Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 1, January 2003

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Wallingford Warblers: Savvy seniors singing out since '81

By JAMES BUSH

Twenty years of musical fun at the Wallingford Senior Center started with a simple question.

"There were several people who asked me 'couldn't we come and sing?'" recalls Ruth Cook-Greene, then a center employee. She got the go-ahead to form a singing group in March 1981.

The one thing the group needed was a pianist, so Doris Guidon was recruited. "She agreed to come and play and the miracle is, she's still playing," says Cook-Greene, who christened the fledgling group "The Wallingford Warblers."

In addition to Cook-Greene and Guidon, original Warblers Fay Haggstrom, Charity Vail, and Eleanor Lyons still sing with the group.

Although Warblers hadn't intended to become a performance group, they were asked to participate at a fundraising concert in the auditorium of the Burke Museum, recalls Cook-Greene. The hall was packed and the show went well; the Warblers even performed their first encore, a second helping of the "Beer Barrel Polka." Cook-Greene recalls: "We had to sing it twice, they liked it so well."

Soon, the group became a popular act at retirement homes and community events.

Part of the attraction, group members acknowledge, is that they sing for free. "But, we don't have to pay to get in, either," jokes Mardine Begger.

A Warbler for three years, Begger's first visit to the Wallingford Senior Center coincided with a group rehearsal. She first asked to sit and listen, then worked up enough courage to ask if she could join the group. "It's the best thing I ever did," she says.

Begger needn't have worried. The Warblers don't hold auditions if you love to sing, you're in. They don't bother with harmonies, instead performing in classic sing-along style. Audience members shouldn't be shy about joining in.

Haggstrom notes that sing-alongs were just part of the culture when she was growing up. "We'd go to family picnics and sit around the table and sing for hours and hours," she says.

Haggstrom enjoys the Warblers so much, she'd like to start a similar group at her retirement home, the Northgate Plaza.

The Warblers usually average about 14 members at performances, although as many as 18 members have shared the stage. Female Warblers greatly outnumber their male counterparts. "We're mostly tweeters, but just a few woofers," quips Frank Langer.

The Warblers have become the house band for Wallingford Senior Center events, including Oktoberfest and the recent Holiday Bazaar. Their biggest challenge is transporting the group to performances, although the center's largest van has room for 11 singers and a driver.

Singing at retirement homes presents a few hazards. The Warblers often perform right after lunch, which can make for a restive crowd, says Gloria Sandvick. "We put some people to sleep," agrees Margaret Rogers. But there are rewards, as well. Cook-Greene fondly recalls one nursing home show when a very old woman who no longer spoke surprised her attendants when she suddenly started to tap her fingers to the music.

The group's repertoire includes hits from decades past, classic sing-along numbers, seasonal tunes, and patriotic songs. (Langer notes that the Warblers include two U.S. Marines: Verna Heller and Battle of Iwo Jima veteran Joe Robinson.)

The group's current favorite is a patriotic song titled "But I Call It Home." Cook-Greene discovered the unfamiliar tune in an old songbook and the group members quickly adopted it as their own. "We're the only ones I know who ever sing it, but it's beautiful," she says.

As much as the group performs, the essence of the Warbler experience is rehearsing in the senior center, with members (don't forget Ruth Lake and Pat Miner) gathered around tables, sheet music in hand and a bowl of jelly beans nearby. ("We eat a lot of candy," notes Langer.) As each song concludes, the members applaud their own performance.

"We're our best audience," jokes Vivian German.

"Well," replies Cook-Greene. "Who else is going to clap?"

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If you are interested in joining the Wallingford Warblers, call 461-7825 or attend a Warblers rehearsal on Thursdays, 1 p.m. at the Wallingford Senior Center, 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N., Suite 140.