Hearing the "Glory" in their "Voices"

Just got back from seeing Highland's favorite singing siblings, the Voices of Glory.

The Coles (seen here from left, Michael, Nadia and Avery) performed their second show in Dutchess County in less than 24 hours, singing at the New Hackensack Reformed Church in the Town of Wappinger; they sang in Rhinebeck last night. The shows were part of the Rhinebeck Choral Club's 65th anniversary celebration, and the Voices of Glory were the club's guest artists. The Voices of Glory, who were competing on NBC's hit show "America's Got Talent" this time last year, proved why they finished fifth overall out of some 100,000 acts that auditioned for the competition.

Having interviewed the Voices of Glory several times over the past year, including earlier in the week for a story promoting their local appearances, I'd never seen the trio sing in person. Sure, I'd watched them perform on "AGT" last summer, but seeing them in person was a totally different experience.

Between belting out Whitney Houston's "Greatest Love of All" to a stirring rendition of "God Bless America," among others, each of the singers displayed their powerful voices, which filled the room.
Earlier in the week, Nadia told me of all the songs the group performs, "Greatest Love of All" is her favorite.

"I just enjoy that song," she said. "It's telling people never to give up, and that you have to love yourself and don't let anyone else bat you down."

Listening to the Rhinebeck Choral Club sing uplifting tunes — everything from John Lennon's "Imagine" to "The Rainbow Connection" — a treat enough. Add in the inspirational Voices of Glory, and we had a great afternoon for a great cause, as today's performance (as was last night's in Rhinebeck) benefited the Cole family.

With the Coles traveling the country, pursuing their careers and soon to release their debut CD, it was great to take in one of their appearances and see firsthand how Michael, Avery and Nadia touch so many of the people for whom they sing.