Rajah News - August '21

Ill. Sir
Greg Lewis, PP
Bryan Snyder,
President
CHANTERS
Yes, indeed it has been a very long time that we have been out of the spotlight, but as things slowly get
back to “normal,” we are looking forward to singing and entertaining once again. In the meantime, we
are continuing our rehearsals and working as hard as ever to get ready to get back out there and sing for
everyone who enjoys good music and the harmonies of a corps of male voices.
Although you may have forgotten what it was like just a little over a year and half ago, the Rajah
Chanters are still going strong. In fact, we participated in a couple of events in July. We had the pleasure
of singing a Patriotic Medley along with the choir of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Kutztown on Sunday,
July 4th under the direction of Bruce Rohrbach, who also happens to be the Director and accompanist of
the Rajah Chanters.
Later that day, we rode our float through the streets of the Borough of Wyomissing to the cheers of
hundreds of on-lookers for their annual Independence Day Parade. Along the way we received several rounds of applause for
bringing our collective voices to the streets of Wyomissing.
Although there will not be a competition at the annual gathering of the Mid-Atlantic Shrine Chanters Association in Virginia
Beach this September, we will be performing, along with some of the other Shrine Chanter groups from MASA, at the Convention
center and in Rajah’s Hospitality room. We hope you will stop in and sing along with us to some of your favorite Chanters’ songs
and enjoy the camaraderie only being a Shriner can provide.
We are also excited about our own Dave DeTurk’s installation as President of MASCA and we wish him luck for a successful
year at the helm of this long-standing Association in MASA.
As conditions slowly get back to normal, we have been contacted by several adult living centers, community groups and
others. As we await firm dates from them, we continue to practice and
our President, Dwayne Miller is proud of the fact that we are ready,
willing and able to return to the stage and entertain once again.
Should you be a member of a group, association or committee
member looking for some top-notch entertainment, please get in
touch with any of the Chanters to obtain more information about our
availability.
Also, should you be interested in singing with us, we meet regularly
in the All-Purpose Room on the campus of Rajah Shrine, just get in
touch any Rajah Chanter and we’ll see that you have as much fun
singing as we do.
CONCERT BAND
The Concert Band will not be participating in the MASA Parade this year but will be entertaining in
the Sheraton Hospitality Suite. Regretfully, there were not enough musicians available. There is a similar
problem with declining membership in other Shrine bands as well. Given this fact, at MASA, the Mid-
Atlantic Shrine Band Association is planning a mass band performance along with the Chanters at the
Virginia Beach Convention Center on Friday morning at 10 a.m. in the lobby outside of the marketplace.
Hopefully, you will plan to stop by to support us.
Depending on when this article is published, the band will have performed at the Shriner’s Nite at the
Reading Phillies on August 15th. The band is looking for musicians. If you have
desire to play with our fun band, come join in. We can help you get reacquainted
with your favorite instrument. We meet on the 2nd Sunday of each month at 1 p.m.
The band is rehearsing for an upcoming party planned for Sunday, November 7th at 3 p.m. at the
Complex. Carbon Country Shrine Club will be co-hosting this event with the Concert Band. Tickets will
soon be available. It’s a family fun party. There will be fun things for the children to see and do. We hope
it will be a naked face party. I anticipate some “clowning” around. Background music will be supplied by
the German Band and the Nobleaires Dance Band.
Sorry to end on a sad note, but I would be remiss to not mention that the Black Camel has taken
another bandsman home to the celestial band. Captain Walter Levan will be missed by many of us. Thank
you, Walter, for all that you did for our bands. Job well done!
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