PORT ANGELES — It happened all of a sudden.
Seven individuals, straight-faced just seconds before, coalesced into a septet. In an instant, music filled the room as if a small flock of birds had flown in.
Yes, they’re a flash mob, said Mike Craig, a member of Mix and Match, the a cappella ensemble that appeared out of nowhere Thursday night at the Waterfront Art Gallery, 120 W. First St.
The singers started with “Under the Boardwalk,” and their audience, swept into the smooth harmonies, sang along — but not too loud.
The feeling inside the art gallery, the venue for a Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce mixer, went from pleasant to lively, with visitors applauding for Mix and Match’s “Blue Moon” and “Wimoweh,” aka “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
Several even took the group’s invitation to add animal sounds to that last one.
This singing flash-mob idea has become the thing of late, with a YouTube video of people suddenly breaking into Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” at the Seaway Mall food court in Welland, Ontario.
Since that November occurrence, the video has logged nearly 32 million views.
Mix and Match, meanwhile, is reveling in fun more than fame.
Craig, a retired pilot who lives in Port Angeles, said the ensemble does housewarmings and other small parties; he hands out business cards that promise “Do wop we do.”
The group also includes Port Angeles psychologist Mike McBride and his wife and office manager, Beth McBride; retired veterinarian Sandra Vahsholtz; Kenmore Air station manager Robin McHattie; Sequim retiree Diane Johnson; and Marian McGilvra, who is retired from a career at First Federal.
When asked how she learned to sing, McGilvra recalled a day when she was a girl of 6 in Winlock, Lewis County.
Her grandmother asked her to sing “Jesus Loves Me” for a neighbor.
She obliged, then added a song of her own choosing: “Pistol-Packin’ Mama.”
These days; McGilvra sings alto in Mix and Match, which grew out of a Port Angeles Light Opera Association singing group of some years ago.
“We have a lot of fun together,” she said.
Craig, like McGilvra, sings and moves with grace but cites no formal musical training.
“I took a shower one day” is his response to the “how did you learn to sing?” question.
He enjoys Mix and Match because “we have a good blend. It’s a cappella, so we don’t need anything” to perform anytime, anywhere.
Those interested in being mobbed by Mix and Match can reach Craig by phone at 360-452-1531.
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Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-417-3550 or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
