Music

Had to post this, Straight No Chaser, acapella group with two local members, has a new disc coming out soon, and had also released a non-christmas one last April.

"April's "With a Twist," included such songs as Soft Cell's "Tainted Love," Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge" and a duet with Barry Manilow on his "One Voice." And it was even more successful, hitting Billboard's Top 30 (Top 15 on the digital chart).

But with the holidays again approaching, Straight No Chaser is preparing to again mine the holiday that first made it famous. On Oct. 26, the group is set to release a box set, "All I Want for Christmas," that includes both "Christmas Cheers" and the 2009 EP "Holiday Spirits," as well as a full-length concert DVD, "Live in New York: Holiday Edition."
Those who pre-order through the group's website, http://www.sncmusic.com, will get a five-track bonus EP with two previously unreleased songs."

I like this part of the article, it's always nice to hear about a real person, someone you know, getting to live out their dream:
Collins says the tour will keep him from being able to visit his parents and sister in Allentown until Christmas Day. But having been a performer in traveling troupes of "Grease" and "The Lion King" before Straight No Chaser, Collins says he's suited to the road. "I don't plan on leaving anytime soon. I'm having too much fun, enjoying singing for people and living out my dream."

Collins says he's deeply appreciative of the support the Lehigh Valley has shown the group — especially during the summer at Harrah's.
"A couple of weeks prior to the show ending, I actually had a tear in my eye because of the love and support that Lehigh Valley people have given me — not only friends from Allentown and my William Allen [High School] days, but more so the Lehigh Valley as a whole," he says.

"People were coming up to me in droves, saying, 'Hey, I'm from Allentown! I'm from Bethlehem! I'm from Wescosville. … And it just was like really cool because they read about us in the paper or saw us on the PBS special. They were just happy to see an Allentown native doing well. And that to me meant a lot to see that out there on the road."

Local news

News about Straight No Chaser, which includes two local members. (One of whom I went to high school with, sang in high school choir with and I sang with his sister in a girls choir.  My cousin was in a boys choir with him too)

Straight No Chaser

I'm so glad I got a paper on Sunday. They had an article on this accapella college group from 1998. Two members are from the Lehigh Valley-Jerome Collins and Walter Chase. I was in choir with Jerome Collins in High School, and I also knew him from my middle school girl choir days. He was in the Singing Boys of Pennsylvania (I was in the sister group, Keystone Girls Choir), and my cousin Michael (some of you know him from when he sang at my wedding) sang with him in the Singing Boys too.
Apparently one of the members of the group put a video on you-tube of "the 12 days of Christmas" intermixed with Toto's "Africa." Just for the members' own enjoyment. And a year later it went viral-7 million views for December 2007 alone. Record execs made a deal with them and they now have a new Christmas album out. They did this a decade ago and all the sudden this opportunity comes up based on it. Some weren't even in the music industry anymore. Amazing.
Tom particularly liked the sitcom and teen sensation medly. I love it all-the human voice is a wonderful instrument. Those of you who know Jerome-check out This is How We Do It-he sings that one.