Spirit of Change - Winter 2008

“Diane just happened to notice that I was having trouble getting one of those mailing boxes together, and I was cursing under my breath.” Diane said to my daughter, ‘Should I help that woman?’ My daughter said, ‘No. She’s my mom and she’ll figure it out.’ Diane said, ‘She’s really funny. Can she sing?’ My daughter said, ‘She’s always loved to sing.’ Diane suggested I try out. I sang a little off key and Bob said, ‘Will you join our chorus?’ It was my lucky day!”

The chorus is a very special experience for Patricia. “At my age, our families are spread out, and we don’t have the closeness of a day to day life that we are used to. The chorus fills that need for me, and I think for many others. We’re all doing something we’re absorbed in and love. The camaraderie of community is incredible. At my age, having new friends with a common interest has opened doors I kind of thought were closed. We’re enjoying every minute of it!”

And the chorus also fulfills some very special needs for its audience too.
“In the brief time I have been part of the chorus, I’ve had young people come
up to me after the show and say, ‘I wish that my grandparents could be do-
ing something like this!’ What if we started a movement of more choruses?”

Fred Knittle, 83, Member Since 1992, and Currently
Occasional Special Guest

Fred Knittle, 83, is one of the standout figures in the documentary. A man with a voice so beautiful that he could make most anybody melt, and with a spirit so vital, it’s easy to forget that he relies on an oxygen tank to breathe, Fred left the chorus after sixteen years of membership due to congestive heart failure. On occasion, Fred sings with the group for a special event, such as singing the National Anthem at Fenway Park this past summer.

“There’s something special about Young@
Heart that really connects with the audi-
ence,” reflects Fred. “The audience reacts to
our songs and liveliness and they go crazy.
When we did a show called ‘Flaming Saddles,’ I thought the theater was
going to go down. The audience was clapping their hands and stamping
their feet. I saw one man doing ‘YMCA’ with his crutches! It’s that kind of
audience participation. They feel close to us.”

The very fact that Fred is still alive testifies to the power of his spirit and his vitality. After his heart attack in 1995, his doctor would never have predicted he would have made it this far. “People need to laugh more,” acknowledges Fred. “You don’t get out of this world alive. We’ve only got so many days left. We don’t know how many. Use each day as though it was the last. Show people you love them. Use this time you’ve got to enjoy life fully!”

Fred understands the depth of Bob Cilman’s investment in each and
every member of the chorus. It was at Bob’s urging that Fred has returned
to sing as a special guest with Young@Heart, even when his health has
presented obstacles to his participation.
“Bob’s relationship to the individual members is very special,” notes
Fred. “Everyone there is part of Bob Cilman. Should that person pass away
or become ill, Bob is very concerned. When they pass away, Bob loses a
part of himself.”

Jeanne Hatch, 82, Member for 10 Years

Jeanne Hatch grew up in a musical family. Music has been a lifelong love of hers, and she is well aware that music is good for the heart, body, mind and soul. Jeanne taught theater and speech at Holyoke Community College. “I didn’t think I would ever retire. I didn’t retire until I was 72. Young@Heart was going to Rotterdam, and a colleague said, ‘I’d like you to be in the chorus and go too!’ It just happened they were going during spring break, so I went. Being in the chorus helped me decide I could retire. It gave me another life!”

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