Photos courtesy of Linda Campbell.
The Hoover Songbirds pose for a photo. Choir members range in age from about 65 to 90 and are both male and female.
The COVID-19 pandemic silenced the Hoover Songbirds senior citizen choir for more than a year, but the group is getting back together this fall for its 30th anniversary season.
Practices began in September, and the choir plans to hit the road for its concert tour at retirement centers, nursing homes and assisted living centers in October, said Fred Ernst, the 80-year-old director of the group.
For three decades, The Songbirds have been making the rounds around the Birmingham area, sharing their love of music with fellow senior citizens and people with mental disabilities, Ernst said.
The choir normally does about 30 concerts in a season but this year has scheduled only about 20, he said. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they cut out some of the locations where space was tight, he said.
They plan to perform in October and November, take December off, come back together for rehearsals in January and complete the season between February and May, said Ernst, who has been with the group about six years and directing for four.
Choir members range in age from about 65 to 90 and are both male and female. Ernst said he’s not aware of another group quite like the Hoover Songbirds in the Birmingham area. Sure, there are some senior citizen church choirs, but he’s not aware of any senior citizen choirs that sing the variety of tunes the Songbirds do or do as many concerts as they do, he said.
1 of 3
The Hoover Songbirds sing “Hi, Neighbor” as an opening number in a 2019 performance.
2 of 3
Hoover Songbirds Director Fred Ernst leads the group in a performance.
3 of 3
The concerts they give last about an hour and typically include 14 to 15 songs, mostly Broadway tunes and music from what he calls the “Great American songbook.”
Some of the songs in this year’s concert lineup include “Hello Dolly,” “Over the Rainbow,” “Anything Goes,” “Oklahoma,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “God Bless the USA” and “Happy Trails.” The concerts typically include some solos, duets and quartet music.
Ray Reach, a jazz artist, composer and arranger who previously served as a music director for singers such as Barbra Streisand, Carol Channing, Ella Fitzgerald and James Taylor, is the choir’s accompanist on the piano or keyboard, and professional guitarist Bud Brown plays with them, too.
The group currently has about 30 members and typically has 25 to 28 at each concert, Ernst said. Several have sung professionally in the past, and a lot of them have sung in groups in the past, but anyone can join as long as they can sing and are willing to make a commitment to be there, he said.
Most choir members sing the melody in unison, but some are allowed to harmonize as long as they can sing on pitch and in the right key, Ernst said.
The choir has been a great place to build camaraderie, he said.
“I have really pushed for this to be a family — a musical family that looks after each other and can be a support group for each other,” Ernst said.
If people get sick, other Songbirds step up to help them, he said. “At this age, we all need to have a support network like that.”
I have really pushed for this to be a family — a musical family that looks after each other and can be a support group for each other.
Fred Ernst
But more than anything, they consider it a ministry being able to entertain other people, especially when they sing for mentally challenged people and see the connection those people have with the music, he said. “You can’t put a price tag on that.”
The choir gets more joy out of performing than it gives to the audience, Ernst said.
Tom Brown, who has been singing with the group for about 3½ years, said he was invited to join the group after he retired by another member who has since died. If it were a different type of music, he might not be as motivated to participate, but he thoroughly enjoys the musical selections they sing, he said. They’re classics that most older people have known for years and seem to enjoy hearing, he said.
“They make me feel good too,” he said.
Ernst, who formerly sang with an orchestra in Cleveland for its pop concert series for 12 years, has a great history in musical performance and encourages the choir to add some flare to its performances with different costumes for different songs, Brown said.
The choir also offers a great opportunity to get to know people from all over the city and from a host of backgrounds, he said. And it’s a great outlet for people who love showmanship, he said.
Jan Hunter, the events coordinator for The Episcopal Place, which offers housing for low-income seniors and disabled adults, said she has seen the Songbirds in concert at least nine times there.
“The residents here really enjoy them very much,” Hunter said. “They’re extremely enthusiastic, bring a sense of joy with them. You can tell they love what they’re doing, and they radiate joy to the residents. … We look forward to having them.”
