Sacred Heart Singers / Come Alive Singers

One of my most recent discoveries is this all-girl Catholic youth chorus/band from Ewen, directed by Dorothy Bessen (I count 17 members in a photograph). They began as the Sacred Heart Singers and made two albums, Come Alive and Come Alive at Christmas, plus a "mini-album," before becoming the Come Alive Singers and recording the albums Happy Feet and Somewhere In the Wind ... I Hear A Song, both of which I have (See "The Grooves I Have"). They were apparently not affiliated with the Sacred Heart Church in Ewen, though some group members attended that church; indeed, the group name was changed to the Come Alive Singers to avoid giving that impression.

Happy Feet - which came out long before the Steve Martin routine - has 16 songs, mostly written by group member Paulette Niemi. Its liner notes are worth quoting: "[T]hese selections ... combine the sound of modern music and the enthusiasm of youth with the richness of biblical writings, plus mature guidance, patience, and love. Other ingredients such as faith and hope enable this type of music to eliminate the generation gap ... [W]e feel that we have come up with a unique type of music which is sacred enough to use in church and spirited enough to be enjoyed by people of all ages." 'Nuff said.