As the lights flood the wood floor of the stage, a single voice calls out to the audience:
“Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've waited for.”
From there, clusters of voices begin to sing out, building a rolling progression of harmonies. A familiar tune – the opening track from the film, “The Greatest Showman” commences:
“We light it up, we won't come down, and the walls can't stop us now watchin' it come true, it's takin' over you. Oh, this is the greatest show!”
Helena’s Xpress Singers, a member chorus of Sweet Adelines International, has a long and vibrant history of entertaining and spreading the joy of music throughout the Helena community.
The 40-member women’s chorus will celebrate 50 years of harmony in Helena with their greatest show yet. Their “Life in the Xpress Lane” concert will take place on Saturday, April 20, at 4 p.m. in the Helena Middle School auditorium.
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“Who we are are active people in our community and friends that enjoy being together and making music,” said Shelly Pardis, the current musical director for the Helena Xpress Singers.
Chartered with the Sweet Adelines International in July 1974, the Xpress Singers originally called themselves the “Sleeping Giant Chorus” or “Acapella Jubilee Express.” The 17 original charter members began the choir’s tradition of singing in a cappella in the barbershop style with a four-part harmony – bass, baritone, tenor and lead.
Barbershop is considered one of the truly American art forms, with roots going back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. The style was open mainly to male singers through 1945 when Sweet Adelines International was founded for women’s voices. The group borrows its name from an old barbershop standard, “Sweet Adeline.”
Over the past 50 years, the Xpress Singers have become as entwined with the Helena community as the four parts of their musical harmonies.
From singing "The Star-Spangled Banner” at sporting events and entertaining residents at nursing homes to performing flash mobs on the Downtown Walking Mall and free Christmas concerts, no event is off limits to a bit of livening up from some harmonizing.
“Performing for our Helena community and different community events is a core value of our chorus and just being an active member of community,” said Pardis, who took over as the musical director in January 2023 and has been part of the Xpress Singers for 27 years.
“I came for the music,” said Pardis of why she originally joined the choir.
But what the choir ended up giving her was so much more.
“It’s really the relationships and special people part of group that are so important to me and that bring me so much joy,” Pardis said. “I just love the closeness and support for each other, and from the director perspective, I love teaching and seeing the growth.”
Pardis shared that she has been a singer for most of her life but was first introduced to a cappella and barbershop music while attending middle school in Missoula. Her choir teacher, Candy Johnson, not only taught Pardis and her classmates about the musical styles but also gave her a ticket to go see a performance in the style she was learning.
“Oh, that looks fun,” said Pardis of her reaction as a young girl to the a cappella/barbershop style of music.
As director, Pardis now has a front-row seat to the true beauty of the harmonies produced by the singers.
“The harmonies are just so beautiful and there’s a visceral feeling when chords line up and you can get that ringing feeling when it’s just through the voice,” she said.
“It gives you that goosebumps feeling,” said Pardis.
For Karlee Smith, the baritone section leader of the Xpress Singers and business chair for their 50th anniversary concert, her love for music and singing also started from an early age. She sang in her church choir and her mother played the organ.
“I wish I would’ve started way sooner because it’s so much fun,” said Smith, who joined in 2015 after retiring.
“It’s a really a great group,” said Smith. “Everybody loves to laugh, and you never go to rehearsals without hearing laughter.”
In the nine years that Smith has been part of the choir, she has gained even more from the group than she has contributed to it.
“The most rewarding piece for me is realizing that I can do this and the confidence that I’ve built over years I’ve been involved,” said Smith. “I’ve realized that everyone has a voice, and everyone can sing.”
Linda Wulf is the most veteran member of the choir, having been part of the group since 1973, the year prior to it getting chartered.
“The people and the music are so rewarding,” said Wulf. “The group itself is very friendly and kinda like a family. The members change over years but we’re a pretty close-knit group.”
For Wulf the decision to remain with the choir for over 50 years comes down to a matter of constancy and having sung with the group for more years than she hasn’t.
“I’ve been doing it so long that I don’t know how to quit,” said Wulf.
Both Pardis and Smith indicated that the Xpress Singers’ upcoming 50th anniversary concert will be unlike anything they’ve done before.
“We wanted to celebrate who we are as a chorus and who we are as a community,” Pardis said.
Brainstorming and initial planning for the event started upward of a year ago.
According to Pardis, there will be a strong theatrical element to the concert. One of the choir’s newer members, Mackenzie Jones, is actively involved in Grandstreet Theatre and has served as the artistic director behind the concert.
In addition to the Xpress Singers, there will also be several guest appearances, including performances from the Capital High School Jazz Choir, Last Chance Barbershop Chorus, and previous winners of both the Youth Talent Search and Young Stars Talent Search competitions that the Xpress Singers host yearly.
While some people may be turned off by the idea of a concert seemingly comprised of only barbershop music, Pardis and Smith assure that there will be a wide variety of songs. From classical barbershop numbers like “There’s a Fine, Fine Line,” from the musical “Avenue Q,” to contemporary songs like, “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, “Best Day of My Life” by American Authors, and “The Greatest Show” from the film “The Greatest Showman,” there will be music for everyone to enjoy.
Following the concert at Helena Middle School, an Afterglow celebration will be held at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Helena Colonial beginning at 6:30 p.m. The event will feature a Mexican buffet and a fun-filled program, including a slideshow of videos and photos documenting the Xpress Singers’ history, an open mic for people to perform, and the return of previous directors and members of the choir.
For 50 years, the Helena Xpress Singers have built their musical legacy on community, camaraderie and confidence. Their anniversary concert on Saturday aims to celebrate all that and more.
“I just encourage people to come and celebrate with us,” said Smith. “We put a lot of work into the show, and we’re excited to share that with everybody.”
“It’s a great opportunity to really celebrate who the Helena Xpress Singers are in the Helena community and acknowledge that connection,” said Pardis. “It’s gonna be great entertainment. It’s going to be a really exciting show with lots of variety and guests performing with us. People don’t want to miss it.”
Lacey Middlestead is a Carroll College graduate and has been freelance writing for the past 14 years for the Independent Record, various regional publications, and local marketing agencies. Contact her at laceymiddlestead.com.