By: Charity Meier | Novi Note | Published September 18, 2025
NOVI — It may sound “Beyond Belief” that a group of 22 senior citizens took residents at several area senior living facilities on a trip around the world, but it’s not.
Beyond Belief, the Novi senior chorus group, just finished its summer tour at the Rolling Hills Retirement Community in Commerce Township. The tour showcased the vast amount of talent within the senior population in the Novi community, as the group wowed and entertained its audiences with its vocal, instrumental and dance talents.
The summer theme was a musical journey around the world and featured a Russian and an Italian love song; an audience engaging sing-along of the song “Edelweiss,” made popular in the musical “The Sound of Music”; a Mexican hat dance; a Hawaiian hula dance; and 94-year-old Jere Philips, of Wixom, tap dancing to “When Irish Eyes are Smiling.”
The songs were performed while group members played guitar, ukulele, piano and violin.
Kathleen Schafer, 57, director of Beyond Belief, said that she was invited to join the group in the fall of 2019 as the accompanist. She said the group, although not as widely known, has been around for many years. She said that prior to the pandemic, the group had elaborate costumes and sold tickets for their performances at the Novi High School auditorium. However, when COVID hit, the group stopped performing for many years and only started performing again a few years ago, after securing a rehearsal space within St. James Catholic Church in Novi.
“No one gets paid. We do it because we love it. We love bringing our show and performing for senior citizens, who some of them are in wheelchairs, and they have nothing, and the best part is when you look at them and they’re tapping their foot and they are singing along. It’s the best feeling to see the joy that we bring to senior citizens,” Schafer said. “It’s a lot of work to do what we do, but it’s worth every minute of it, because they love making people happy.”
“I’ll try to find words to describe how much enjoyment I get from sharing with our group a few hours entertaining others. The smiles on the faces in the audience boost my own happiness,” said Marilyn Kartje, 89, of Novi.
The group now performs throughout the year, so the end of the summer tour simply means it’s time to get ready for the holiday shows. The group will begin rehearsals Sept. 18 for the holiday tour, which currently has eight stops between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
They are also actively recruiting new members and emphasise that although they rehearse at a Catholic church, one doesn’t have to be Catholic or Christian to join their group.
“This is a warm, welcoming group of people,” said Laura Olesko, 71, of Commerce Township. “I have always enjoyed singing all the way back to my high school days. I sing in the car. I sing in the shower, and I always sing to my grandchildren at bedtime. I think we are blessed to have these fellow seniors willing to share their God-given talents.”
Stewart Beech, 69, of Novi, gave his last performance as a member of the group on Sept. 11. He has performed with the group for the last two years and said he will really miss it, but he is moving to Florida. He said they are all friends. He said they are always giving each other support, prayers and well-wishes.
Beech said he chose to join the group as it is active year-round.
“I get to sing. I can sing melodies or harmonies, and I get to sing loud. As well as singing, I play a lot of different instruments, and I get to keep in touch (and) practice with everything, the ukulele, the bass, the hand drum and all this other stuff, and it keeps me healthy because you do burn a lot of calories getting up there singing and everything. A lot of people go home and take a nap,” he said.
Beech said if one likes to sing, joke and perhaps some dancing, then this is the right group to join. He said that everybody contributes to the song list for every tour.
“And it’s a support group; everybody’s supporting everybody else,” he said.
He said that the real key to the group’s success is the age of its performers, which ranges from 57 to 94, with the median age being 82 1/2 years young.
“All that experience, it is amazing. The age factor provides knowledge, a lot of experience, and it all contributes so that we can come and we can put on a quality show, teaching a little bit of stage presence, teaching some music, extra things here and there,” Beech said.
Olesko said she looks at performing with the group as a way of paying it forward, if the day should come when she can’t get around like she does now.
Phillips has been performing with the group since 2004. She is often seen front and center tap-dancing.
David Cantalamisa, 69, of Wixom, said the group is simply a “great ministry.”
“We sing to demonstrate that God’s words are trustworthy. We are taught to share our talents with those who are not as mobile as ourselves and not to be afraid to show our love for others,” he said. “We are always trying to reach those who are less fortunate, those who are suffering, lonely and hungry for genuine love. Many out there have only their TV as their best friend, so we (pay) it forward. That is music to my ears.”
The group will be recruiting members following all Mass services at both St. James and Holy Family parishes. Those interested in joining the group can call (248) 347-7778 or email Schafer at beyondbeliefsingers@gmail.com.