Sometimes, Louis Jacob wears a red vest, a white shirt and a black bow tie.

He looks like someone from 100 years ago when barbershop quartets and even larger singing teams were common. A declining enrollment for such pursuits in years past was made worse by COVID, so Jacob finds himself with a thin roster for an old form of art that won’t die.

But not if the Concord Coachmen Chorus has anything to do with it. A nonprofit, the Coachmen sing what they call a basic four-part harmony, and harmony is the lifeblood of barbershop singing. They sing at senior homes and fairs and old home days. They play for anyone who wants to hear them.

They rehearse at the St. John the Baptist Church in Allenstown each Thursday. Back in pre-pandemic days, the Coachmen attracted 25 men or more for a performance. These days, that number has dropped by half.

“We need to bring people into the hobby,” said Jacob, 67, a retired engineer from Pembroke. “These days are all busy with life in general, and this can be a reward as an escape from the day-to-day routine.”

Indeed, Jacob mentioned the sense of belonging that the group creates, with plenty of nostalgia tucked away.

“A large aspect of the organization is the brotherhood, the fact that we spend a lot of time together,” said Jacob, who joined the Chorus 15 years ago. “It’s a social thing. There’s a sense of camaraderie, and that’s a big factor in our organization.”

Barbershop singing came from African American culture and spread its way to Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1938, a surprising number of men attended a meeting, and 75 to 100 people soon joined what was then the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, now known as the Barbershop Harmony Society.

That, of course, was a different era.

“Back in the old days, the family was musical with piano and singing,” Jacob said. “It was like a national pastime. But men’s harmonizing is not as big as it was 30 years ago.”

With 25 members, the Coachmen asked for and received membership to the prestigious Barbershop Harmony Society in 1957, officially becoming a charter chapter of the society.

“Little else was known regarding the beginnings of the [Concord] Chorus,” Jacob said. “Keeping historical records is seldom done at the start of any endeavor.”

Since then, the Coachmen have met and rehearsed at the Concord YMCA, White Park, the West Street Ward House, the Concord Community Music School and their current location at the St. John the Baptist Church in Allenstown.

Jacob made sure to spread the credit around and was particularly interested in mentioning the directors he’s worked under, like the late Bob Haines and Joe Haden.

A point in a promotional film explaining the history of the Chorus praised the directors, saying, “They are the most important person in any chorus. They are unheralded contributors to the world of music.”

The current director, Eric Ruthenberg, is the youngest member of the group at 50. All others are older than 65. This is open to all ages and occupations.

“We’ve had people from all walks of life,” Jacob said. “A retired doctor singing next to a blue-collar worker. We’ll teach you all you need to know.”

Then he continued: “Of course, we’d prefer that you can sing.”

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