Catholic man sings with chorus in gratitude

In a clear voice, Neil Kennedy eagerly demonstrates his God-given talent in a rendition of "Heart of My Heart." With the same alacrity, he often carries the melody for the Uncle Sam Chorus of Troy.

President of the chorus and parishioner of St. Mary's in Ballston Spa, Mr. Kennedy is now calling for new members who want to join their vocal gifts to a worthwhile cause.

"Singing with a chorus is really fun and quite easy," he noted, when asked about the difficulty of singing "a cappella" or without musical accompaniment.

"Often people will come up to me after a performance and praise our singing. I always invite them to join us but the many responses people use to turn down my invitations include such statements as, 'Oh, you should hear me sing,' 'I can't sing on key,' or 'I could never keep up with you guys.'

"But I always tell them that if they've ever sung 'Happy Birthday' to anyone, then they could sing with us. It's that simple," he said.

Two gifts

His own voice may be a blessing from God, but Mr. Kennedy considers his second chance at life to be especially providential.

"I had phlebitis as a kid, and when I was 12 we went to the St. Jude shrine at Schodack Landing to pray for a cure," he recalled. Soon after, his mother read a newspaper account of a doctor in New York who was trying a new treatment. The cost was out of reach for the family, but the doctor volunteered to skip the charge.

Mr. Kennedy was soon better thanks, in his eyes, to grace and human intercession.

"They said I was supposed to die at seven, then 10, then at 18," he says.

So when he sings, whether with the chorus or at church, he feels close to God. "And at Mass, when I receive Communion, I always say a prayer to St. Jude." The saint is the patron of lost or hopeless causes.

Mr. Kennedy has been singing with the Uncle Sam Chorus for nearly 17 years, almost from its founding. The group consists of 19 men that sing in harmony using bass, tenor, baritone and lead voices. Mr. Kennedy said that all they ever ask of any new member is to sing the musical scale or a few notes from a favorite song, so "we can put him in the right section for his voice range."

Patriotic presence

The group sings in local parades throughout the Capital Region and New England, 15 in all last year. They also perform at special functions such as former New York State Governor George Pataki's inauguration in 1995, church events, summer presentations in parks and other patriotic activities.

Each year the men also ride their patriotic float and sing for the large crowd that attends Troy's annual Flag Day parade, the largest patriotic Flag Day parade in the country.

"We always get a wonderful response from the people there," Mr. Kennedy noted.

Monies they receive for appearing at any function go towards the purchase of uniforms for their members and maintenance of their equipment.

Samuel Wilson (1766 - 1854) was a Troy meat-packer who supplied the U.S. Army with beef during the War of 1812. The meat was shipped in barrels branded with the initials "U.S.", to signify government property, but teamsters and soldiers joked that the initials referred to "Uncle Sam" Wilson, the supplier.

New voices

Though the group's reputation is growing beyond the area in recent years, its ranks need fresh recruits.

"We are looking for new members. Some of our members are aging and that means less voices. You might say we are looking for a few good men," Mr. Kennedy said. Requirements for membership are few.

"Basically, all a man needs to join our group is the desire to sing with a group of men. He doesn't need to be an opera singer. He doesn't have to read music. We never make anyone audition. It doesn't cost a thing to join, our uniforms are supplied by the group," he noted.

"The physical requirements are also pretty easy. The man must be able to carry light musical notes part way across a room and he must be able to actually see the music director," he added with a laugh.

Each year they participate in two regional barbershop chorus competitions. Mr. Kennedy said they have won several times in the small chorus competition, twice beating out larger choruses. Voice aside, Mr. Kennedy's colorful persona may help draw new members. "'A real character,' that's what they say about me."

(Membership in the Uncle Sam Chorus is free and open to any man interested in singing. Call Neil Kennedy at 885-4517. Their website, www.unclesamchorus.com, also provides information. Each year the Uncle Sam Chorus offers a scholarship to graduating students from Catholic Central High School in Troy and Troy Public High School who plan to major in music in college.)

(08/14/08)