Page A6-The Chronicle, Thursday, November 29 Close-Up Choristers share By IRENE PERRY Chronicle Staff Writer Above the horizon, there are individual stars with diverse backgrounds and beginnings, but when you see them together at night, their collective presence th#? ?Vv voices enrapiures an audience wun tneir glorious songs. Under the direction of Dr. Permilla Flack Dunston, this all-male chorus performs all kinds of "When someone hears our music, they know if they want to^participate, because the music is so refreshing and different. ** -- Dr. Permilla Flack Dunston music: Spirituals, hymns and classical music. The ages and backgrounds of the choristers are just as diverse as their musical selections. "The Twin City Choristers range in age from 26 to 78,M says Dunston. "Our members are from all church affiliations and occupations -- from doctor to house painter, from postal worker to pharmacist, and from banker to funeral director/' The Twin-City Choristers . originally were organized in September 1957 under Dr. Dunston's direction. Dr. A.L. Cromwell served as the first Social Notes apw Bass heads ||^ foundation * Marshall B. Bass, corporate * vice president of R.J.^Reynolds Industries, has been elected chair- w&JM man of the board of the Winston- ^3[ < Salem State University FoundaBass was elected during the A } board's biannual meeting on ^ .V Also elected were James Mack, IHHHHI vice chairman, and Perry Turner, treasurer. Five new' members Marsha were appointed to the board: Dr. David Branch, Derrick Davis, foundation is de Mrs. Lynn Eisenberg, Lyons and promote th Gray and Mrs. Lynn Hill. gress and gene A member of the foundation Winston-Salem S board since June 1981, Bass will and to receive serve a one-year term as chair- gifts and donatio man of the 21-member body. The poses. i Gents present holiday baskets to n Frtr tV?A fViir/4 A 1 ' - wt viiv innvi vunscvuiivc year, opunisiiwaica v. the Sophisticated Gents Inc. their annual C brightened the lives of the less social on Satur< fortunate by passing out the M.C. Ben Thanksgiving baskets to needy Center. The se families. will include live The non-profit organization Another imp< delivered a total of 13 baskets of group's calei food to families in Winston- Annual Disting Salem. Awards, which A . Sunday, Jan. 2' As a community-oriented . c .. . , Center. Alderm organization, -Ihc?Sophisric.axgd ? -Genta have-conducted numerous QiU, ""V ... . . . . Rudy Anderson public service activities in the : c f. . . master of cerem black community. A _ . 3 entertainment u As part of the group's fun- Cornelius, jazz draising efforts, the Hairston and Ke Minnie Ervin attends educations Minnie Ervin has completed her sixth educational seminar in m I Birmingham, Ala. She is educational director of Region Four for continuing education of the National Beauty Culturist League. She organizes and directs all classes for cosmetologists and tour stylists for seven states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Tennessee, as well ll R as Nassau, in the Bahamas. URf Ervin says finding qualified in structors and secretaries and serv- Minnie ing as director of all the classes meetings and pr< leaves her very little time to par- abroad in Switz ticipate in the learning process and Paris. In Pi herself. hair cutting, des For the last few years, she has cepts and fashi< returned from the regional for the total lool So it is with the Twin City Choristers, a group of 32 black males from all parts of the Triad who have various backgrounds and occupations. Yet, when they sing together, the melodic richness of their A . - , 1984 Pec ?> _ Community Calendar, Close-lip their love for song president of the group. The group flourished from 1957 until 1959, when Dr. Dunston left the city. The group continued tc perform under various directors, but only sporadically. Eventually, in the latter nart r?f io*n the group reluctantly disbanded. Its members, however, remained in close contact with one another and the dream of one day reorganizing the group stayed with them. On May 13, 1980, the Twin City Choristers realized a dream of nearly twenty years when the group was reorganized with 10 of its original members and Dr. Dunston returned as director. Since the reorganization, the Twin City Choristers have experienced phenomenal growth and popularity. The group now numbers 35 persons, including the director and accompianist. Although the group's members span a wide spectrum of backgrounds, their love and appreciation of music is the common interest shared by all." The Choristers say that?although they return much to the community in the form of song, the choral art form can continue only through the support of worthy, as well as needy, music students. "Since we give scholarships to needy people, we do accept donations," says Dr. Dunston. "We don't charge any money for concerts; however, when we travel out of town, our expenses are taken care of. No one is paid for anything - we just love to sing that much." Because of the variety of members' schedules within a group this size, practice is held once a week A //IV/HM/Z/IK I7wr*A% , /licAiiriucr Mjr rvi state Principal i In Robert A. Clendenin of Greensboro and Alexander Erwin M2%m of Wilkesboro were honored on Wednesday night as the first Wachovia Principals of the Yeafr, |r an award presented to the state's most outstanding public high school principals. |X, Erwin, principal at Wilkes BHBBI Central Sr. High School, and Clendenin, principal at Walter ill Bass Hines Page Sr. High School, were presented awards of $1,000 signed to foster for the purchase of educational ie growth, pro- meterials and equipment for their ral welfare of schools and $1,000 for personal State University, or professional use. and administer " The awards program is spon>ns for such pur- sored by Wachovia Bank and Trust Co. and the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. It was created to recognize prinleedy ' cipals who "create an environment in which education thrives . and young men and women are jents will host challenged to achieve their fullest hnstams benefit ? y* 22\ at John F. McNair III, vice chairton onvention man Qf Wachovia, commended mi- ormal event t^e prjncjpais for thc "investentertainment. ment dmc talent Drtant event on energy?? which they put into their idar is the Third role * uished Citizen's ,ceeded to study 1985 Freedom Fund Banquet erland, London sponsored by the Winston-Salem iris, she studied Branch of the NAAdP. igning new con- The banquet will be held on m coordinating Jan. 10 in honor of the late Dr. c. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birth >ple ), Social Notes, Community News Dr. Permllla Dunston, director of the Twin CM us together (photo by James Parker). and always starts on time. "We n't have auditions," says Dunston. "When someone hears our music, they know if the; want to participate, because the music is s< refreshing and different." Since its inception, women have not made any at tempts to join the group. They enjoy coming out tc f f mis selected rfthe Year |Hgf Alexander Erwin developed to establish rapport with students, parents, teachers and the community. These pro- IbBBBbII grams include a meeting for each incoming student and his parents with the director of instruction and a counselor; and the "men- m tor program" for college-bound Six other principals who were ''t&mer. named Principal of the Year for W their regions were also recognized at the meeting, including J. Robert Boyce at John A. Holmes * file f^j High School, Eden ton; Patrick 'Thth^w Best at Goldsboro High School, : Paul United I Goldsboro; Richard M. Jewell at 0f Broughton High School, Raleigh; point, croi* vvjwigc tt. ^cagraves ai Lee ittbroidery. Jaunty "Sr. High. Sanford; , - .r.... Robert H. Bellamy at Monroe High School, Monroe; and Larry R. Liggett at Asheville High Slj School, Asheville. Each received a check for $750 to be used to purchase^duca- | Monday . F< tional meterials or equipment for ? The regional winners were selected from among 35 prin- TheTuei cipals nominated by their local school systems. The selection committees included principals, trib high school teachers, college free, educators, lay people and representatives of Wachovia Bank and Trust Co. NAACP banquet WWilfedeTi He^H Kjffjri t day. It will begin at 7 p.m. in the f|mji*W M.C. Btenton Convention Center. ]&< .. "This year, the Winston-Salem 77be Clvof branch will pay a special tribute nouncemento to Sarah Marsh/* said Pat \ shouldMm Hairston, president of the local a number t< NAACP. "Mrs. Marsh served as should be ad the NAACP secretary for 30 Calendar, P years and was a hard-working -deadlinefor Please see page A7 . ' ?'S?"? .. H . I ' ' l 11 ' I v i|V