Text and Photos by Pete Porter

At a performance for the residents of the Spring Retirement Home in Torrance.
Miles Thompson, Bob Miller, Herbert Grieser, Jim Ryan, Victor Mio, Fred Drake, Harry Masai
Cathie O'Shea, Claire Aukerman, Gloria Fuge, Bertie Higgins, Naomi Fuller, Renée Horvat (behind Ann McCollum)
Seated: Clarice Howarth, Winona Yoder, Navada Miller, Annelle Bianchi
Coordinator: Ann McCollum and on the Piano: Esther Mio

The RSVP "Singin' Swingin' Seniors" have a very active schedule, performing weekly at various venues around the South Bay. This month the group's coordinator, Ann McCollum, invited me to attend their session at the Spring Retirement Home on Earl Street. As I entered the lobby, I met with Bertie Higgins and Harry Masai who were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the other members of the group. After Ann arrived, the room quickly began to fill with the rest of the entourage - all smartly dressed with white shirts, the male members with black bow ties and the ladies with attractive bright blue neckerchiefs.

After a short introduction by Ann McCollum and a rousing version of "Side by Side" (Oh! we ain't got a barrel of money"), the program was opened by MC, Cathie O'Shea, who told us that the theme today was going to be "The Seasons of the Year". The first song was fittingly entitled "Springtime in the Rockies" and the program continued with "When the Red-Red, Robin goes Bob-Bob, Bobbing Along" with an accompaniment by Fred Drake on the harmonica.

Cathie then asked "And what happens in the Spring Time"? and gave the answer, "The Ball Game"! which led to a seventh inning stretch of "Take me out to the ball game", again accompanied by Fred Drake on the harmonica.

The program continued through the seasons towards the end of the year with "Let it Snow" and a delightful version of "It's Lovely Weather for a Sleigh Ride", complete with sleigh bells, a sleigh master yelling "Whoa" at the end and the sound of the horses neighing as they stopped.

As with all of their performances, the group concluded with "God Bless America" and shook hands with the audience while singing "Thank You Very Much" from the musical "Oliver". Ann finished up by asking all those present to be sure and "Keep a Song in Your Heart" and I couldn't help thinking that I for one would be driving home with the music I had heard that afternoon pleasantly going round in my head.

Before I left I ran into Bobbie Rogers, another of our RSVP volunteers. Bobbie coordinates the performances of the "Sweethearts of Tap Dancing" who also put on shows at many of the same facilities that the "Singin' Swingin' Seniors" go to. Bobbie told me that she liked to sit in the audience wherever the "Seniors" perform and would probably be called a "groupie" in today's vernacular.

Our "groupie", Bobbie, is on the right.

The group performs every week, and Ann McCollum told me that they like to keep the program varied and practice for their next event every Saturday morning at the Bartlette Center, just behind the RSVP office. Consequently, I decided to go and watch them there the next day. Ann said that anyone can join the group and that they definitely don't have to have an audition. So, if you want to have some fun and give some entertainment to others in the South Bay who can't get out and about like they used to, just look them up at the Bartlette Center any Saturday between nine and eleven in the morning.

This practice session included a new and amusing version of "Oh Yes, I remember it well" sung as a duet by Beverly Golden and Bob Miller and a soft shoe routine of "I'm just wild about Harry" appropriately performed by Harry Masai.

I personally have a great fondness for many of these songs. There is a tradition of Edwardian Music Hall within my own family with both my mother and her sister appearing on the stage back in England and I have fond memories of their mother banging away on the piano in the parlor, teaching me the words to many of the old Music Hall Songs when I was only four or five years old.