singoutforshelter

Sing Out for Shelter

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20th Annual SOS Concert

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2012

8:00 PM

TICKETS: $50 Preferred seating

$25 General Seating

$10 Students/Seniors

reserve at: musicdirector@augmented8.org

The 20th Annual Sing Out for Shelter (SOS) concert to benefit organizations that serve homeless men and women will be held on Saturday, February 4, 2012, at 8:00 PM at the Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church (MMUMC) at 3401 Nebraska Avenue in Washington DC. The concert is organized by the Augmented Eight, a non-profit, men’s a cappella singing group which has performed for Washington audiences for over 50 years.

This year's concert of a cappella vocal music will once again benefit three local organizations that serve the more than 30,000 individuals who experience homelessness each year in the Greater Washington DC Region – the Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place (CCHFP), Christ House, and MMUMC’s own Metropolitan House. These concerts have raised approximately $165,000 over the past nineteen years. In October, 2010, CCHFP honored the Augmented Eight with the 13th annual Benjamin E. Cooper Award recognizing outstanding contributions by members of the Washington DC community to the cause of ending homelessness.

The Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church is located at 3401 Nebraska Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20016, on the corner of New Mexico Ave and Nebraska Ave, across Nebraska Ave from the American University. Tickets are $50 for preferred seating, $25 for general admission, and $10 for seniors and students. Children under 13 are free. Tickets can be purchased at the door or reserved by contacting John Symington at symington@starpower.net, or musicdirector@augmented8.org.

PERFORMERS

The Augmented Eight is an all male a cappella group that has entertained Washington audiences for over 50 years with a blend of old standards and modern pop, with a bit of jazz, gospel, and doo wop arrangements. (See Home Page)

Redhot & Blue of Yale University has won national recognition for its innovative arrangements of jazz standards, which bend vintage jazz with the fresh and upbeat flair of the collegiate a cappella tradition. Formed in 1977 just a few years after Yale opened its doors to women, the group broke through the gender divide, bringing together some of the best male and female voices the Yale campus had to offer. Named for a song by Yale alum Cole Porter, the group's repertoire has changed dramatically since those early days. Having performed everywhere from the streets of Paris to the halls of the White House, and having released thirteen studio albums, the group remains true to its distinct heritage of musical excellence.

The Tone Rangers of Washington DC is celebrating its 25th anniversary delighting audiences coast to coast with its dynamic blend of tight harmonies, inventive arrangements and keen wit. Their repertoire ranges from Gregorian chant to classic rock to TV theme songs, performed in a fresh approach to contemporary a cappella music and comedy. The Tone Rangers were voted Best A Cappella Group in four consecutive years, 2007-10, in the Washington Area Music Association's competition for the Wammy award. They were also national finalists in the 2002 Harmony Sweepstakes, the Superbowl of a cappella.

Five O'Clock Shadow of Georgetown Day School is a group of guys who know how to have fun, whether in rehearsal or on stage, and how to entertain. This all-male a cappella group is notorious for its "schtick" and "shenanigans" while maintaining a traditional barbershop quality to the music. These boys have opened for DC charity functions, entertained political Christmas parties, and have become an integral part of the Georgetown Day School performance scene.

CONCERT BENEFICIARIES:

Christ House: A full-care health recovery facility for the sick and homeless in the Washington, DC area, Christ House serves as a place of refuge and healing. Since opening in 1985, Christ House has served over 4,800 homeless men and women. Suffering from an array of illnesses and injuries including diabetes, cancer, and AIDS, patients at Christ House receive 24-hour health care as well as a full range of social services. The goal is for patients to leave Christ House with a new sense of hope and dignity and live independently in the community. For further information: 202-328-1100; www.christhouse.org.

Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place is a district-wide organization offering the most effective model for addressing adult homelessness. Our innovative, customized programs empower participants to rebuild their lives, find homes, get jobs and reconnect with friends, family and the community, permanently. Friendship Place provides unique, person-centered services, including outreach, hospitality, health care, case management, housing, job placement, education, advocacy, and Veterans' services. With our exceptional leadership, staff, volunteers and partners, we work to build a community and nation where every person has a place to call home. For further information: 202-503-2964; www.cchfp.org.

Metropolitan House: A homeless shelter sponsored by, and housed in, the Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, in northwest Washington. Since Metropolitan's merger in 2008 with St. Luke's UMC, Metropolitan House has worked in concert with the St. Luke's Shelter for Men. These two congregational shelters were pioneers in the small-shelter movement when they opened 20 years ago. Since then, they have provided stable, secure living environments that have empowered hundreds of residents to move beyond homelessness towards self-sufficiency and permanent housing. For more information, call 202-363-4900 or visit www.nationalchurch.org.