Singing Groups

At their beginning the group was purely for the enjoyment of each other’s company and the chance to sing. But as time passed, they began to sing at post office events, local events, and nursing homes. By 1960 they had garnered national interest and the Post Office Department adopted them as their official spokes-group. Their fame continued to grow as they released an album entitled “Neither Snow Nor Rain,” the money from which came their funds for the ZIP Code tour.

They even became popular enough to be featured on the prime-time television program “Sing Along with Mitch” where they sang their theme song, “Men with the US Mail.” They were also the only organization at the time to be granted special permission by the Postmaster General to perform in their uniforms, which they declared as “a great honor”.(3) Other notable performances were at the White House, the U.S. Congress, and for Florida Governor Ferris Bryant.

In 1961, they made a trip to various radio stations around the United States to promote the “Shop and Mail Early” campaign during the Christmas season. Their itinerary was vast; they visited Menasha, WI; Galveston, TX; Hagerstown, MD; Santa Fe, NM; Terre Haute, IN; and Jamesville, WI. The next year they recorded a song for the same purpose:

(set to the tune of Jingle Bells)

Christmas stamps, Christmas stamps, making our debut.
We’ll brighten up your Christmas cards and speed them on to you.
Don’t delay; mail today. It’s later than you think.
We’ll put them through for all of you, quicker than a wink.(4)

Later in 1963 they made a similar goodwill tour up and down the East Coast to promote the use of the ZIP Code. They traveled in a large bus loaded with a piano, their luggage—and hundreds of coconuts to pass out at each performance to represent Mr. ZIP. They played for twenty-one audiences in twelve different cities, again armed with a song:

(set to the theme of ZIppity Do Da)

Welcome to the ZIP Code
Use it today
Send your mail out
The five-digit way
For speedier handling
To lighten the load
Your return address
Should have the ZIP Code(5)

The Singing Mailmen were never paid for their local Florida appearances or for their trips for the Post Office Department. Instead, they raised money for charities or used the funds to make their goodwill tours and share their music with others. They even each used annual leave for their trips. One member put it well: “There was a lot of camaraderie—we all stuck together and looked after one another’s well-being. We also brought joy to a lot of people. It was a great pleasure to see the smiles on their faces”.(6)

Most of the members retired by 1970 and the chorus disbanded, though nine did reunite again in 1985 for a local television reunion concert in Miami. In 1989, a writer for the Miami Herald found Sidney Barshak, then seventy-one years old, and previous member of the Singing Mailmen of Miami and the J in the JCP Trio.(7) He did not know if any other members were still alive, as had contact slowly faded over the years. But he still remembered those times very fondly saying “I don’t like to toot my own horn, but when the lights came down, the spotlight came on, the curtain opened, there we were. We had some great times”.(8)

Also in the 1960s, the Detroit Post Office Male Chorus began. After “realizing the importance to the Post Office Department of sound and effective public relations,” the chorus was organized “for the purpose of creating a bond with our patrons through public offering of choral entertainment to varied groups”.(11) The chorus would gather to rehearse two hours every week on each member’s own time. By 1964 they had gained enough popularity to be able to be selective in their engagements when they were asked to perform at the World’s Fair in New York City. Their director reported, “The feeling of accomplishment through their own efforts has created a beneficial and infectious morale factor among members,”(12) showing the collective effects such groups have on workers.

Philadelphia Postal Employee Choir
In September of 1985 some postal workers in Philadelphia began to meet once a week to sing and have fun. Soon there were about thirty members singing and enjoying themselves every week. A few months later the Philadelphia General Post Office needed a group to sing the National Anthem at a function.  Thus, the Philadelphia Postal Employee Choir made its first public appearance. From there, they began singing at more post office functions, shopping centers, malls, retirement homes, ribbon cutting ceremonies, and new stamp celebrations. And soon their popularity grew and they found themselves singing at elementary schools, and even for the mayor of Philadelphia and at a Philadelphia Flyers hockey game. At the beginning, the group was expected to use their annual leave time when performing at engagements. However, as they became a more and more important part of the Philadelphia Post Office’s public image, and with the help of petition letters extolling the choir’s goodwill, the members were granted the ability to stay on the clock during their performances. In this way, they are able to enjoy themselves as well as facilitate good relations between the post office and the community. For this reason they are able to visit a wide variety of sites for performances because they do not need to charge. They typically perform three to four times a month, but that increases to two to three times per week during the holiday season.

Currently the choir is a bit smaller, with fifteen to twenty members, including five or six original members, one of which is James Cochran II, musical director for the choir and clerk at a Philadelphia neighborhood office. Cochran got his musical start playing the piano at seven years old and now plays piano and organ at church. Most of the other members work at the main facility, though about three others are clerks at neighborhood stations. The choir holds auditions about every other year, or whenever a specific range needs to be replaced. They like to sing a variety of music—40s and 50s songs, some modern, religious and inspirational, and anything that is about love, togetherness, and peace, according to Cochran. The song choices mirror their event locations in their focus on diversity and inclusion and acceptance. And, when asked why so many postal workers participate and find it so rewarding, Cochran cited the chance to not only inspire and support other people through though times, but also the fact that these people constantly inspire them.(15)