On most Wednesday evenings, walk into the Broad Ripple Park family center and you will hear singing. If you peek into the room, you will see women of all ages rehearsing. Each of these women has "a song in her heart" and therefore gathers together as the Heart of Indiana Women's A Cappella Chorus. The group was formed in 1992 when a few singers decided to form a chorus. They met in one of their homes until they outgrew the living room, and moved into larger quarters.

From Italian, a cappella is pronounced "ah kah-PEH-lah." The literal translation is "as in church." A cappella has existed for centuries, and is a result of restrictions on the use of instruments in medieval churches. The term means "to sing without instrumental accompaniment".

Unlike centuries ago, the Heart of Indiana Women's A Cappella Chorus does not limit their repertoire to church music. According to Monica Mosby Dill, the group is a contemporary show chorus. Monica grew up in Broad Ripple near Carvel and Kessler (BRHS class of '71.) This perky lady had a gift for song at a very early age; One of her cherished memories is being a member of the Broad Ripple High School Madrigal singers. Monica eagerly explained that with three file cabinets of material ranging from old standards to popular, the group has many choices. Crowd pleasers like Johnny Angel and Hernando's Hideaway are some favorites.

The chorus is directed by world-class director and performer, Allen Hatton of Louisville, Kentucky. Allen explained that he did not just get involved with music he was "born to it". He majored in music in college, then started playing the trumpet. He quit playing when he was invited to sing in a jazz ensemble. After logging thousands of miles traveling with jazz and rock groups, he decided to return to his chorus roots.

During the November 30 gathering, Allen's focus was on improving the vocalization of The Boy From New York City; Therefore, over and over he worked with the bass section to perfect the sound. To my untrained ears, the voices were great from the beginning. I have to admit however, that I marveled at watching this master at work extracting perfect tones from singers Becky Harrison and Debi Miller.

The chorus consists of four voice parts: bass, tenor, baritone and lead. I learned that the terms I associate with women singers, such as soprano and alto, are not used. President Linda Lashbrook explained that the history of this style started with traditional men's groups; when women wanted their own groups, the terms remained. Currently there are 17 members and they range in age from the teens to eighties. The chorus is always looking for new voices to expand and round out their four-part harmony.

The Heart of Indiana members are not limited to just perfecting their sound - In partnership with Indy Parks and Recreation, they perform regularly. You may have enjoyed their tunes at Broad Ripple Park this year. They sang at the recent Indianapolis Museum of Art opening, and have graced the Pacers' court to sing the national anthem. They enjoy performing at veterans' homes in Central Indiana and local senior facilities around the city. In warmer seasons, you might catch them at Garfield Park or down by the canal at the History Center.

The group also competes. They gain points for singing, performance and presentation in regional and international competitions. In 2002, Indianapolis hosted an international competition and they won a fourth place medal. Meridy Thorn relayed an example of a memorable performance: in Rochester, New York, everyone was to wear funny slippers when they sang during the Show of Champions. As they kicked and moved their feet to the music, fuzzy dogs, cats and bunnies went flying around the stage and into the audience. One would think they would be horrified at what happened, but, everyone dissolved into laughter when the story was told.

This fun group welcomes the public. Pat Burger was certainly enjoying listening. She had read about the Heart in the Gazette a few issues ago, and decided to attend a rehearsal. A 1944 graduate of John Strange School, she grew up before Kessler was paved and has fond recollections of Wally's Hamburgers [located at 921 Broad Ripple Avenue, where La Jolla Mexican Restaurant is today].

Stop by some Wednesday and listen. The enthusiasm of everyone is infectious. And if you are lucky, a quartet may perform The Ice Cream Song. If you catch yourself singing along, you'll know you are hooked.

If you are interested in joining or need entertainment for that special event, contact Heart of Indiana Women's A Cappella Chorus at 317-466-6218. Leave a message and President, Linda Lashbrook or another one of this cheerful group will return your call.