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Crossroads to appear on national TV Saturday morning
Go back to our roots on April 11
Barbershop and Scouting
Ya gotta have charts
Fantasy quartet voting heats up
Still more scholarships offered
The Pittsburghers welcome you to Pittsburgh
Grants deadline nearing
FOX-TIVITIES 
Crossroads to appear on national TV Saturday morning

To celebrate our Society's founding, your 2009 International Quartet Champion Crossroads is scheduled to appear this weekend on "Fox & Friends" (Fox News Channel) this Saturday, April 11, between 6:00-10:00 am ET, exact time unknown. Set the DVR for this beloved quartet, who are nationally recognized not only for their singing and entertainment, but also for their research and performance into the historical roots of barbershop harmony. 

 

To whet your appetite, here's a clip from their recent appearance at the ACDA National Conference alongside Grammy Award winners The Fairfield Four.

Crossroads and The Fairfield Four - Roll Jordan Roll
Crossroads and The Fairfield Four - "Roll Jordan Roll"


 

The OLD old logo, circa 1944.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Go back to our roots on April 11 
It was 77 years ago this weekend that 26 men showed up at the Tulsa Club for a night of singing. They'd been invited by "Rupert Hall, Royal Keeper of the Minor Keys" and "O.C. Cash, Third Assistant Temporary Vice Chairman" of the Society for the Preservation and Propagation of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in the United States (sic), who noted:

In this age of Dictators and Government control of everything, about the only privilege guaranteed by the Bill of Rights not in some way supervised and directed, is the art of Barber Shop Quartet singing. Without doubt we still have the right of "peaceable assembly" which I am advised by competent legal authority includes quartet singing. The writers of this letter have for a long time thought that something should be done to encourage the enjoyment of this last remaining vestige of human liberty. Therefore, we have decided to hold a songfest on the Roof Garden of the Tulsa Club on Monday, April 11, at six-thirty p.m.  (Read the full letter here.)


 

And off they went! As historian Grady Kerr reports,


 

It was a fine, warm spring day. OC Cash, Rupert Hall, Donnie O'Donovan, Elmer Lawyer and "Puny" Blevens were the first to arrive. Rupe went off to arrange for the food leaving the other four to ask, "What Are We Waiting For?" They decided to try to woodshed the song "Down Mobile."  Cash states that he had invited 14 men and 26 "crashed the party". They sang and harmonized to some old songs for several hours with several breaking off into quartets as well. 
Read the full storyand Listen to O. C. Cash tell the story himself.


 

That group of guys, singing for themselves in "a private room... [so as to] not be embarrassed by the curiosity of the vulgar public," formed the nucleus of a harmonizing movement which would wrap around the world and bring joy to millions of singers and listeners. This weekend, sing a song, hoist a glass, and give thanks for that first night of harmony!

Visit our blog FROM THE BLOG
Barbershop and Scouting

Sweet Adelines International is proud to announce Sweet Adelines' collaboration with the Girl Scouts of the USA!


To preserve and teach the art of barbershop harmony, there is now a Young Women in Harmony patch for Girl Scouts to earn! Interested girls of all ages can get this new patch for their sash by exploring four-part a cappella harmony, barbershop basics, and even a Sweet Adelines rehearsal. Let's keep the vocal art of barbershop harmony alive and well for many generations to come.


You can also use barbershop to fulfill requirements of the Boy Scouts Music Merit badge. Details on the blog.

 

 
Ya gotta have charts. 
We all know the best groups out there are constantly searching for new materials. They're turning over their repertoire every few years, though saving the occasional staples and audience favorites. Fortunately, our arrangers are rising to the task, with hits from every decade.

Most of our arrangers hone their craft over decades, carefully building their skills and body of work. They're the David Wrights, Kevin Kellers, and Tom Gentrys of the world. But today we want to highlight three new-ish arrangers to look out for -- three who are emerging in their own rights and making names for themselves.

Joel Guyer
Joel's got his own Guyer quartet with his triplet sons, The Guyer Boys, but his rhythm charts for his ever-growing chorus, his quartet, and the surrounding JAD are moving along. Check out his It's a Wonderful World (Loving You)

Eric Ruthenberg
Eric's a long-time Barbershopper and a face in the NED leadership. Known for singing with The Average Joes, for whom Eric did a number of charts, Eric's male and female charts are growing larger than NED.  Look for a Ruthenberg publication later this year. We recommend his version of I Just Decided To Stay for simple story telling awesomeness. 

Ziegler, a product of the CBQC, is one of those Swiss-Army Voices that can switch parts and probably do so undetected. Brian's has been crafting arrangements for his quartets and for the Sound of Illinois for some time now, most notably After Hours. Look at Heart and Soul for a crowd-pleasing favorite.

 

Vote for the Fantasy Quartet to debut Stephen Foster songs

  • Pick each voice for the ultimate fantasy quartet
    (a little birdie tells us that it's a tight race for lead!) 
  • Everyone attending the convention will receive music and learning tracks in advance 
  • Participate in the debut performance of one of the songs led by a director you select.

Voting ends on APRIL 15, so make your picks now! www.surveymonkey.com/s/stevenfosterfantasyquartet

HU GETTING H-U-G-E
Quartet College and Chorus College SOLD OUT; still more scholarships offered

"What makes barbershop sound better? Better quartets!" BOOM! Quartet College at Harmony University has expanded this year and has SOLD OUT all 16 slots.


 

"What makes more barbershop singing experiences more accessible to more singers? Better choruses!" BOOM! Harmony University's expanded Chorus College has SOLD OUT!


 

"What is the heart of every great quartet or chorus experience? Better Barbershoppers!" BOOM! Director of Harmony University Donny Rose reports that several more scholarships for individuals are still open for application, including:

  • The Jim Miller Directors College Scholarship - In tribute to the legendary quartet singer and champion chorus director, provided for educational advancement in directing barbershop music.

  • The AISQC Chorus Scholarship - Provided by the Association of International Seniors Quartet Champions for a BHS member, associate, or affiliate with a strong interest in developing skills for teaching, directing and performing music in the barbershop style.

  • The Earl Moon Scholarship - Provided by the Whittier Chapter in tribute to the legendary arranger, director and Tagmaster Supreme of Harmony University for decades. The scholarship's purpose is to honor and further Earl's efforts to give so much of his time and talent to help such active and involved men become better singers and learn the history of our great hobby.

  • The Lou Perry Arrangers Scholarships - In tribute to the man whose music is part of the DNA of our culture, two scholarships are available by competition for best original arrangement, and for promising new arrangers whose work show potential.

Learn more about these and other scholarships at harmonyuniversity.org/index.php/scholarships

HOMETOWN PRIDE
The Pittsburghers welcome you to Pittsburgh 
What other city can claim THREE International Quartet Champs? (Your scribe is *ahem* steeling himself for the answers....) Home to The Pittsburghers (1948), The Town and Country 4 (1963) and Joker's Wild (1994). Home to this summer's international convention

Get a fresh earful of that great, bright and brassy sound of yesteryear.
1958 Convention: The Pittsburghers
The Pittsburghers

Grants program deadline is April 30
Have a great idea that needs funding? Consider applying during second application window, open through April 30, 2015. Full details: www.barbershop.org/grants