Local Life

Retro RFH Singers’ Song

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  • RFH Freshman Chorus in 1976. Photo/RFH yearbook
  • RFH Tower Singers entertain at the annual winter concert circa 1976. Photo/RFH yearbook
  • The RFH Tower Madrigals entertain at the annual Winter Concert circa 1976.

It’s that time of the year when the Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School Tower Singers sing — in concert. The Tower Singers are singing this year, of course. There will be the usual high school winter concert. But, their first gig this year will be in touring fashion to the town next door, Red Bank, on Saturday at 12:15 p.m. at Garmany.

Tower Singers sing at various places. In fact, the group is usually also featured at the Rumson tree lightings and wherever else the call for a little song is heard and heeded. Tower Singers of this era sing in concert, school and area functions, and even festivals.

Things were different for RFH singers back in the day, though. While the enthusiasm has remained on pitch in hitting that high note, the number of singers at RFH has dwindled over the years.

In our Retro Pic(s) of the Day, we take you back to the 1970s when there were three choruses at RFH, each of which was quite large: the Freshmen Chorus, Tower Singers and Tower Madrigals.

The RFH Freshmen Chorus welcomed any freshmen interested in singing the scales and entertaining in concert. The Tower Singers did the same for any students with a penchant for carrying a few tunes and serenading RFH concert-goers. Both of those groups were open to all without audition.

But, in order to sing with the Tower Madrigals, an audition was required. Those singers were considered the cream of the RFH singing crop — or something like that. They were very finely tuned. Many of the Madrigals went on to sing with what was then called All-Shore Chorus, All-State Chorus and/or the prestigious America’s Youth in Concert, which toured Europe with high school singers from all over the United States.

And, around the holidays, there was always a winter concert, of course, which featured all choruses separately as well as the instrumental groups. The highlight of those winter concerts, though, was quite a moving one with it’s closing number featuring the orchestra and all singers on stage for the Hallelujah Chorus. Before the start of the song, all RFH alumnus singers present in the audience were invited to come to the stage and sing.

What a moment it was. Anyone remember?

Recognize any of these RFH singers?

— Elaine Van Develde