Monthly Archives: September 2023

CINCINNATI, OH – Two of Greater Cincinnati’s most beloved male vocal ensembles are coming together for a one-of-a-kind evening of close harmony singing in Evendale. The Southern Gateway Chorus and No Promises Vocal Band proudly announce a first-ever co-bill concert, “A Night of Harmony,” September 23 & 24, 2023 at Landmark Church (1600 Glendale Milford Rd (follow Aerohub Blvd.), Cincinnati, OH 45215). The program will feature sets from both award-winning ensembles, ending in a special finale with the groups singing together. Tickets are $20 – $25 and available for purchase online: bit.ly/23SGC-Harmony-pr

Barbershop and Vocal Jazz Collide

“A Night of Harmony” will feature two men’s a cappella ensembles who share a passion for close harmony singing but whose style and repertoire come from different branches of the a cappella tree. Performing in the “barbershop” style, Southern Gateway Chorus embodies the classic four-part harmony of lead, tenor, baritone and bass.

About the collaboration, SGC Show Producer/Music Team member Gary Ellerhorst says, “The international award-winning Southern Gateway Chorus is thrilled to perform once again with No Promises Vocal Band after sharing the stage several years ago for their annual Christmas show.  Their combined talent and love of a cappella harmony makes this a dynamic duo and an event that you don’t want to miss!”

No Promises Vocal Band also looks to the past for its stylistic inspiration, modeling its sound on vocal jazz groups such as The Hi-Los and Manhattan Transfer. Their set for the collaborative concert will include selections by those groups, as well as arrangements of music by The Jackson 5, The Gaither Vocal Band and Dan Fogelberg. No Promises is a two-time “Best of Cincinnati” winner whose past concert collaborators have included the Queen City Sisters, the Northern Kentucky Brotherhood Singers and the Gem City Chorus.

Vocalist Nat Comisar has the unique perspective of having sung with both ensembles, making “A Night of Harmony” an especially exciting program for him. “It’s mind-blowing to see these two fantastic groups come together,“ says the No Promises bass, who still moonlights in a barbershop quartet. “The musicality of each of these groups is superb, but to showcase a full spectrum of male harmony styles in one night makes it truly special.”

About Southern Gateway Chorus
Formed in 1956, Southern Gateway Chorus is dedicated to singing a cappella musical arrangements done in the four-part Barbershop Harmony Style. As a competitive chorus, Southern Gateway is a perennial qualifier to the annual Barbershop Harmony Society’s International Championship, is a two-time International Champion, and has accumulated more Top 5 finishes than any other chorus in the Barbershop Harmony Society’s history.   In addition, Southern Gateway has a rich history of Quartet performers. Gold Medal international Champions “Interstate Rivals” (1987) “Keepsake” (1992) “Marquis” (1995), “Platinum” (2000) and “Old School” (2011) all have at least one voice part from the Chorus.

And notably, the 2020 International Senior Champion, “Hearsay” is comprised of singers who are ALL active SGC members!

In addition to competitions, SGC proudly produces family friendly themed shows yearly, including musical parodies— “Robin Hood: Misadventures in Sherwood Forest, “East Side/West Side Story”, and “Somewhere Over the Rhine-Bow”.

Highlighting a typical year, the Christmas season finds SGC producing an annual Holiday themed show. In addition to caroling sessions around town, the Chorus has become a regular holiday performer at St Francis Seraph Church. Southern Gateway’s most recent holiday CD offering, “Believe”  was recorded and released in 2018.

In 2022, Southern Gateway’s Aronoff performance of “A Little A Capella Music”,  presented in partnership with Cincinnati Music Theater, was selected as Best Cabaret Performance by Broadwayworld.com

Our current membership is comprised of enthusiastic amateur vocalists from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. SGC is always looking for new members  Our current rehearsal home is Bassett Hound Sound, 5633 Vine Street, Cincinnati 45216, where we rehearse on Thursdays from 7pm to 10 pm.   Our Membership contact is Dale Shoemaker— membership@southerngateway.org

About NO PROMISES
NO PROMISES is a Cincinnati-based professional a cappella ensemble bringing exhilarating vocals and breathtaking harmonizations to jazz and popular music favorites from 1940s classics to today’s jams. Citybeat “Best of Cincinnati” winners in 2017 and 2022, the group has entertained at festivals, concert series, conventions and performing arts centers throughout the state. Its members have graced the stages of Broadway, fronted major symphony orchestras, and backed the likes of Jim Messina, Steve Winwood, Kenny Loggins and POCO. In their day-to-day lives, the men of NO PROMISES are clinical psychologists, concert promoters, social workers, real estate moguls and hairdressers with a passion for fine a cappella singing.

In 2023, NO PROMISES premiered a newly commissioned work by composer Cecelia Olszewski as part of Cincinnati May Festival’s 150^th anniversary season. 2021 saw the ensemble’s debut of “The Boy Band Diaries,” a collaboration with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra featuring male vocal hits spanning the past century. The group’s numerous other collaborators and guest artist appearances have included the Gem City Chorus, the Southern Gateway Chorus, the Sycamore Community Singers, the Northern Kentucky Brotherhood Singers, the Queen City Sisters, the Three Bald Guys and the Cincinnati Collaborative Ringing Project. NO PROMISES has released three recording projects: A No Promises Christmas (2016), All Wet (2018) and The Nines (2019), as well as the pandemic-era virtual concert, NO PROMISES Saves Christmas.

The members of NO PROMISES are Joshua Steele (resident of Kennedy Heights), Kaeden Kass (Mt. Airy), David Baum (Montgomery), Jeff Grooms (Cold Spring, KY), and Nat Comisar (Indian Hill). Individual bios available at http://www.nopromisesvocalband.com/lineup/.