The Nittany Knights Barbershop Chorus has brought the uniquely American barbershop tradition to Happy Valley for the past six decades. On May 13, under the leadership of Musical Director Graham Sanders, they will bring their sound to The State Theatre after the pandemic forced the group off the stage for a three-year hiatus.
An accomplished opera singer, Sanders has performed classic roles throughout Europe and Asia. His background includes roles in works by composers such as Wagner, Verdi, and Beethoven.
“He’s a true musician who understands the science behind it,” says Knights member Mark Ciletti.
Sanders describes the Knights as “a hard-working group, in love with song, and very loyal.”
He says, “Everyone finds their niche here. We have all different levels musically. I’m looking forward to a clean performance and an entertained audience.”
“The theme of the upcoming show is ‘We’re Back in Business,’” according to lead singer Selden Smith, who has sung with the Knights for nine years. The Steven Sondheim tune “Back in Business” comes from the 1990 film Dick Tracy.
A group of young vocalists from Quinton Township, New Jersey, The Quin-Tones, will join the Knights on May 13. The quartet of college students took the 2019 junior championship in Nashville, Tennessee.
“These amazing young performers first got together in junior high,” according to Ciletti, “and they’re all studying music in college.”
The Knights promise an evening of not only nostalgia, with classic standards and Broadway tunes, but also contemporary pieces in the mix as well.
“You can expect some rock tunes,” says Smith, “maybe songs by Queen or the Mamas and the Papas.”
The group of roughly twenty-five men create the a cappella sound closely associated with the vocal art form. The lead singers carry the melody, while tenors, basses, and baritones sing above and below the melody. This creates a harmonious sound where the listener hears four tones to each note.
“Barbershop is one of the few truly American art forms,” says Terry Roof. A bass singer, Roof joined the Knights about ten years ago.
As the name suggests, the barbershop style originated in barber shops where men would pass the time by singing various songs of the day. The 1938 movement known as The Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing In America bolstered interest in the form, while reaching out to singers throughout the country. Currently, the national organization goes by the simpler name of the Barbershop Harmony Society.
“Now there are at least 20,000 members nationally,” Smith says, “and Nittany Knights are the local chapter.”
Knights singers range in age from 19 to 80, according to Roof. “We cover all decades,” he says. The love of music and the joy of singing bonds the group.
Ciletti and his tenor voice joined the group 15 years ago. He refers to the group as a “brotherhood.”
“The practice sessions always put me in a good mood,” Ciletti states. “The singing just makes you happier.”
Rehearsals take place the first Monday of each month at South Hills School of Business & Technology in State College. At six o’clock in the evening, anyone can join the group for pizza, drinks, and snacks, and then stay to watch the rehearsal. From time to time, guests have become Knights members after experiencing the fun and music.
Members have come to the group from a variety of experiences and backgrounds. Their ranks include a butcher, a pharmacist, a policeman, a teacher, and a B&B proprietor, among others. All live in central Pennsylvania and have a passion for harmonic vocals.
Pittsburgh native Bill Drosnes sings baritone and recalls a childhood memory of riding in the car as a four-year-old and singing with his brother. “I would sing a falsetto,” he says, hitting the high pitches of Sweet Adeline.
Drosnes joined at the encouragement of charter member Elton Atwater, described by Drosnes as his “Man of Notes.”
“The Man of Notes more or less sponsors a new member,” he explains.
“And Bill was my Man of Notes,” adds Smith, referring to Drosnes, “It was about twenty-two years ago, and I was at a bonfire. There was a kid with a guitar, and we were all singing. Later on, Bill contacted me, wondering how I knew all these old songs. I told him that I had old parents!”
A home filled with music contributed to Ciletti’s desire to join the Knights.
“My father took me to see the Buffalo Bills,” he recalls of the legendary barbershop quartet of 1947 to 1967. “Then I watched them as the quartet in The Music Man. I’ve always been attracted to four-part harmony.”
Fifty years later, he attended a Nittany Knights performance, heard those harmonies, and decided to join up.
Roof added his voice to the chorus after a forty-five-year break from barbershop singing. “I sang in high school,” says the Indiana, Pennsylvania, native. “Then I sang in the Grace Lutheran Church choir. Several Grace members are in the chorus, and they recruited me.”
Historically, the Knights have performed in local retirement homes, where residents welcome the nostalgic sound and timeless songs.
“It’s a warm feeling when you sing and look out to see a resident appearing to be asleep,” Citelli says, “but then you look again and notice they’re tapping their foot or maybe mouthing the lyrics.”
Drosnes agrees, adding, “It’s hard to walk away from a show when you see something like that.”
With their nonprofit status, Nittany Knights do two important fundraisers annually. In addition to the May 13 show at The State Theatre, they sell singing Valentines. As the term suggests, the purchaser pays for Knights to serenade their date. Selections include sentimental standards like “Let Me Call You Sweetheart,” “I Love You Truly,” and “Heart of My Heart.”
“I’m so grateful to see someone’s eyes light up,” Roof says, “It’s uplifting and just a happy experience.”
The Knights fully expect the heartwarming nature of their work to fill The State Theatre on May 13 at 7:30 p.m. Go to thestatetheatre.org for tickets and more information. T&G
Anne Dyer Walker is a Bellefonte freelance writer.
