They weren't

in their usual spiffy attire, but the melodious sounds were still the

same.

Recently the

Southland Chorus hosted an open house "practice session" for

friends, the curious and those wondering if their voices would blend with

the chorus.

The Southland

Chorus is a well-known local men's a cappella chorus singing barbershop

style four-part harmony.

Conrad Harris,

public relations chairman, noted, "Any man who can carry a musical

note in some form or fashion is invited to join us."

One of the

purposes of the open house was to give visitors an idea of how the group

works and practices to reach the polished tunes most hear at events. Many

of the members do not read music and all songs are sung from memory.

To show how

a song was learned, the group introduced three new songs and invited visitors

to join in.

The director,

Dick Nawrocki, and a few seasoned veterans led the group as they roughly

sounded out the music. They practiced, repeated and improvised until a

more harmonious sound issued from the attendees. It is a fun-loving group

of guys who work their vocal chords hard and yet manage to enjoy themselves

at the same time. They frequently entertain at charity events, class reunions,

churches, senior centers, schools and other public events.

They typically

work simply for the love of what they do, although any money received

is appreciated and used to support the group and its charities.

The nonprofit

group recently has its annual well-attended fund-raiser at the Sams Auditorium

in Fayetteville. The chorus adopted the Southwest Christian Hospice and

Hope House last year, and members support youth activities and causes

involving the elderly.

Those interested

in finding out more about the chorus are invited to watch or join in at

regular Thursday practice sessions at 7 p.m. at the Christ Our Shepherd

Lutheran Church, 101 Peachtree Parkway, Peachtree City, or call Conrad

Harris at 770-461-5174 or Thornton Cutler at 770-487-6772.

"Come

sing with us as often as you like," said Harris, "and when you

feel comfortable with us, sign up."

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