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Dfi'rbam\\ - ibb'siz'iifiég ll Steam - snowman 905-642-51 1 1 0 3M Scotchuuard 0 UPHOLSTERY Here and Now Quartet members Linda Morrison (from left), Martha DeClerq and Stephanie Foley practise 'with their chorus. Ms Foley is curator of the Whitchurch-Stouflville Museum. Missing is Nancy Watson. They’ve qualified for an international event in Seattle next month. STAFF PHOTOISUSIE KOCKERSCHEIDT By day, Stephanie Foley is the caretaker of Wtchumh-Stouflville’s history. By night, she is dancing across the stage and belting out bar- bershop songs as part of the Here n and Now quartet andYork Highlands Chorus. PEOPLE: Sings way to Seattle “I love performing. It’s very dif- ferent than the job I have at the museum. It’s a totally different side of me," said Ms Foley who is the Whitchurch-Stouffirille Museum’s curator. “I'm not myself. I take on whatever character I’m trying to por- tray on stage. It’s usually somebody way more outgoing then me." She joined the York Highlands Chomsin2000afierseeinganadin the paper recruiting singers. A few later, four women, including, Ms Foley branched out to form the barbershop quartet Here and Now. “People think of men when they hear barbershop," said lead singer Martha DeClerq. “It's basically a four- part a capella harmony. As women, the chords are higher and there is a brightness in our voice." Curator gets kicks with barbershoppers Another difference between a tra- BY SANDRA BOLAN sbolan@yrmg.com ditional barbershop quartet and the Here and Now vocalists is the addi- tion of a fifth note. whexe the music only teadgfpm notes to a chord. “The fifih note makes the chord ring," Ms DeClerq said. “When the hairs on your arms stick up, it’s a good sound. That’s what we aim for." And it’s these bright voices that create harmonic sounds. “Usually, it’s the instrument that creates the harmony with the sing- er,” Ms DeClenq said. “We create har- mony with our voices. We cneate the instrument sound.” Arrangers are creating four-part harmonies for songs in different genres, such as jazz, swing, pop and rock. Any s'ong can be done in four- parthannonyMsDeQetqsaicL “We sing a lot of songs people already know, like The Beades," she said. “Sometimes we change lyrics in older songs. We want to attract younger voices." Ms Foley, who hails from South Carolina, grew up surrounded by music and dance. Her mother was a piano teacher and Ms Foley was a ballet dancer. She was working towards a career in dance â€"- either on stage or as a choreographer while in high school, but then she dislocated her knee. She turned to the school’s show choir. which blended dance and song. SOUTH CAROLINA NATIVE In university, Ms Foley con- tinued to sing in a choir. When she graduated, singing took a backseat to her career. Ms Foley’s career as a curator started. in university. She has an undergraduate degree in American history from Furman University in Greenville, S.C. She went on to get a master's degree in American history with a certificate in museum man- agement from the College othlliam and Mary and the Colonial Williams- burg Foundation. Ks part of the program, students had to complete internships at W1]- liamsburg. u “Thatfeafly got me excited. I think I could stay interested in making a career out of this." she said. “I had a calling for history. I love myjob at the museum.” When not sifting through byâ€"gone eras. Ms Foley and the other mem~ bers of Here and Now teach har- mony singing to you_ng_ wqgngn: _‘ _ Their quartet and the York High- land Chorus are part of Sweet Ade- lines International, a non-profit association with more than 25,000 members worldwide. In April, the quartet won the regional title for northern New York and southern Ontario. They’ll travel to the interna- tionals in Seattle next month. For more information, go to www. yorkhighlands.coml default.html and wwwsweemdgunemaorg with files fmrh AmndaPersim