THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 16, 1994 TAG: 9409160554
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: EDENTON LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
Gil Burroughs' passion is singing - barbershop style.
``It's all a cappella - you get to sing true pitch, pure pitch,'' he said. ``I think about it, I get goose bumps.''
As God is a witness - and Burroughs said this in church - he did get them. They covered his arms.
Later, he waved those arms around as he directed the 18 members of The Albemarle Sounds.
They meet every Thursday in the 1st Presbyterian Church. The last few meetings have been in preparation for ``A Patriotic Salute to America,'' the second annual concert sponsored by the Sounds.
Barbershop singers from 15 North Carolina towns, one from South Carolina and two from Virginia will perform Saturday in the E.A. Swain Auditorium.
In addition, there will be four competition-quality quartets plus Show Biz, a women's quartet from Raleigh.
For Burroughs, it is the entertainer's version of the farmer's hogs heaven.
``I would rather sing,'' he said - his tone of voice quite serious - ``than eat when I'm hungry.''
Burroughs began singing when he was a student at Wake Forest College.
``I rode my three-speed bike from campus to downtown Winston-Salem to do my singing,'' he said.
He continued singing when he moved to Huntsville, Ala., joining the Rocket City Chorus.
To deviate a bit. Note the clever names of barbershop groups.
Rocket City has to do with the research in Huntsville. When Burroughs moved to northern Virginia, afterwards, he joined The Arlingtones.
In Edenton, he was a founder of The Albemarle Sounds. All are clever, appropriate names.
Burroughs and family moved to Edenton in 1968 when he left his job as a research physicist in night vision labs with the Army, to teach science at John A. Holmes High School.
The entire family, with one exception, is involved in education.
Burroughs wife, Barbara, is a secretary at D.F. Walker Elementary School where their daughter, Debbie, teaches special education. Another daughter, Rae Knox, teaches at White Oak Elementary.
The Burroughs son, Mark, is in the construction business in Holden Beach - but, his wife teaches there.
Burroughs loves Edenton almost as much as he loves singing.
``The only bad thing about moving to Edenton was - no barbershop quartet,'' he said. ``The only good thing about Arlington was the singing.''
The Edenton singing group is one of the smallest.
``We're the only ongoing barbershop group in a community this small,'' Burroughs said. ``Others are in places like Greenville, Norfolk, Suffolk - much larger cities.''
But good things are coming in this small package.
``The finale of our Saturday program will have you on your feet yelling, or you`ll be crying,'' Burroughs said, his enthusiasm unwavering. ``It's really going to be neat. It's a patriotic theme with a color guard and a surprise ending.''
One surprise concerns the cast of characters comprising The Albemarle Sounds.
``Only three of us have done barbershopping before. Most of the members can't read music. I know how it goes and how it's supposed to sound,'' Burroughs said. ``It's great singing and fellowship.''
As he finished talking about his love his singers filed into the church, pulled up some card table chairs and waited for him to lead them in song.
``She's just a peach of a kid,
Who never cared what she did,
She's just a personal friend of mine.''
``You gotta look sassy with that one,'' Burroughs said, then segued into ``Sweet Hour of Prayer.'' ILLUSTRATION: MUSIC REVIEW
The Albemarle Sounds 1994 concert, ``A Patriotic Salute to
America,'' features choruses and quartets. The performance is 7:30
p.m. Saturday in the Swain Auditorium. Advance tickets are $6 and
are available from any member of the Sounds or the Chowan Arts
Council.
``Afterglow'' follows the concert. That will be held in the
American Legion Hall. The cost is $4. At this event the singers
perform for each other and their aficionados in a less-structured
format. Sodas, setups and snacks will be available.
For information call 482-8005.
by CNB