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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
If you’ve ever felt your spirits lifted or your stress melt away after listening to a song, then you’re probably already aware that music has many health and wellness advantages.
The Golden Tones, a chorus comprised of retirement-aged men and women, aim to reap the benefits of music and share them with their audiences.
On May 21, the Golden Tones’ audience was the seniors at Needham’s Center at the Heights (CATH), who enjoyed singing along during the program and grinned from ear to ear at the sight of the Golden Tones singers dancing as they performed.
Accompanied by a piano, the Golden Tones began their concert with a cover of Hank Williams’ “Hey Good Lookin,’” and told the audience at the CATH that they had rehearsed the song specifically for them. One of the Golden Tones members threw on a feather boa and danced for the audience, kicking her legs into the air one at a time and twirling around.
They also sang “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” and “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” the latter being performed by two Golden Tones singers who flaunted their accessories, which included chunky, ostentatious jewelry, elbow-lengths gloves, and flashy hairpieces.
The audience laughed at the singers’ silly costumes, but sang along anyway. Without having to look at the program, which contained lyrics for the majority of the songs, the seniors at the CATH joined in for “Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head” and “Dream a Little Dream of Me.”
The Golden Tones once again brought smiles to the seniors’ faces with their accessories, as several of the singers opened umbrellas inside of the CATH’s multipurpose room for “Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella,” as they danced around the audience.
Inspired by Louis Armstrong, one member of the Golden Tones soloed for “What a Wonderful World,” and the audience applauded his spot-on impersonation.
The CATH visitors also sang along to “Joy to the World,” and although the Golden Tones seniors’ voices were certainly enough, the addition of a tambourine to the song helped to energize the concert.
As the program came to an end, the Golden Tones said goodbye with “‘Til We Meet Again,” sending the seniors off livelier and in high spirits – sure to feel the benefits of music for the rest of the day.
