Turn off the music. Turn on the heat. Tune in the Lehigh Valley Harmonizers who, for more than six decades, have been serving the community with a cappella arrangements in the barbershop style. Their outreach of bringing a song to every heart ranges from youth contests to nursing homes and community events such as Musikfest. They put Steven Tyler to shame if you've ever heard their rendition of the National Anthem at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown. Their message is loud and clear at this time of year when they perform as quartets for their annual fundraiser as "Singing Valentines."

"Ninety-nine percent of the time, we're well received," said Steve Adams of Schnecksville, who's been singing bass with the Harmonizers for about 15 years and serves as treasurer. "Then there are those few who show disbelief in being the designated recipient of a loving message."

And, yes, many a quartet has even served as a backdrop to marriage proposals.

Adams also sings with two of the Harmonizers' in-house quartets, Common Ground and Easy Choice. In the past, he serenaded a teary-eyed, elderly couple at their home who sat on a couch and held hands.

"We had tears in our eyes, too," Adams recalled.

Another time, he sang to a blind woman in a nursing home whose lips moved to the words.

"She was obviously so taken by it. Things like that, they stick with you," Adams said.

He's even gone into a refrigerated warehouse and sung to a foreman.

"His co-workers knew about it in advance," he explained, "because they surrounded us with their forklifts and honked their horns. Our recipient was so red."

Adams, who is semi-retired, is accounting manager for the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor in Easton.

"Being a part of the Harmonizers is a big commitment, but I love to sing and love singing well," he said. "I only really learned to sing in the Harmonizers. It's been a blast!"

The Lehigh Valley Harmonizers is a chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society (formerly known as the worldwide Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America). The group competes annually within the Mid-Atlantic District of the Barbershop Harmony Society and attends its national conventions. Rehearsals are held weekly (Tuesdays) at 7:30 p.m., under the direction of Mike Feyrer, at the Banko Family Community Center at the Lehigh Valley Health Network, Muhlenberg campus, Bethlehem. Men of all ages are encouraged to join the chorus. Reading music is not a requirement. Genres of music include ballads, anthems, Broadway, working songs, and gospel.

The youth outreach of the Harmonizers is strong and generates enthusiasm among high school and college quartets and ensembles in a cappella singing. The best reward is the fun of learning from one another. The most recent public performance by the Harmonizers was this past December in their first "Holiday Harmonies" concert at Moravian College's Foy Hall. They shared the stage with the a cappella groups Bel Canto Dalle Stelle from Northampton Community College, the Treble Makers from Northern Lehigh High School, and the WAHS Chorale from William Allen High School.

Young voices of the area will come together under the sponsorship of the Lehigh Valley Harmonizers on Sun., Feb. 5 at 2 p.m., for the annual Youth Quartet Contest at Northampton Community College. Featured performers will represent Phillipsburg High School, William Allen High School, and Northampton Community College. Coaching and evaluation sessions will be conducted, performances held, and monetary prizes awarded to school music programs.

In addition to the student winners visiting area high schools, they will perform at the Harmonizers' annual spring show May 11 and 12 at Foy Hall. Adams described the event as "a take-off of 'The Ed Sullivan Show,'" based on music featured on the 1950s and 1960s TV program. The visiting quartet for the May show will be 'Round Midnight, comprised of music educators from the New York City area. Adams said plans are for the quartet to visit area high schools earlier in the day and work with music students.

"We want to spur young people's interest in music," Adams said. "No question, that in the last few years there has been a bit of resurgence where kids are forming (singing) groups of their own," he added, attributing the fact to the popularity of such TV shows as "Glee," "The Sing-Off" and "American Idol."

For further info: lvharmonizers.com

Arts Roundup:

The male a cappella chorus, Cantus, will perform Thursday, Feb. 9 at 8 p.m., at the Williams Center for the Arts at Lafayette College in Easton, as part of the 2012 "On the Shoulders of Giants" tour. Choral works performed by Cantus range from Renaissance masters to 19^th Century Schubert, Mendelssohn, Grieg and Wagner, and contemporary composers Zoltan Kodaly, Randall Thompson and pop masters Paul Simon and John Lennon/Paul McCartney.

For further info: williamscenter.lafayette.edu

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It may not be snowing, but the sixth annual SnowBlast Winter Festival presented by the Emmaus Arts Commission kicks off on Fri., Feb. 3 at 5 p.m., at the Triangle Park in Emmaus, Lehigh Co. On hand will be the SnowBlast Ice Princess, ice sculptors in action, and the Emmaus Main Street Partners' Ice Bar. The event continues through Saturday with an art show and sale at the Clock Building, 320 Main St., with jazz music and a special performance by the Emmaus High School a cappella group, Fermata Nowhere. Cedar Crest College art students will be on hand with their C.R.E.A.T.E. (Community Related Experiences in Art Through Engagement) Book Cart. Saturday activities are scheduled at the Clock Building and the Emmaus Public Library.

For further info: emmausarts.org

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