Sixty-five Years of Fun and Magic
On Saturday, November 22, 2025, the South Shore A Cappella Chorus (affectionately known as the South Shore Saints) celebrated its landmark 65-year Anniversary - A Journey Through Time - one of its most successful in recent memory.
Several factors likely contributed to the success:
1) The chorus secured Roulette as its guest quartet, well before they had been crowned Harmony Queens in 2024.
2) It hosted the Harmony eXplosion camp sponsored by the Northeastern District (NED) of the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) for the first time ever in Quebec, at Saint-Lamberts International High School on the South Shore.
3) The chorus made a skillful jujutsu move, turning the tense US-Canada relations into an opportunity to take time off from competing at NED conventions, to focus on our annual show.
4) Three new members - Robert Lepage (baritone), Michel Girard (Bass), and Eugène Delgage (Lead) - learned all 12 shows songs within the last few months up to the annual show.
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At 7:30 pm on the day of the show, we heard the warm and familiar voice of Rebecca Ugolini, Producer of Daybreak Montreal and our Master of Ceremonies (MC) kicking off the evening.
After recounting when I first called into her radio show to share my favourite hobby in early 2023, and sharing her thoughts about what made the chorus so impressive in a story she later aired on Daybreak, she delivered a graceful tribute to prominent members of the chorus who had recently passed away, and for which the chorus had raised funds to have their names memorialized on plaques at the BHS Headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee.
Once the curtains opened, Alan Briand, our director, stepped onto the stage to a big applause. Turning quickly around, he pitched the key for our first song, Alexander’s Ragtime Band, and then silently mouthed the first words “Have you heard?” with his warm and mischievous smile. We were off and running.
South Shore A Cappella Chorus (aka South Shore Saints)
Time flew by. Across the first and second halves, we showed how the chorus had evolved over the years: 1) the “squareness” of the sound and look in the 1970s; 2) the “Irish” craze in the 1980s; 3) discovering French songs in the 1990s; 4) moving toward pop songs in the 2000s; and 5) adopting various styles in the 2020s.
In between songs from each “era”, the chapter quartets delivered their songs. They appeared to have benefitted from the time to focus on their show songs without worrying about competitions.
Recycled Parts
4Give n 4Get
Harmony Men
Roulette performed their song sets in each half while we sat listening backstage. We were treated to a dazzling display of four-part harmony, with tongue-in-cheek jokes that lightened up the show and had the audience cheering loudly after each song.
Roulette - second act
When we had finished our penultimate song, Operator, a version arranged by William "Don" Gillespie (one of the original charter members of the chorus and the last to pass away in 2024) and generously gifted to the chorus by his wife Cathy Gillespie last year at a barbecue celebrating his life, we found ourselves basking in a standing ovation, much as we did in 2024 – a thrilling end to a momentous occasion.
The most poignant moment of the evening came last. When Roger Menard, the President of the NED, came on stage to present our director with a pin commemorating 50 years with the chorus, I could not help but feel for him as he teared up on stage.
Alan Briand with Roger Menard
Morgan LaCroix of Roulette Directing Keep the Whole World Singing
Finally, we concluded the evening with the penultimate song of every barbershop chorus, Keep the Whole World Singing, directed by Morgan Hayes LaCroix of Roulette, who has done wonders for us as a long-time song interpretation coach.
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What awaits us in the future? Like every other activity worth pursuing, barbershop singing continues to evolve over time, and so must we.
The chorus changed its identity this summer by renaming itself the South Shore A Cappella Chorus, to improve our prospects for recruiting members. It remains to be seen how this plays out.
Regardless, we will continue to experiment with new sounds and singing styles, while staying true to the fundamentals that make barbershop style unique. Doing so will ensure that we will stay relevant and always have fun!
Note: Photos courtesy of Adelinde Tauchner and Michelle Briand
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