These Olathe singers cover wide range of songs with harmony and heart
Barbershop singing encompasses a lot more than “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” Or “By the Old Mill Stream,” and the men of the Trails West Chorus have embraced all its harmonies over 25 years.
The chorus, which is recognized by the Barbershop Harmony Society, sings some larger concerts but also breaks into smaller groups for other occasions. Sometimes, it’s a lighthearted one, like when they hire out as quartets to do singing valentines.
After doing 25 or 30 singing valentine performances in a two-day period, Dale Ellis couldn’t help but get close with his fellow singers, chatting about nearly everything between performances — except politics.
Ellis, an Overland Park resident, discovered a love of barbershop in junior high. He didn’t find his way back to it until about 20 years ago, after his kids had graduated from high school, when a friend told him about Trails West.
“I really like barbershop music a lot, the harmonies, the chord structure. I like the fact that most of the songs are happy songs or songs about love or good feeling. They’re all just really wonderful songs to sing,” Ellis said.
Olathe resident Wayne Philipp got started in barbershop singing back in the 1960s while living in Iowa, and he’s been a member of Trails West since it started 25 years ago. The group meets weekly in Olathe.
Sometimes, the occasion is somber.
“I think some of the most emotional times are when I’ve had to sing at funerals with the group. That’s usually for one of our barbershop brethren that have passed away,” Philipp said. “For me especially, I’ve known all these guys the whole time they were with us.”
The chorus lost two of its members last month, including one of its charter members.
There are always new people of different ages joining the non-audition group.
Lenexa resident Blake Traylor found barbershop singing in high school. His school group even sang with Trails West at some point. After college, he joined Trails West four years ago at the invitation of his dad, also a singer in the chorus.
“I’ve never been much of a solo singer, but when you’re in a quartet, you’re the only one singing your part, but you’re not by yourself,” Traylor said.
Traylor said he likes the classic barbershop harmonies but enjoys that the chorus has expanded to sing those harmonies in songs that are not traditionally considered barbershop.
At a recent rehearsal, they worked through songs such as Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up” and the spiritual “Go Down Moses.”
Ellis credits musical director Randy Schott for helping them stretch their voices into different parts and promoting a diverse selection of music.
“Because he’s able to direct us, and there’s good development. He attracts (new) voices,” Ellis said.
Schott said he looks for pieces that are both well-arranged and challenging for the chorus. He works with the chorus members to do warm-ups for everyone in the different registers: tenor, bass and baritone.
“When people think of barbershop, there’s oftentimes an assumption we’re going to hear this kind of song form and harmonization and presentation of the performance,” he said.
He said their diverse repertoire both within and outside traditional barbershop music helps the chorus attract a wider audience. To hire quartets from Trails West Chorus for singing valentines, visit their website, trailswestbarbershoppers.com. Their next big concert will be at 7 p.m. on May 2 and 2 p.m. on May 3 at the Colonial Presbyterian Church in Overland Park.
