Episode 21, Talking South Carolina Podcast Interview with the amazing ladies of the Heart of Columbia Chorus, Columbia, SC

Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett – “Hey, and thanks for joining us on this week’s episode of For All Things Light Central, the only show dedicated to Lexington, South Carolina, and where a spade is always spade. Here we’ll talk to and about people, places, birds, things to do and places to go in and around Lexington, South Carolina. I’m your host, Angela Barrett, and this is for all things Lexington, brought to you in part by Jervois Street Bridge, Yorktown, Colombia’s most unforgettable free to list business directory.”

Angela Barrett – “Hey guys, and thanks for being with me today. Today I have the Heart of Colombia chorus and they are an all women four part four, part harmony acapella chorus. Did I say that right? Yeah. And now my first question is, tell me what a four part Harmony acapella course is.”

Jamie Clair – “Sure. So, we sing four parts. All women, or women identifying, in the treble clef. So it’s like higher voices. It’s four parts, no accompaniment. But we the music that we make is just with the sounds of our voices. We do sing some modern acapella, which is rhythmic. We don’t have a beatboxer, but we’re open to, but mostly we sing in the barbershop style.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, cool. All right, so we have, Jamie, Claire and Jackie and Jacqueline and Pat. Thank you all so much for being here today. The privilege. So tell me, what, the heart of Colombia course is. What do you do as you sing? I know, but.”

Jackie – “I would say it’s, group of women that come together doing something they love every Thursday night, supporting each other in life, learning. You know, all of us came in different singing abilities. And so we all learn and grow together. And then we get to take that joy that we have on Thursday nights out into the community and perform.”

Pat – “It’s often said people come for the music, but they stay for the friendship. And I think it speaks to the fact that there are women who have been in choruses outside of South Carolina, and when they come to Heart of Columbia Chorus, they find a home and a welcoming that they frequently will tell us they have not found anywhere else.”

Pat – Despite how wonderful those other courses might be.

Angela Barrett – “Well, I did see again on your Facebook page where y’all y’all do a lot of photos and it looks like y’all have a blast when you’re together. I will say that you do.”

Jamie Clair – I sure do.

Angela Barrett – Now the heart of Columbia chorus is part of another organization. So tell me how this all works.

Jamie Clair – “So, heart of Columbia is a chapter of Sweet Alliance International. Okay. It’s an international singing organization. There are choruses in Sweden and England and Australia and all across the US and Canada. And so we’re broken into regions. And every spring, each region participates in a competition. And the winner of that regional competition then goes to the international competition, which happens in the fall.”

Jamie Clair – “And it’s there’s choruses. There are also quartets. So there are just four people that get together and, and sing their music. So there’s a competition for that as well. And we do have, we have had in the past and currently have several quartets that represent our chorus. And more than just Sweet Alliance as a competition organization.”

Jamie Clair – “That is one of the pillars of the organization. But not everybody gets to walk across that international stage. But, well, every student trying to get a sweet Adeline gets to experience is education. Education through performance education through rehearsal. We have, just actually this upcoming weekend, I’m teaching at an, speed online, regional event for education.”

Jamie Clair – “So we get together with people from the five neighboring states, and we learn about singing, and we learn about music. And, so we get to grow, not just as singers, but as musicians, with our community and those outside of our community.”

Angela Barrett – “So tell me, sweet Avalon’s what started a really long time ago. So tell me, let’s start there, and then we’ll move forward to some of the things that you talked about there. So sweet Caroline started I mean, really long and I don’t remember the day I was just say, I.”

Jamie Clair – Don’t have the date off the top of my head.

Angela Barrett – That time ago.

Jamie Clair – “Yes. And so, it started many, many years ago. It started actually as a quartet organization. There was a men’s organization before that. And so women are like, what women do, right? Right. We can do that and we can do it better. And so so it was for it. And so Heart of Columbia is a member of that, but our chapter is only 15 years old.”

Jamie Clair – Will celebrate our 50th anniversary.

Angela Barrett – This.

Jamie Clair – “Year. Right. But as far as you know, sweet outlines that started as a quartet and then it grew into choruses because not everybody is confident enough to sing by themselves on their own part with four other people. So it grew into choruses, and then it grew beyond that.”

Angela Barrett – “So now when you say you’re teaching, are you teaching people how to sing or how to sing in, y’all’s group?”

Jamie Clair – “That’s a good question. So, so I’m the director of the chorus, I’ve heard of Columbia, and I am also on the international faculty for SWE online, which means that I’m one of the 50 teachers worldwide that they’ve identified as their highlighted educators. And so I teach everything from how hearing loss impacts riser singers to how your voice works and how it’s healthy.”

Jamie Clair – “I’m also a speech pathologist that specializes in voice disorders. So I teach what is healthy and what’s not and how to sing in a healthy and safe way. We have other educators. It’s not my, it’s not my expertise, but we have other expertise that teaches how to sing in the barbershop style, teaches music theory, teaches how to read music, teaches chord structures.”

Jamie Clair – “We also we we like to dance. So we also have people who teach about movement in music and, not, you know, we’re not talking about ballet or, you know, but think movement like pitch perfect, but multi-generational. And so how do we infuse that joy in our singing and you can see it in our whole body, in our whole performance.”

Jamie Clair – So we have people that teach that too.

Angela Barrett – “Oh, well, that’s cool.”

Jackie – “And there’s also education, on the leadership side. And so I am the team coordinator for region 14, with administrative leadership. So we will.”

Angela Barrett – “Look, I need a chart.”

Angela Barrett – There’s a lot of parts and pieces. Go ahead. I’m sorry.

Jackie – “So we’ll help, you know, train courses. Not everybody is comfortable with, you know, Facebook marketing or websites or any of that. And so we’ll have items to change, like look at that. We’ll train people on the financial side. And, you know, as someone that has been doing this for a while, I find that those experiences help me be a better leader, not just within my chorus life, but also, have helped me at work and, and other nonprofit organizations.”

Angela Barrett – “But I saw were you guys were big on education. So I mean, education, obviously to make the course and quartets and all of that better. But it sounds as if maybe some personal is personalized education as well.”

Pat – “What I would like to build on top of what Jamie, Claire and Jackie have said is that anyone can come into the organization without knowing how to read music. You don’t have to have played an instrument when you were young. You don’t have to have sung a solo part in your high school if you can sing. My joke is if you can sing Happy Birthday and keep your pitch, you can be a sweet Adeline.”

Pat – “I came into the organization and with the guidance and leadership that I was given, I’ve developed my ear a little better. I know better about notes going up and down and through the skills that we have in our leadership. We have devices now so I can listen on my phone. I can listen on a CD. I have my paper that I can make thousands and thousands of notes.”

Pat – All of those help build me as a better singer. When I’m standing on a riser beside Jacqueline singing her tenor part. And I still stay on my lead part.

Angela Barrett – And so you said you’re lead.

Pat – And then lead just means melody.

Angela Barrett – Yes. And tenor.

Jacqueline – Yes.

Jackie – Baritone.

Jamie Clair – Director.

Jacqueline – I.

Jamie Clair – “Sing bits of everything so that I can demonstrate it, but I do sing with, chorus in Atlanta. And with them I sing the lead part, I sing, and in a quartet of some baritone.”

Angela Barrett – “Okay. And so lead you said, is the melody. Gotcha.”

Jamie Clair – “Tenor is the really the high part. The high harmony baritone is the counter melody. And then there’s a fourth part, the bass part, which is kind of the foundation of the chord. Often the tenor in the bass will hold the the key.”

Angela Barrett – “Gotcha. And so getting the back to the education part again, maybe some that because you said something about financials are you guys are nonprofit right.”

Jackie – We are.

Angela Barrett – And so but the financial would be I guess in general sort of a personal educational and or it’s.

Jackie – “More education on how to manage that. Right. It’s not like every chorus is blessed with an accountant. Right. So how to teach people you know how to use QuickBooks or what are the, things that are in the community to help you? So one example for our chorus, we have a grant from the South Carolina Arts Commission.”

Jackie – “And so by able to have that grant, we can reduce the costs to members. We have experiences, later, I guess beginning of October, we’re going to bring in a guest artist. And so, finding resources like that just allow us to be able to give a well-rounded experience.”

Angela Barrett – “Now, where do you guys, I know you you play out the gala, is it the gala of trees or the festival? Festival? Festival of trees, which is a gala. So I know that, but what are some of the other places that you guys are at?”

Jackie – “Maybe we can, what’s your favorite performance you’ve done? Like Heart of Columbia?”

Pat – “Well, it’s not fair to say Wreaths Across America at Fort Jackson. Yes. But I will say it is such a thrill to sing the national anthem at USC basketball game or the fireflies game. And I’ll stop there and let the others share. But to put our music out there for everyone to hear and to sing our national anthem.”

Jacqueline – “Yeah. How about you? I don’t have a favorite. I just love doing it. Yeah, the challenge is challenges you like I have one, but butterflies in my stomach before every performance. The only time I don’t have them is rehearsal. But when you say performance and when I go out there and I give it everything and the audience reacts, every performance is wonderful.”

Jacqueline – Yeah.

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Jackie – “I think my favorite performance is where we get to be out in the community. So where we get, you know, share it. For Jackson or at a baseball game. And, you know, a lot of our friends and families, it’s that, you know, crazy hobby we do. Right? And so it’s always fun to be able to like, you know, that thing that we do every week just to share it with others?”

Jamie Clair – “I think for me, I mean, I’m naturally competitive. So I really enjoy competition. But beyond that, we’ve had some really cool opportunities. These to sing at the state House. For Constitution Day. So we, we sing to high schoolers, and we sing all patriotic music. And that was cool to be able to sing songs of our country in the place where they make the laws.”

Jamie Clair – It was really that was a really cool experience for us. I like the Festival of Trees gala.

Angela Barrett –

Jamie Clair – “But yeah, I mean, I think I’m with Jackie. Anytime I get out there and I get to share our craft and share our love for it, it it just lets us show a different part of who we are.”

Pat – We sang It’s Little Shoals. Remember that?

Jacqueline – I was so.

Pat – “Great because in the open air, our music is going out across, you know, the sound ways and people are walking and the looks of surprise and delight on their face to hear our harmony just ringing out. That gives me chills just to remember.”

Jamie Clair – “Kind of like what we sang at the State Fair to all right. Yeah, the stages at the State Fair, if people would walk by and we were singing and they’re like giving us this look. And that was great. It was really.”

Angela Barrett – Fun. It sounds like fun. If you can sing.

Jamie Clair – “Now, I tell this is one of my soapboxes. Okay. Everybody has that story of I was singing in church or I was singing in the radio, and somebody looked at me and was like.”

Jacqueline – “Oh, yeah, I’m struggling with that.”

Jamie Clair – “It’s hurtful. Singing is such a part of your spirit, and it’s so natural to us as humans. Right? If you could speak, you can sing, and if you can match that.”

Jacqueline – “But you can, you can. Okay.”

Jamie Clair – “We can teach you the rest. And I think that’s the thing that keeps most people away is self-consciousness. But as you mentioned, we have so much fun and we have this community of supportive, wonderful, kind, caring people. Why why should you, singing like a self-conscious bonus for singing keep you away from.”

Angela Barrett – “Me, right? I don’t disagree. I think that, you know, because again, when I started this, I was like, I don’t know why this, but again, I’ll say off the wall. So, it’s worked out, but, you know, it’s all intimidating thing you try for the first time is intimidating. And I think you just have to give it your best shot.”

Angela Barrett – “And so what if you fail? I mean, that’s right. You did try. You try and.”

Jamie Clair – You learned in the.

Jacqueline – Try.

Pat – “That’s right. But in Heart of Columbia you never fail because everyone’s there to pick each other up and just say, well, next time let’s try. How about try this, tweak this. And so that’s what the support is about of where you come in as a singer and where you grow as a singer.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. And so let’s talk about how many of there are guys in the course where you meet for practice. I mean, if you had everybody.”

Jackie – About 25.

Angela Barrett – Okay. Yeah. Because y’all are pretty close knit group.

Jamie Clair – We are very close knit. It’s true.

Angela Barrett – “It and it shows. So you guys support each other obviously in singing, but outside of that as well.”

Jacqueline – Yeah. Yeah.

Angela Barrett – And so tell me a little bit about that. I mean.

Jackie – “I think it speaks to our chorus, next week, several of us are going to be at this fall school. A lady reached out and her mom isn’t even wasn’t even in our chorus. She was a sweet Adeline. And her memorial service is next weekend. And eight of our ladies are going to sing. You know, a lady they’ve never met that because there’s this common tie.”

Angela Barrett – That.

Jackie – They’re giving up time on their Saturday to be there. I think it just speaks volumes.

Angela Barrett – Absolutely.

Jackie – Who we are.

Angela Barrett – “And, I personally was excited about it being you know, an all women group. There’s not a lot of that. You’ll find a lot of all the in groups or, you know, mixed, groups that you don’t find a lot of all women. I know I have, had on, for all things Lexington, the thia group, which is the run group, and they’re all, you know, and they have a big camaraderie together.”

Angela Barrett – “But, you know, after that, you’re like, so and I think it was you that reached out, I was like, yes, we’re.”

Jamie Clair – There’s a safety in that. There’s a comfort in that. Yes there is. And we get we get silly and we joke during rehearsal. We joke about things that only women are going to joke about.

Angela Barrett – “Yes, or understand or.”

Jamie Clair – “Play. And so I think that there’s a, there’s a comfort and a and a safety and being able to come to a group of people who have a similar understanding to you.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Pat – “But the other things that we do outside, of course, are things like when somebody is in the hospital and they get home bringing them food, somebody has something go on picking them up, giving them transportation. So it’s a 24 seven. You can call on anybody in the heart of Columbia course and they will respond.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, that’s great. That is great. So tell me a little bit more about the competition. I know you said you like to compete. Has everybody in here been in competition?”

Jacqueline – Yeah.

Angela Barrett – “It is a ball. So how far is it? I mean, you obviously you can go all the way internationally. How far have you guys or someone in your group, how how far they’ve gotten.”

Jacqueline – They play. You like it so much I do.

Jamie Clair – “Okay. Well so before I go there, I would like to say that, Jacqueline and I both, are the our members of Heart of Columbia that have competed in other sweet and orange courses. So, Jacqueline found us.”

Jacqueline – “I was a member of a course in New York, which is my home. And, I was retiring, and I knew that wherever I moved was going to be a sweet Adeline forest. So the only places I was considering moving to have a sweet Adeline for us. And it was amid the pandemic. I couldn’t travel anywhere. I couldn’t get anything.”

Jacqueline – “And this is my mother’s home state. So here I am in Lexington because a Heart of Columbia, rehearses in Lexington and. I thought my original course was wonderful. I didn’t know what to expect because I’m not even. I didn’t even know how to talk. I, and,”

Angela Barrett – You mean you didn’t know how to say.

Jacqueline – Y’all know?

Jamie Clair – I’m saying same girl.

Jacqueline – “I’m. I haven’t seen you all. I came down here and I said y’all. And it was uncertain. No, I got comfortable, right? And they embraced me. They let me keep coming back.”

Angela Barrett – Are you kidding me? They keep coming back. Yes.

Jacqueline – So? So it just encourages me to give my all. Yeah.

Angela Barrett – Good of what? We’re glad you back in Lexington.

Jamie Clair – “So, so I have I also compete with a chorus that sings in Atlanta because, like I said, we’re an international group. But. So Heart of Columbia, we go to our regional competition every year. And we have in the last, what, eight years, we’ve increased over 100 points and our overall score. I probably am the only one that actually knows that fact.”

Jamie Clair – “I just, but it does result in some pretty.”

Angela Barrett – “Do. I know I’m,”

Jamie Clair – “So, heard of Columbia has been the most improved chorus in our region for, three, three time, three consecutive times that it’s been awarded. There was a pandemic in between, obviously. Sure. So, so we have lots of time for improvement. But we’ve been the most improved chorus, which means that our score from the previous year to the score of this year is more than that.”

Jamie Clair – “Improvement is more than any other chorus that competes well in our region. So that was we like to compete against ourselves. We can’t hit a moving target. Everybody else is also working as hard as they can. But if we can beat what we did last year, and grow as individuals and as a group, that’s what we want.”

Jamie Clair – “And this year that also resulted in a third place division medal for us, which was very exciting. And then, like I said, I sing with the Atlantic chorus, which, is third in the world right now. So I was able to be on stage with them when they, competed and came in third in the entire world.”

Jamie Clair – So that was a whole pretty cool experience.

Angela Barrett – This was impressive.

Pat – That’s for big.

Angela Barrett – “Jewelry. Yeah, a lot of jewelry. Yeah, those are nice. Those are really, really nice. So what do you guys have coming up? What’s the next big event? I know you have something going on at the craft draft in Irmo, but beyond that.”

Jackie – “So in October, we’ll have coaching. And we love to learn. So we have a guest artist coming in, from Austin, Texas, and he’ll be with us for the weekend. And then, a group of us is actually going to international competitions. So that’s in Louisville, Kentucky. And we like an excuse to travel. So we’ll go watch the show.”

Jackie – “And then we will, Pilgrim Lutheran Church is doing a festival. In December. And so we’re going to do the acapella music for that on December 6th. And then we will be at Wreaths Across America, which is always the third Saturday and December.”

Jamie Clair – “16th, I think it is.”

Angela Barrett – “And y’all, that is kind of a group that y’all partnered with. Y’all do that every year and it’s near and dear to the heart is correct.”

Jamie Clair – “Yes, very much so.”

Jackie – “So we work to salary’s. They’re $17 apiece and we’ll sell those so that we can make sure there’s a wreath, on every grave. And then we provide the music that day.”

Angela Barrett – “Right. So tell us, for those who don’t know what that program is, you said it was the, Wreaths Across America, right? And so tell everybody what that the the group that y’all partnered with, tell us what that group, what they do.”

Jackie – “So it’s an organization, nationally that works to put wreaths on the graves of every, tombstone, National Cemetery. So.”

Angela Barrett – Our veterans.

Jackie – “Of our veterans. So and it’s amazing, you know, we’ve been doing it for over a decade, at Fort Jackson and Fort Jackson’s are relatively new. Cemetery. But each year, I mean, thousands are buried there. So the need, to keep getting, more money for wreaths increases because we keep burying, more of our soldiers.”

Pat – “Sure. What’s special about, selling the wreaths is that the person who purchased the wreath or multiple ways can actually designate it in honor of someone and in remembrance of someone. And if they have a family member buried at Fort Jackson and they’re able to attend, then they are allowed to actually place a wreath on that tombstone. And their families should request to not have any slate.”

Pat – “And we honor that too. But I think what makes our performance there so incredible is to see the surviving veterans for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people and families that show up in recognition of the deceased, that we are honoring our performance, through laying of the wreaths.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. That is I mean, I’m sure that is a beautiful, ceremony out there. I mean, just kind of makes your heart go.”

Jackie – “And I, I’m always amazed because it’s, you know, at the busiest time of the year. Yeah. And people find time.”

Jacqueline – In December. Yeah.

Jamie Clair – “Yeah, regardless of the weather. But, I mean, until you’ve stood there singing Let There Be Peace on Earth, looking out at all of those gravestones with our flag flying over it.”

Jacqueline – It’s it’s a.

Jamie Clair – “Chilling, an amazing experience to honor those that fight for us.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, absolutely. What what a great what a great charity. And our organization to, be a part of that. So, yeah, it’s phenomenal. Now, how long have each of you been in the group? You said it was. The group itself was 15 years old, right?”

Pat – “No, probably about 12 years. Okay. Wanted to be a member sooner, but I had some other obligations. But as soon as that was over with, I said to the then director, do you think I might be able to come? She said, of course. The first night I showed up, I spent time in the bathroom. They won’t tell you what happened next.”

Pat – “But the warmth that I had from Laurie Bruce, one of our former members, is something that, will stick with me always and kept me coming back every Thursday after I tripped in the bathroom and just saying. And I will sing as long as my voice and my director will allow.”

Jacqueline – “I came amid the pandemic. I, started rehearsing with, out of Columbia in 2020. So am I.”

Jamie Clair – 33 years?

Jacqueline – Yes.

Jamie Clair – How long were you with the. The course before the course.

Jacqueline – “I was with the in 2000, 14 seven before I got it. Yeah.”

Angela Barrett – Okay. This wasn’t your first rodeo. No. No.

Jacqueline – Yeah.

Jackie – I joined in 2014. So nine years.

Angela Barrett – “Oh, of.”

Jamie Clair – And I joined in the fall of 2009. So I guess we’re looking at 14 years.

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Jamie Clair – “And, I have been directing, just over eight.”

Angela Barrett – Wow. Okay.

Pat – “Can I take your horn? Yeah, please, if I’ve had not. No. Course can exist without a director. And not everyone can be a director, despite their good intent and their musical knowledge. So, Jamie Claire stepped up so that our course, after our national search was not able to find someone. She stepped up and did what it took to be a certified director.”

Pat – “She completed all her training, her videos and her classwork faster than any.”

Pat – Faster than anyone else has ever done that in our region. Because of her passion for music and giving back to the community. And so we have her as our director because of that commitment she has.

Angela Barrett – “Yay! Yeah, I had no doubt you would do it fast.”

Angela Barrett – “That’s right. Yeah, well that’s fantastic. You’re right. It does take, someone, no matter what you’re doing, no matter what group it is, it takes someone’s at least help guide if you have to be the leader, but at least guide, or else everybody’s just kind of flounder. We do that in my family. My family calls me the general.”

Angela Barrett – “And it’s not because, I mean, it’s just because they’ll just sit there and chit chat and carry on as I’m running around like chicken with my hat. So I just started going, you do this, you do this.”

Pat – That is Jackie. Our chorus made it intact through the pandemic because of Jackie.

Angela Barrett – Yeah. Keep it onto.

Pat – Zoom. And she was right there telling everybody how to do it through emails and texts.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, right. Practicing through there and yeah, yeah, yeah.”

Pat – I’ve had our rehearsals going. Jamie Claire was there. Tom was sending out things for us. We knew how to be prepared on Thursdays. Then when we came back to perform. We are so fortunate. They had an outdoor area. Jamie knew the opportunity. Jamie Lee and Jackie knew the CDC better than the CDC. They had face masks we had from suicide.

Pat – “We had plastic that on the floor outside, everything to ensure that when members felt comfortable, we could sing and keep up that love of music and that camaraderie, while still respecting those who did not feel comfortable. Then through technology. Jackie and Jamie Claire, we now record our sessions. So if anyone has to be away, they still can participate.”

Pat – “And being present present when they can, but still be able to be part of the course. Now we do have an attendance requirement, but again, it’s that passion for music and the sisterhood that keeps of Columbia going. And that’s the heart of who we are.”

Angela Barrett – “Well, and and not to take away from the music side of it, but I would imagine with a group as close as you guys, that’s probably a lot of what keeps the group together. I mean, I know there’s a passion for music, but when you have a group of women, especially that close, I mean, it helps tremendously, at least in my experience, to keep a group together and to feel more accountable for what when you need to be there.”

Angela Barrett – “You know, I know that you said you had, attendance policy and but that probably helps is the closeness.”

Jamie Clair – “I mean, happy singers sing better.”

Angela Barrett – That’s right. Yeah. And say.

Jamie Clair – “As we as a group grow closer, we also challenge one another. So if I’m on the risers and I hear that Pat really has this section and I’m struggling with it, I might pull Pat aside and be like, hey, will you sing this with me? Or, you know, I see members after rehearsal and before rehearsal and they’re getting together and they’re singing songs and they’re duetting and they’re doing things that, I didn’t ask them to do, but it makes them.”

Jamie Clair – “Makes all of us better. Yeah. And mostly because it’s fun and it’s a judgment free zone. It’s a safe zone for us to come and learn and grow and make mistakes and, learn from those mistakes and, and become better.”

Angela Barrett – “So speaking of that, let’s talk about you all have an open practice. In other words, we could watch, but people who are even thinking about, singing can come. And you encourage that, right? We do. And so you all meet on Thursday nights at the Pilgrim Church.”

Jamie Clair – “7:00, seven, rehearsals, 7 to 930. I usually take us pretty close to 930, but, afterwards, we have a group that likes to go and socialize. So they go to Applebee’s afterwards, and, so you get your singing in, and then you get your socializing afterwards.”

Angela Barrett – “So, for anybody listening who is thinking about singing, you need to come and meet this lovely group of women here and, and and try it out. I promise I will not, I will watch. So if there’s one thing that you could tell, everybody about your group other than the closest, tell us what we’re.”

Angela Barrett – What have I missed? Tell me what you think everybody needs to know about you guys or what you do. Obviously talk about how they get in touch with you if they want you all to come and perform. But anything else? Sometimes I miss the boat. Sometimes. Right.

Jamie Clair – What’s the essence? The part of Columbia.

Jacqueline – “Oh, I think it’s.”

Pat – “The idea that music does bring joy to everyone, like Jamie Claire said. And so the essence of Heart of Columbia is the joy of learning to sing a piece of music. When you get a first piece of music. And because I don’t like read music, and I have fear and terror in my heart and stomach, and then we break it apart and through the guidance, Jamie Claire, through the guidance of our section later, like our speech section leader who just left.”

Pat – “Awesome. Awesome woman. She’s going to Richmond. Lucky them. But we have another fantastic woman who will be helping us. So we see the birth of that piece of music that then we get to present. Like when we go sing at Barbershop in Bruce. And I think that’s the essence of what Heart of Columbia is, is always that newness, that freshness, that learning.”

Pat – And you may come in feeling that prepared and you leave on a high a legal high.

Jacqueline – “I feel like you have, your life, your challenges, your daily challenges or your vision you don’t have any challenges in. And you get up and you go to. So rehearse them. And 100% of the time I’m feeling lighter when I’m in rehearsal than want to enter. It’s like, yeah, come, come, come, come, come out of dark. Yeah.”

Jacqueline – “And then besides that, learning, making friends. I’m singing. I’m not. Music is what I love in life. So then I’m enjoying that, right? Yes. Yeah.”

Jackie – “I think for me, it’s, you know, there’s always something going on and we do a lot of things for other people. But singing is something I do for me and it’s something, you know, we share this. We do a lot. But it’s something I look forward to each week that fills my bucket.”

Jacqueline – Yeah.

Jamie Clair – “I think the essence of Heart of Columbia is that music is universal. There’s it’s not an age or, gender, ethnicity or any specific box that it puts you in, but music is universal. We have ladies that are in their 30s. We have ladies that are in their 80s, and we all share this special thing that makes us all the same.”

Jamie Clair – And I think that’s what Heart of Columbia is for me and that it’s universal.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, I love it. All right. So if you could tell if you had five minutes to tell the world one thing, what would it be? And start with you. With me? Oh, okay. Five minutes. So her world watching five.”

Jamie Clair – Minutes is a long.

Angela Barrett – “Time, and you have to use five. Okay, good. Let me go limit it to that.”

Jamie Clair – “I would say, as a communication is really important to me. It’s how I make my living. I would say find your voice and use it. Your voice is meaningful, and it’s. It’s just yours. And there’s no one else like it. So find your voice and use it. And then live your.”

Angela Barrett – Truth like it?

Jackie – “I would say do something you love. You know, we we go to work, we do all these things, but you have to get up every day, and it’s your life. And so find the thing you’re passionate about and chase it because you’re here for a limited amount of time, and you have to have that joy.”

Jacqueline – “I would say I would like everybody to know that, sometimes, people will say, I don’t sing or I can’t sing. And especially in children, I would encourage everybody to sing. Sing in the shower, sing in the car. Because even when rehearsal is over and I get home and that I’m not in bed when I wake up, there’s a song here in my head.”

Jacqueline – “And I would encourage. And I don’t let anybody convince you that you can’t sing if they don’t like your sing. They when, when you’re not around them, sing.”

Angela Barrett – “I agree, absolutely.”

Pat – “And I would say everyone has value and worth. And sometimes it’s a challenge to find that in someone. But if you look, you will always find it. And then you have to turn that on yourself, and you have to find some value and worth in yourself and not let others limit you and cause you to say, no, I can’t, I won’t.”

Pat – “If I had done that, I would not be a member of this chorus today. And it’s the idea that when you treat others as you want to be treated, it comes back to a thousand fold, and it lets you then ripple that back out to others to make the world a better place. And if there’s music involved, it’s even better.”

Angela Barrett – “Right? And I like it. Yeah. I think what you guys do, I mean, music speaks to everybody. It’s, it’s a language I think of its own because everybody can relate somehow, whether it’s the music they like or they don’t like it still speaks to them. So I think what you’re doing is phenomenal. Keep doing it.”

Angela Barrett – “And, I’m excited. I want to go and, see you, and I will come to practice as a, audience member. And.”

Jacqueline – Yeah.

Angela Barrett – “I’ll catch you all there. And, I look forward to it. Thank you all for being here.”

Jamie Clair – Thank you so much.

Pat – Thank you for the opportunity.

Unknown Doo doo doo doo doo.

Jacqueline – Doo doo doo.

Unknown Do do do do do do do do do do. The edge of the beach. All the trouble. Always with stars. Why you do I feel like the dark side of my face. The me all the times. Girl is always used to me. You done sure I know I love you for the I should show I love the sound stage.

Unknown “But to jump, jump, jump, jump. From time to time the world needs you now. Know that you never, never, never have to. Your job on the job. Just don’t get it down.”

Jacqueline – The world needs you now.

Unknown “Know that you never, never, never. Yes, this is a warning. As soon as you walk through that door, everyone needs you again. The world’s gonna love. Is gonna stop your whole run down. Always gonna be your chance to keep that energy I know. Just let you feel like the end of the road. If you don’t let go. You know the just rest of the world into the hands of the bass.”

Unknown “Always know you’re always in the shadows. My here. Oh, you are in the dark. The side of the face. We all know side stand. So if you ever play the love of the show I know I love you, love you are essential to shine on the show tonight. The John show. John, John. You just don’t get you down.”

Jacqueline – The world needs you now.

Unknown “Know that you never, never. Everybody has to change our John. Good job.”

Jacqueline – Don’t get you down. The world needs you now.

Unknown “Know that you never, never, never be. Knowledge of others and Jesus reach just to save you from the stretch up in the air, from the bottom to the top to the business that give us all this is for you. You make me fearless. John, John. Strong. Don’t get you down. The world needs you now. Know that you never had a better man.”

Unknown Who would show to John. Who you. Who you and I could show up.

Unknown Every.

Jacqueline – Who?

Unknown When all the clouds suck it up the sky away. There’s a rainbow I make you leave us up. Somewhere over the rainbow. Way up. Fine. There’s a man that I love. Once in a long love. Us. Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue. And the dreams.

Jacqueline – That you dare to dream.

Unknown Really do come true. They come true. Some day I wish upon a star. And wake up. When the clouds are far behind me. Behind me.

Jacqueline – When troubles.

Unknown Have life. Let me just the way. All that you need to swear. Where you’ll find me. Somewhere there over the rainbow to earth.

Jacqueline – Up the sky.

Unknown “Over the rainbow I know I us all. The light and light is happy. Little blue bird fly me on the rainbow. Why, oh, why does oh nice. Why dress up?”

Unknown “Me be angry. You’re always changing your mind. You’re unhappy most of the time. And here’s the reason why I love you. You can’t, but you want. You don’t want it all. And if I give it to you. If you tired I love. Get to joy like a baby. You want what you want, but you want it all. After you are peace.”

Unknown “But you want yours to know. You’re always watching. Want for something. And when you get what you want, you are you know. What would you get? You know I sit up on your knees. Oh, you’re so tired of me.”

Jacqueline – Because you get what you want.

Unknown “You know what you are. You know what you are. You on your own. I hate so wishing and wanting for something. When you get what you hold, you what you want. You don’t want. What you get. What you know I sit upon your needle. Your side of me to you. You get what you wanna say. After you. You get what you want.”

Unknown You want what you want. It up. You want it up. All.

Unknown Right.

Unknown Hey.

Angela Barrett – “Thanks for hanging out with us today. And we hope you enjoyed the show. If you’d like to be a guest on the show or have a person business idea. An event that Lexington needs to know more about, email me local at. For all things lexington.com. That’s the number for y’all.”

Speaker 7 “This episode was brought to you by the real estate agents at Home Matters, building on service relationships and on what matters to you. Find out how you matter and how they can help you with buying and selling your home at home matters. Sc.com.”