08.05.2020

    Who Knew?

    Vocal Majority Live and In Concert at White's Chapel - Part One Hosted by Clint Blalock It was Friday night. It was a beautiful February evening in Texas. It was almost Spring. It was Valentine’s Day. The start of our weekend was bubbling with anticipation and thoughts of love. The hundred men who made the trip to South Lake Texas that night were feeling exceptionally positive .…almost giddy if you will. Giddy because these guys love to sing…and they love to sing love songs. So what better way to start our weekend of romance than to serenade a few hundred patrons of choral music with an hour of love songs….all kind of songs. We sang songs about the people we hold dearly in our hearts…songs about our love of state and country…and songs about our love of God. But who knew this evening would also be one of the last times for many days to come that these men could greet each other with a handshake or stand shoulder-to-shoulder on the riser? Who knew it would be the last time, for now, that we could hug a visiting family member, a friend or newcomer in the lobby after the show? Who knew anything about “virtual afterglows”? Who knew that after this night, one of the only ways left for us to touch someone would be through a song? Who knew? However, Vocal Majority looks back on this podcast of that evening’s performance not with sadness or remorse, but with validation for why we exist. We sing the songs that touch people….that touch your heart and soul. We sing the songs that bring us together….connect us…embrace us. So we hope you find some peace and reassurance in these two ”VM Live & In Concert at White’s Chapel” episodes. And just know, the men of the Vocal Majority are doing ok…matter of fact, we are better than ever! We continue to sing and rehearse virtually. And when the day arrives when we all can be together again, be assured that we will be just as giddy about singing for you as we were on that night in February.

    35 мин.
  3. 10.02.2020

    No Arms

    Inside Vocal Majority No Arms Welcome back… All You Lovers…to Vocal Majority’s Valentine’s Day Podcast Episode-Part Two. You know, when you think about it, “Love” is a four-letter word that comes in different shapes, sizes and flavors — like what you find in a box of chocolates. (Forest Gump knows what we mean). And we express our love in the words we speak to close a phone call, in the heart-shaped emojis our fingers quickly type to BFFs and in the thousands of love songs that have been written and sung for the ones that live in our hearts. In this episode, Vocal Majority offers you this heart-filled box of chocolates while we will escort you down “lover’s lane” with a few stories about some of these love songs….and then we’ll sing them for you, along with a few special guests. Our first piece of chocolate is a VM classic from ‘96… “If I Give My Heart To You”, followed by an a cappella bonbon… ”What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life”…sung by two giants in the Barbershop world…. Jeff Oxley and Greg Clancy. Then with a nod to the sugar-sweet 60’s pop group The Turtles, The Nylons suggest “Imagine me and you, I do” with their caramel-treat “Happy Together”. Our next selection will be from longtime VM friend, Don Shelton and his vocal group… Singers Unlimited, with their delicious version of “My Romance”. The last two pieces of chocolate in the box will be two VM recordings…. “You Are So Beautiful” (with strings) and “No Arms Can Ever Hold You”. We hope the songs and stories we’ve shared on this episode show you how much we love “Love”. The VM wish you and all your loved ones a wonderful Valentine’s Day. And we hope it’s full of flowers, love songs….and chocolate! “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” —Charles M. Schulz

    30 мин.
  4. 07.02.2020

    You Make Me Smile With My Heart

    Inside Vocal Majority You Make Me Smile With My Heart Hello All You Lovers ... Happy Valentine's Day! Love is indeed in the air..... Cupid, hearts, chocolates, cards and flowers are everywhere. But one of the best ways to express your “bliss” is with a great love song. And boy do we have love songs. Some people say it’s what Vocal Majority does best. There is something about listening to romantic lyrics and melodies with your loved one that helps create that magical feeling...especially when it’s sung in four-part harmony. Vocal Majority is excited to share two new love-filled “kiss & tell” episodes. (You take care of the kissing…we’ll do the telling…storytelling that is). In part-one, you’ll hear the VM beg “please stay…” in “My Funny Valentine” and then we’ll ponder together “How Deep Is The Ocean”. And for a special treat, you’ll swoon to the low notes Jim Clancy hits in “I Love You Best By Candlelight” performed with his 5-voice group The Collection. You'll hear a couple of VM oldies from the 70's including the VM's very first gold-medal song "I Never Knew I Could Love Anybody/You Were Meant For Me" and "Old Fashioned Girl In A Gingham Gown" directed by Brian Beck. Closing out this episode is a performance by two of the VM’s favorite people…Wendy & Steve DeCrow…singing a duet of two classic love songs… “When I Fall In Love/All The Way”. So dim the lights…light the candles…and let the VM set the mood while we “spin some vinyl” on your Valentine's Day 2020.

    31 мин.
  5. 21.11.2019

    This Is How We Do It

    Inside Vocal Majority Episode 2 - This Is How We Do It Vocal Majority musical director Greg Clancy and current chorus member/future chorus retiree Anthony continue their conversation from episode 1, recounting both fun and scary Christmas show stories. The fun: how the VM handled "Snowmageddon"! The scary: the time a chorus member fell into the orchestra pit with nothing to break his fall but music stands. Does he survive? Yes! It would have been weird if he didn't! Anthony talks about how his time performing and acting with the VM Christmas shows helped him to overcome some major life hurdles. And they discuss the secret formula to the shows' success (spoiler alert: Learn that Anthony is just making up his lines as he acts in VM shows!). This episode features more Vocal Majority favorite Christmas tunes: "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", "Silent Night", "Mary Did You Know", and a sneak peak at Anthony's debut arrangement for the VM of "The Polar Express"...with VM member Will Renfroe singing all four parts!  Be sure to check out Episode 3: Jim Clancy's "Secret of Christmas" when you will hear from the legend himself as he shares his memories of Christmas as a boy and how his family values, spirituality and love of music helped shape the Vocal Majority over the last 50 years. If you have topics or a theme you would like the VM to discuss or if you are enjoying this series of podcasts, please let us know by leaving your comments here or on our website: https://www.vocalmajority.com/blog For recordings and show tickets, visit us at vocalmajority.com, and look for us on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube (you’ll love VM videos!)

    36 мин.

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Imagine a group of 150+ men volunteering from all walks of life with varying degrees of musical talent and experience, with hearts full of joy, excitement and passion for singing. Call them Vocal Majority.