Livingston Lamplighters Relaunch as Family Chorus

After a 15-month COVID hiatus, the Livingston Lamplighters have relaunched as the Livingston Lamplighters Family Chorus. Formerly an all-male barbershop group, they now welcome all men, women and youth who love to sing.

During the forced break the chorus lost one member to COVID-19, plus four other members to natural causes, according to Scott Turner, Lamplighters President. This was nearly 20% of the chorus, an emotional blow that depleted the membership during a time when it was impossible to rebuild. “The pandemic was creating a new and very different world, and we knew we would have to adapt to thrive,” he said. “In our planning, we called it Lamplighters 2.0.”

The Lamplighters actually began admitting women into their membership in late 2019, shortly after the Barbershop Harmony Society changed their rules to allow local chapters to do so. The first few members to join were family members of current Lamplighters. “We were made to feel welcome from the beginning,” said Jenna Hoyer, one of the pioneers and now Vice President of Membership Development.

From March 2020 until June 2021 the chorus kept in touch through occasional Zoom meetings, and they even recorded one virtual performance, according to Turner. They resumed in-person rehearsals in June at the home of one of the members. In September, they were able to return to their previous meeting space at The Well Church in Brighton and re-launched as the Livingston Lamplighters Family Chorus. The acapella chorus has enjoyed an influx of new singers which has created much greater diversity – at a typical rehearsal around half of the singers are women and youth.

The chorus has also broadened their repertoire, says Director Jason Hall. They still sing traditional barbershop songs, but they have added more current songs that appeal to all age groups. “We’re currently working on a custom arrangement of Johnny B. Good,” said Hall, “and our Christmas song list includes Slow Rockin’ Christmas in addition to the classic Christmas songs.”

Turner said the relaunch allows the Lamplighters to continue their tradition of charitable community involvement. In the past, the chorus has provided Thanksgiving dinners to more than 100 military veterans and their families each year. “We are looking forward to singing in support of a variety of local charitable organizations as conditions permit,” he said.

Hall said that the combination of long-standing members and talented new singers is producing a unique sound and a new level of energy. “We’ve had a lot of fun at rehearsals blending the old and new voices,” he said. The chorus hopes to perform their annual Christmas concert series at area senior assisted living centers this December.

The chorus welcomes visitors at their rehearsals on Mondays, 7-9pm at The Well Church in Brighton. More information is available on their Facebook page or https://www.livingstonlamplighters.com.