This week's newest, hot chart is by the Fab Four! And who better to arrange a Beatles tune than Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers (LABBS) member Dr. Liz Garnett? Liz also arranged the best-selling "Happy Together," and a number of other charts in our catalog. 

"A Hard Day's Night" has a driving rock tempo with sensible range and easy a cappella treatment. (Popapella, Barberpop, etc).

Looking for other Beatles tunes? Don't forget When I'm Sixty-Four, Yesterday, and something to the effect...something.. oh, "Something!" When you plan your shows, gigs, and festivals, keep in mind audience connectivity matters. The Beatles had four albums that sold more than ten million copies!

Two of these new arrangements will be debuted at the Saturday Night Spectacular in Pittsburgh, by a fantasy quartet you assemble. Yep-- pick each voice for the ultimate fantasy quartet, and we'll make it happen.

And finally: everyone attending the convention will receive music and learning tracks in advance so they can participate in the debut performance led by a director you select.

A significant part of our outreach effort in Pittsburgh will center around building "Bridges to Harmony." The "Stephen Foster Songbook" will play a role in that, as we bring America's classic music to new groups throughout the community, and invite them to sing it with us.

Visit tinyurl.com/stephenfostersongbook to cast your votes today!

How would it feel to be a peer with those guys? Do you have the chops to be a faculty member at Harmony University? HU Dean Donny Rose is assembling a team right now, with an eye toward extending the breadth of experience and skills offered our students. 

Men and women alike are encouraged to apply, with particular emphasis placed on:

• background experience

• music training

• private voice instruction preferred

• leadership training

• music degrees preferred, but not required for all areas

• BHS/SAI/HI applicants welcome

• Diverse subject areas: if you teach something unique that is not currently offered, this would be a bonus

Interested? Submit your credentials here, or contact drose@barbershop.org  

OOGA-CHALLENGE COMPLETE

Aca-Giant Trudbol crushes "Hooked On A Feeling"

With more than 22,000 views and counting, YouTube multi-tracking sensation Julien Neel takes the prize in our ooga-challenge. Watch is his winning take, then order the song.

When on duty, your Harmony Hall staff is devoted to great service every day.

Being rested, clear-headed, and happy family people means they take holidays, too. Hence, we will be closed for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday Thursday, November 27-Monday, December 1. Harmony Hall Nashville will open for business on Tuesday, December 2.

Naturally, you can kick off your Christmas shopping right away at www.HarmonyMarketplace.com, and we're sure you'll include cool stuff like these great Christmas CDs, and something very cool and mysterious coming on CyberMonday, December 1. But you'll just have to wait and see on that one, okay? But cool. And mysterious.

YOU DID THIS

At its fall meeting, the Society Board of Directors gave initial approval to a 2015 budget that included a ZERO dollar increase in dues. Zip. Zilch. Nada. 

 Now, maybe that would seem to be a non-story, except Society dues have increased in each of the last five years. And, more surprising, but confusing, we are doing more things for more people. So, how is this possible?

You did this. You bought more music than before. You attended more Society events, learned more, sang more, and had more fun barbershopping. 

And, even as we extended the reach of our Society to more outreach events, to more people than ever before, we did it without subsidizing these efforts with dues dollars. The vast, ever-growing expansion of these efforts has come through generous donors to Harmony Foundation International.

Reducing dependency on dues is one of our four strategic aims (see story January Harmonizer.) The fact that we are stabilizing our Society financially while expanding our outreach (also a primary aim) is no miracle. It's the result of rethinking every aspect of our business with an aim of delivering value, and remaining tightly committed to our core values.

The Society's financial position is stronger today than it has been in many years. We have the breathing room now to focus on more than just paying bills. We can begin to act ... to ensure a stronger future."