By John Huxman
Freelance Reporter
Special to the Tribune

The Pratt Community Concert Association began its 2024-2025 season on September 26 by hosting Street Corner Symphony, an acapella men’s group from Nashville. Street Corner Symphony combined impressive vocal arrangements of popular songs with a humorous and laid-back presentation style that had the audience laughing and clapping through the evening.

Current members of Street Corner Symphony Mark McLemore, Armand Hutton, Moiba Mustapha, Jared Pruzan, and Sean Murphy performed some familiar songs such as Johnny B. Goode, Can’t Help Falling in Love, Come on Eileen, The Lion Sleeps Tonight, a Beatles medley, and many more. There was no musical instrumental background except that which came from beatboxing and the occasional kazoo. Comedy bits between songs kept the audience engaged and gave the singers moments to recover between sets.

Street Corner Symphony was started in 2010 for the purpose of competing in NBC’s The Sing-Off. McLemore is the only original member still singing with the group and he shared many humorous anecdotes about the groups beginning when it had, according to him, no choreographic capability. New member Mustapha was supposedly in his first performance with the group at Pratt, and he fit seamlessly into the act.

According to their program, Street Corner Symphony has recorded albums, provided clinics for schools, hosted benefits for cancer research, and performed across the country and around the world. Their repertoire covers a wide range, from gospel to rock and pop, appealing to young and old alike.

The Pratt Community Concert Association gets most of its performers through a group called Allied Concert Services.

“It’s out of Minnesota and every fall they bring us the options that will be for the following year. We do three from them and one that we find on our own. Allied has worked with the Pratt Concert Association for all 80 years of it being in existence,” said Misty Beck, the PCCA’s president.

Beck said she was pleased with Thursday’s performance.

“We had a good crowd. You never know what the crowd is going to be like, and it was a good crowd tonight so that’s good. I think everybody enjoyed it,” she said.

This year’s local performer this will be Duane Hanks, a renowned piano expert and organ repair specialist who will be playing an organ that he built himself. That performance will be on February 2. Additional concerts scheduled by the PCCA for this year include Jeremy Stolle on November 10 and Sail On set for April 26. Stolle is a Broadway singer who has played the Phantom of the Opera. Sail On will be doing a Beach Boy’s tribute. More information about the Pratt Community Concert Association and its schedule can be found on their Facebook page.