Barbershop Harmony Society
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The Barbershop Harmony Society, legally and historically named the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Incorporated (SPEBSQSA), was the first of several organizations to promote and preserve barbershop music as an art form. Founded by O. C. Cash in 1938, the organization quickly grew, promoting barbershop harmony among men of all ages. As of 2004, more than 30,000 men in the United States and Canada are members of this organization. Its focus is on a cappella music. The international headquarters have been located in Kenosha, Wisconsin from 1957 to 2006, but are planned to move to Nashville, Tennessee in 2007.
A parallel women's singing organization, Sweet Adelines International, was founded in 1945. A second women's barbershop-harmony organization, Harmony Incorporated, was formed in 1959, as the result of a dispute over SAI's membership policy, which at the time limited membership to whites. (This exclusion has long since been dropped.) Several international affiliate organizations, in countries from Scandinavia to Japan, add their own flavor to the signature sound of barbershop harmony.
The original initialism was a lampoon on the New Deal alphabet agencies, which Cash detested. For decades, SPEBSQSA was the official name, while the Barbershop Harmony Society was an officially recognized and sanctioned alternative name. There was even encouragement to use the alternate name, because it was often felt that the official name was a sort of in-joke that did not resonate outside the Society. In mid-2004, faced with declining membership, the Society adopted a marketing plan that calls for using "Barbershop Harmony Society" consistently and retaining the old name for certain legal purposes.
The old official name of the organization spelled "barber shop" as two words, whereas barbershop is generally used elsewhere.
Unofficially, SPEBSQSA is pronounced /'spEb skw@/ in Kirshenbaum (that is, as if the third S were a U). (Officially, the Society has said "attempts to pronounce the name are discouraged".)
The society can be contacted via their website, listed below, or by telephoning (800) 876-SING.
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[edit] Recent events
In 2003, due to financial problems, the Society sold "Harmony Hall,"[1], an historic lake front mansion[2], which had served as its headquarters since 1957, and relocated operations to a strip mall in Kenosha.
In 2005, the Society established The Barbershop Harmony Society as its new "brand name," with an accompanying logo and identity program. This has not been without controversy, as many members felt that the mission of the society was to preserve the familiar style and its history, and that therefore a new, modern name was not in keeping with that mission. Furthermore, the name change was approved by the board of directors without putting it to a vote of the members at large. Lastly, many members view with concern that the term "quartet" has been dropped from the name, as the society seems to be moving in the direction of choral singing, and downplaying quartet singing.
The board of directors have countered that the society needs to keep up with the times or risk disappearing.
In 2006, the Society announced plans to move its headquarters to Nashville, Tennessee[3], after considering Nashville, Dallas-Fort Worth, and the Milwaukee-Chicago corridor.
[edit] Notable artists
[edit] Quartets
- Acoustix, 1990 International Quartet Champions
- Bluegrass Student Union, 1978 International Quartet Champions
- The Buffalo Bills, 1950 International Quartet Champions, appeared in stage and screen productions of The Music Man, frequently appeared on Arthur Godfrey's radio show
- The Gas House Gang, 1993 International Quartet Champions (from St. Louis, Missouri)
- Four Voices, 2002 International Quartet Champions
- FRED, 1999 International Quartet Champions, Comedy Quartet
- Gotcha!, 2004 International Quartet Champions
- Michigan Jake, 2001 International Quartet Champions
- Platinum, 2000 International Quartet Champions
- Power Play, 2003 International Quartet Champions
- Realtime, 2005 International Quartet Champions
- The Suntones, 1961 International Quartet Champions
- Vocal Spectrum[4], 2004 collegiate champions and 2006 International Quartet Champions
- Metropolis, International Medalist Quartet (2002-2006), 1998 Grand National A Cappella Champions (Harmony Sweepstakes), Popular Comedy Quartet
[edit] Choruses
- The Vocal Majority [5], based in Dallas, TX, Eleven-time International Chorus Champions (1975, 1979, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006)
- The Masters of Harmony [6], Six-time International Chorus Champions (1990, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005). The only repeat International Championship Chorus ever to earn every Gold Medal in succession, each time they were eligible to compete.
- The Louisville Thoroughbreds [7], Seven-time International Chorus Champions
- The New Tradition Chorus [8], based out of Northbrook, IL, in the Chicagoland area. They are the 2001 International Chorus Champion and current 3rd place bronze medalist. Won a record eight consecutive silver medals.
- The Ambassadors of Harmony[9], based in St Charles, MO, 2004 International Chorus Champions.
- Toronto Northern Lights [10], Five-time International Silver Medalist (2001-2005) Chorus from Toronto, Ontario, and 3rd Place Bronze Medalist (2006).
- The Midwest Vocal Express [11], perennial international top 10 chorus, based in the Milwaukee, WI area. Known for innovative and creative performances, directed for years by Russ Forris, and currently directed by Chris Peterson. Fifth-Place Bronze Medalists in 2002, 2003 and 2006.
- The Big Apple Chorus [12], based out of Manhattan has competed internationally, performed in Russia, and makes up the "Singing Chorus Tree" at South Street Seaport every holiday season.
- The Sound of the Rockies [13], a Denver, Colorado-based chorus that has won the Rocky Mountain District championship 4 times and placed in the top 10 at International the past 5 years running. Directed by Darin Drown.
- The Singing Buckeyes [14], based in Columbus, Ohio, are eleven-time Johnny Appleseed District (Ohio, the western part of Pennsylvania and most of West Virginia) Chorus Champions. They have competed many times at the international level, achieving Third Place Bronze Medal. The chapter hosts the Buckeye Invitational each August.
- The MegaCity Chorus [15], based out of Toronto, On. International Chorus Contest competitor, formerly directed by June Dale and currently under the direction of Chris Arnold.
- The Academy (chorus) [16], a small chorus with big goals in Tampa, FL, under the direction of Drew Kirkman.
- Cambridge Chord Company, twice European champion barbershop chorus and British Association of Barbershop Singers gold medalists, "Choir of the World" International Eisteddfod 2004, based in England
- The Great Northern Union [17], perennial international top 10 chorus, based in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area
- Pacific Coast Harmony[18], two-time International competitor from La Jolla, California, in the greater San Diego area.
- Voices In Harmony[19], a brand new chorus developing in California's Bay Area, under the direction of Dr. Greg Lyne.
- The Westminster Chorus [20], a Youth barbershop chorus in California started by young members of the Masters of Harmony, and Silver Medalist (2006).
- The Alliance Chorus [21], an outstanding group from Central Ohio, competing from the Johnny Appleseed District (JAD). The Alliance has placed fourth (2003), fifth (2004), sixth (2005), and seventh (2006) at the International Barbershop Harmony Society Competitions, and have been the Johnny Appleseed District Champions since 2002.
- The South Bay Coastliners [22], legendary chorus based in Torrance, CA, under the direction of Peter Neushul.
- The Texas Millionaires Chorus [23], internationally ranked chorus from Fort Worth, Texas, directed by Tom Jackson.
[edit] Districts of BHS
- Cardinal District, Kentucky & Indiana
- Central States District, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota
- Dixie District, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Carolinas
- Evergreen District, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, western Canada
- Far Western District, California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii
- Illinois District
- Johnny Appleseed District, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania
- Land-O-Lakes District, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Michigan UP, central Canada
- Mid-Atlantic District, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey
- Northeastern District, New York, all of New England, eastern Canada
- Ontario District
- Pioneer District, Michigan
- Rocky Mountain District, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah
- Seneca Land District, New York, Pennsylvania
- Southwest District, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico
- Sunshine District, Florida
[edit] Competitions
To promote barbershop singing, the organization runs annual compeititions for barbershop choruses and quartets.
