In the fall of 1998 while attending a Carlow College Alumni Board meeting, Cheryl Walter found out about a need for Christmas Stockings at a shelter for homeless women and their children called HEARTH. That Christmas members of the Norwin Chorus Christmas caroled in Norwin School District neighborhoods to raise money to fill the stockings for the children at HEARTH.

When checking to find out where to deliver the stockings for the children Walter found out that the entertainment for the scheduled Christmas Party had cancelled. Of course the Norwin Show Choir came to the rescue and saved the Christmas Party of December, 1998 and have been an essential part of the Christmas celebration at Hearth ever since.

The chorus and show choir students at Norwin have raised money each Christmas season by caroling in downtown Irwin and the neighborhoods that make up the Norwin School District. The generosity of the Norwin area has provided the Christmas stockings, Christmas gifts, and a Christmas party including a visit from Santa Claus each December since 1998.

The students also celebrate all the children at HEARTH’s “Unbirthday” each spring. We know that we all have one birthday a year, but like Alice in Wonderland we learned to celebrate the other 364 days a year – our “Unbirthday”.

The Norwin Chorus & Show Choir was recognized by Hearth with their Dreammakers Award in recognition of their generosity.

Expressions in Harmony was founded in 2012 to help foster community service through music. In 2013 Expressions in Harmony became a 501c3 Tax Deductible Non Profit organization. Its mission is to continue to help children through the power of music.