Bedford resident Paul Wiggin rarely raises his voice – except in song. And he’s been doing that for almost eight decades. Part of the time, his youthful lyric tenor is put to the service of the nearly 40-year old organization he founded, MUSE, Inc. (which stands for Music for Shut-In Elders). The non-profit organization serves 100 towns around Greater Boston, sending classically trained vocalists into nursing homes, adult day care facilities and retirement communities to bring comfort and delight to the elderly.
But Wiggin’s other major musical commitment is with the Boston Saengerfest Men’s Chorus, and on April 7, Wiggin will lend his voice to a project that very deliberately courts the other end of the age spectrum. For a special concert called “Boyz to Men,” he and the roughly 70 men of the chorus join together with teens from the Natick High School Men’s Choir, the Boston Children’s Chorus Young Men’s Ensemble, and two groups from Worcester Polytechnic Institute — the WPI Men’s Glee Club and the a cappella ensemble Simple Harmonic Motion. Each group will be showcased separately before joining together as a single massed choir of more than 150 male voices.
The concert offers intergenerational synergy at its most positive. Rarely do teen boys immersed in school work, sports and other extracurricular activities have the opportunity to mix it up on equal footing with men old enough to be their grandfathers. And the mean age of the Saengerfest chorus is 69, with the majority of singers over 60 years old. Two-thirds of them are retired professionals, many of whom have been singing avocationally since childhood. At an age when many men start to experience increased isolation, the dedicated choristers of Saengerfest enjoy the esprit de corps of rehearing together each week and performing in four to five concerts every year.
The special “Boyz to Men” project fits beautifully with the mission of Saengerfest, which not only has a devoted local following but has toured extensively in Canada and Great Britain. The ensemble’s motto is “…we perform to help others, we sing to help ourselves.” To that end, the 21-year-old group has raised funds for numerous charities around New England. But also crucial to Saengerfest’s goals is musical outreach and inspiration, and that’s where “Boyz to Men” comes in. This will be the third annual concert in which the veterans welcome members of the younger generation to share the stage with them as part of its vision to create opportunities for young men to share their unique sound with a larger public. Saengerfest’s president, Tim Borchers, says the idea also is to share the artistry, the camaraderie, and the rejuvenating power of singing. “We hope we’re going to rub off a little bit on these young men and they’ll realize making music of this high quality is something they can be doing all their lives.”
Wiggin is a perfect example of that philosophy. He started singing in kindergarten, when he instinctively started harmonizing to some of the simple familiar tunes. “I almost got arrested for singing the wrong melody,” he recalls with a chuckle. But he continued singing throughout grammar and high school in Newton, going on to study both the technical and spiritual sides of singing.
When Wiggin ended up at Andover Newton Theological School, studying to be a minister, one of his teachers asked, “What do you want to be doing in ten years, singing or preaching?” Realizing music might be his best venue for “serving others,” Wiggin began crafting a life as a performer, soloing at Brookline’s Temple Sinai and Newton’s Union Church and Temple Shalom.
In 1973, Wiggin had a major epiphany while, as a favor for a friend, he sang at a Newton nursing home. During his interactive program, one woman became especially animated, jumping to her feet to contribute ideas for making up a song and singing enthusiastically. Wiggin later was told the woman hadn’t spoken for six months, but his music had opened a pathway for communication for her. Wiggin found his calling, and he hasn’t looked back.
With its commitment to “sing to help others,” Saengerfest has offered Wiggin another venue for his calling. He says, “It has helped me serve others. You realize your gift is a way of saying thank you. It’s a living in the fullest sense of the word.”
But he also simply delights in the act of singing. “I just love to shape the sound and express the message of the lyrics,” he says. And if there’s one thing he would love to impart to the young men who join Saengerfest onstage April 7, it’s to always embrace that pure joy of making music and sharing it with others. He adds, “Music is a way of life fulfillment. It completes your life and fills your heart and soul. It’s so much for the giver, but it’s almost the same gift for the receiver.”
As part of its mission to educate as well as entertain, Boston Saengerfest Men’s Chorus hosts its third annual multigenerational festival of male voices, “Boyz to Men,” on Sunday, April 7, 3:30 p.m. at Wellesley Congregational (Village) Church, 2 Central St. Under the direction of Michael Driscoll, the renowned chorus of 70 members from around Greater Boston welcomes young male singers from the Boston Children’s Chorus Young Men’s Ensemble and the Natick High School Men’s Choir, as well as two groups from Worcester Polytechnic Institute — the WPI Men’s Glee Club and the a cappella ensemble Simple Harmonic Motion. In repertoire ranging from beloved classics to contemporary favorites, each group is showcased separately before joining together as a massed choir of more than 150 voices. Boston Saengerfest Men’s Chorus is proud to present this showcase of young male choruses as an integral part of its mission to create opportunities for young men to share their unique sound with a larger public.
Tickets are $25 or $5 for students (with valid student ID) and are available at the door, by emailing tickets@saengerfest.org or going to Eventbrite. (Actual link for refreshing is http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5024099216)