Members of the chorus
are raising their voices

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

The Toffey family of Bustleton has music in its blood.
Bill and Kathy Toffey met while members of the Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia.
Their oldest son, Daniel, played the trumpet at Central High School, while younger sons John and David have focused on the violin at the High School for Creative and Performing Arts.
Five years ago, Bill Toffey saw a flier seeking new members for the Sounds of Liberty Chorus. He and son John, then 14 and a veteran of a quartet in a CAPA production of The Music Man, joined the group. Two years ago, David signed up.
The trio is among 43 members of Sounds of Liberty, which is the Philadelphia chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, an all-male singing society with 30,000 members in more than 800 chapters in the United States and Canada. Bill, John and David make up the only father-son team in the chorus.
The Toffeys sing with the large group and are also three-fourths of a quartet — along with Dale Davis — called Back Four More.
They enjoy singing and each other’s company.
"It’s wonderful to be able to do this for a couple of years with my sons," Bill Toffey said.
The younger Toffeys agree.
"It’s a pretty good experience. The more you participate, the more people you know and the better you get," said David Toffey, a 17-year-old senior at CAPA. "We all lead pretty busy lives, and this is a good excuse to spend time together."
David Toffey is the youngest member of the group, while his 19-year-old brother John — a 2005 CAPA graduate — is the next youngest.
Everyone else is old enough to be their father, grandfather or even great-grandfather. Horace Dutill leads the way at 83.
The group includes such veteran members as Bill Herrmann, who has been singing for 47 years, and Bob Lally, who’s been in the chorus for 36 years.
Bill Toffey, 56, is hoping more enthusiastic young people like his sons join the group. "We’d love to have more young people," he said. "We need more young voices. It doesn’t have to be an old person’s sport."
Sounds of Liberty, led by musical director Lori Ludlum, is celebrating its 60th anniversary of entertaining audiences. It began in 1947 as the Quaker City Chorus.
The chorus adheres to the parent organization’s mission statement of "Building Better Lives through Singing" and its motto of "Keep the Whole World Singing."
Barbershop harmony is four-part, unaccompanied singing. While the central focus is entertainment, there’s also a competitive component. In fact, the California-based Westminster Chorus is competing on this summer’s version of the television show America’s Got Talent.
David Toffey is one of the lead voices, while his brother is a tenor and his dad a baritone. Davis, the fourth member of the quartet, is the bass.
While the Toffeys have the ability to read music, the group will accept anyone who can carry a tune and is willing to learn.
"It’s not confined to seasoned musicians," David Toffey said.
It helps if members of the quartet have voices that match and sound alike. "We have pretty similar voices," John said of his brother and dad.
Sounds of Liberty performs for free or at a reduced cost at hospitals and nursing homes. The chorus also produces an annual show each April and a holiday concert in December.
In addition, the group delivers singing Valentines in February and makes appearances at community events, parades and charitable functions.
The men dress in red shirts and black pants for many performances but don tuxedos, bow ties, vests and black patent leather shoes for more formal occasions. They try to connect to audiences by being demonstrative while singing.
"That suits my style," Bill Toffey said.
During the dinner hour one night last week, the chorus entertained patrons at the Uno Chicago Grill on Franklin Mills Circle. They sang such favorites as Cabaret, As Time Goes By, America the Beautiful and God Bless America. The Toffey-influenced quartet added Hello Mary Lou.
Upcoming performances are at the Holmesburg Library 100th anniversary celebration (June 20), Campbell Square in Port Richmond (Aug. 1) and Glen Foerd on the Delaware (Aug. 21). The chorus will also sing The Star-Spangled Banner on July 19 at the Camden Riversharks game and on Sept. 11 at the Phillies game.
The younger Toffeys share a favorite song, Love Letters, while their father can’t pick one.
"I like them all," he said.
John and David Toffey will have fun during the summer gigs and plan to stay with the chorus for the foreseeable future. Neither, though, plans to make it a career. John is majoring in environmental studies at Temple, while David is thinking of studying biology at Reed College in Oregon.
Mom isn’t left out of the fun and family bonding altogether.
Kathy Toffey is a member of the New Jersey Sound, a Cinnaminson-based chapter of the Sweet Adelines, a women’s barbershop harmony organization. She and her husband and sons perform together in the choir of the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill and sing Christmas carols at area nursing homes. ••
To join the Sounds of Liberty Chorus, book the group for an engagement or learn more, call 215-636-9012 or go to www.soundsofliberty.org
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com