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Volunteer in Your Community

Local Volunteer Takes Senior Glee Club to New Heights

by J. Gregory Pizzoli

 
New Horizons Glee Club
While Simon Cowell is scowling, Selma Savitz is smiling. "Senior American Idol" is the new program to be presented by Savitz’s New Horizons Glee Club, and if this year is anything like the last, she'll have plenty of reasons to be smiling.
 
For the last 15 years, Selma Savitz has been the woman behind the New Horizons Glee club, a group comprised of volunteers ranging in age from 55+ to the mid-eighties. They meet once a week to practice and perform, taking time from their schedules to brighten the lives of those in their audiences. Savitz keeps the group busy – their schedule has them performing about once a week at venues across the Delaware Valley. But according to her, the group doesn’t mind this kind of time commitment. 

A Visit  from "Santa Elvis"

 
One has only to see the New Horizons Glee Club perform to know for certain that the work they are doing is meaningful both to them and their audiences. I had the privilege of attending a performance in  December 2006 at the Quadrangle in Haverford, and was quite taken with the group's talent and musicianship. With women clad in black vests and red scarves, and blue blazers and red bow ties for the men, the New Horizons Glee Club  performed traditional holiday numbers, as well as a few pleasant surprises – including a visit from “Santa Elvis” who tickled the audience with his rendition of “Blue Christmas."

Under the direction of Selma Savitz, who also plays piano for the group, the New Horizons Glee Club has performed at such prestigious venues as Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center, the National Liberty Museum and the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg.  In 2004 the group received a commendation from Governor Ed Rendell, and Savitz recently won the “Volunteer of the Year” award by RSVP of Montgomery County.
 
On May 6, The New Horizons Glee club will return to the Kimmel Center to perform a free concert. The show will consist of the group’s latest program – “Senior American Idol,” which will be presented free to the public in honor of Older American’s Month. Savitz says, “Senior American Idol” is a tribute to older American performers “still packing in audiences at theaters and showplace venues all over the USA”.
 
The show will feature songs made famous by Bette Midler, Tony Bennett, Willie Nelson and more. The free concert will be held at the Kimmel Center Community Stage, and "walk-ins" are welcome, but it filled up quickly last year so get there early if you want a seat!
 
This winter the New Horizons Glee Club will perform more than a dozen shows. If you are interested in becoming involved with the group or scheduling a performance, contact Selma Savitz at selsav@juno.com.