Sweet Adeline contest results are in!
Meet the Diocesan Boys Choir in Reno
Are you up to date?
It's a good week for barbershop on YouTube
Harmony Marketplace is saving YOU money!
Counting down to DEKE SHARON
Go forth and ring some chords, fellas!
2017 convention news
It was the Swede. At the chapter show. With the overtones.
Code of Ethics update
Don't miss out on a grant for your project
ALL THE DOWNLOADS
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Sweet Adelines holds 70th annual convention in Las Vegas, NV

It wasn't that long ago that the MGM Grand Resort and Casino was filled with thousands of Barbershoppers... but this time it was Sweet Adelines' turn! The best of the best turned out for a terrific competition week, the first of three consecutive years that the SA convention will be held at the MGM.

Performances will be available online in the coming weeks, but you can start with the chorus finals here! For a recap of the quartet finals, click here.

International Quartet Champion: Speed of Sound


International Chorus Champion: Scottsdale Chorus
VIDEO: Finals set

Harmony Classic Small Chorus Champion: 
Carolina Harmony Chorus


Harmony Classic Mid-size Chorus Champion: 
River Blenders Chorus

WHAT HAPPENS IN RENO GOES GLOBAL

YCF Highlight: Diocesan Boys Choir of Hong Kong

The International Youth Chorus Festival adds another nation to its global roster this year, with the introduction of the Diocesan Boys Choir of Hong Kong. This video tells the story: great barbershop singing knows no borders.

A few slots still remain -- contact the Outreach department to discuss ways you can help sponsor a group to this premier destination event!

YOU KNOW MY NAME, NOW LOOK UP THE NUMBER

Make eBiz your BFF... ASAP

When you move or change your phone number or get a new email address, you tell your friends, right? Well, make sure you tell Harmony Hall as well by going to your eBiz account and updating your contact details!

Hey, choruses! We're talking to you, too!! Update your rehearsal location and meeting night so that traveling barbershoppers can find you. Plus, an accurate street address ensures that your chapter will show up in our app. Google maps doesn't really know what to do with "Presbyterian church next to the library" as an address. (Sometimes it gets confused by "Canada" but we're working on that one.)

#allthebarbershop

At last!

If you haven't visited our YouTube page for a while, you may want to take a look. A few new videos have popped up...

REPORT CARD TIME

Marketplace is the place to be!

With planning and budgeting well underway for 2016 and beyond, the headquarters staff held some intense meetings this week. Intense = awesome... minds were pretty well blown by the ambition and potential of what lies ahead.

Here's the cool part: every person in the meeting came away with at least one "I didn't know that!" moment.

In no particular order, here are four eye-openers from our Marketplace team:

  • The new Harmony Marketplace web experience has saved shoppers $100,000 in member discounts since June of this year.

  • The simplified pricing model for sheet music has drastically increased sales of unpublished titles, getting more music in the hands of singers.

  • Shipping times have been cut to, on average, less than 36 hours from purchase to UPS pickup at HQ.

  • Digital downloads are on track to exceed hard copy sales within a year.

You won't believe what's coming next. But we pretty sure you're going to like it.

THE PITCH PERFECT HOST

Get ready for a Deke Sharon knowledge bomb

Aca-wizard Deke Sharon is hosting the Youth Chorus Festival at Midwinter this year... and you know he will be energetic, irreverent, and SUPER STOKED to see all these young guys singing a cappella music. But did you know he'll be performing at our Friday night show? And leading a vocal instrument sound class with the YCF singers? AND sharing his wisdom about "Making Barbershop Go Viral" in a Masterclass on Saturday morning?!?!

Well, now you do. No more reasons to miss out on an EPIC weekend with Deke, 15 Youth Choruses, the top Senior Quartets, and special guests we haven't even told you about yet!!! Register here.... NOW.

SEIZE THE DAY, BOYS!

Fall Contests kick into high gear

Last weekend saw two fantastic District conventions! Here's how it all stacked up:
Central States District
Quartet Champion - SwitchBack
Chorus Champion - Ambassadors of Harmony
Senior Quartet Champion - Armchair Chorderbacks

Sunshine District
Quartet Champion - Signature
Chorus Champion - THX
Senior Quartet Champion - Equinox

This weekend brings no less than SIX conventions to enjoy. There's probably one starting near you RIGHT NOW, so hop in the car and you'll make it in time for the Friday night 'glow.

Evergreen District (EVG)  -  event page  |  webcast
Far Western District (FWD)  -  event page  |  webcast
Johnny Appleseed District (JAD)  -  event page
Northeastern District (NED)  -  event page  | #NEDCON2015
Ontario District (ONT)  -  event page
Pioneer District (PIO)  -  event page

DON'T WORRY... WE GOT THIS

Arena renovation in Minneapolis affects 2017 convention plan

The Minneapolis Convention and Visitors Bureau has informed us that the Target Center, a primary venue for our 2017 International Convention, will be undergoing a major renovation during July, 2017. This is breaking news that will potentially have an impact on our 2017 plans. We are in deep conversation with the City of Minneapolis and will keep you posted as our options and solutions reveal themselves. Due to the timing of this announcement, the probability that the 2017 International Convention will be moved to another city is fairly high at this point.

We are exploring a variety of 2017 alternatives that will meet the needs and expectations of our competitors and audiences. Additional information will be released as it becomes available and an official announcement made once the location has been confirmed.

SWEDISH INVASION

Your chapter show... now 100% more Swedish!  


RINGMASTERS ARE COMING BACK TO NORTH AMERICA....     One of our most beloved champion quartets, Ringmasters, is organizing a tour of North America in 2016. These four, young Swedes are as handsome and beguiling as they are superb singers and entertainers. They are equally talented as teachers, as clinician for Youth Festivals, and coaching quartets and choruses.
 
The tour is specifically planned for the month of June leading up to the BHS Annual Convention in Nashville.   However, if enough interest is shown they "could" be available for shorter trips March-May.
 
If your chapter/chorus is interested, please contact their business manager, George Davidson, for details at [email protected]

And that's not all...

Lemon Squeezy is looking to do an American tour in the weeks leading up to Internationals in Nashville 2016! If you are planning a summer concert or a pre-contest show it would be our pleasure to partake and help making your show just a bit more yellow.
Please contact us at [email protected] for more details!


SHARP EYES CATCH EVERY NUANCE

Yep, there's a new word on your membership card

Every time we reprint membership card stock, we aim for accuracy and timeliness. So, when the latest batch went to the printer, we were careful to update the Code of Ethics printed on the reverse to reflect action taken by the Society Board of the Directors at the 2015 Midwinter Convention in New Orleans.

With the addition of "primarily,"  Canon 7 now reads "We shall not use our membership in the Society primarily for personal gain." Why the change? To again make clear that we exist as a singing, educational and fraternal

 organization, not a business networking organization. Sure, we might do barbershop business together (coaching, arranging, show fees, program ads, etc. are all legitimate activities.) We might incidentally seek each other for professional services, too, but that's not the primary purpose of membership. In other words, we're closer to being the Chamber Singers than the Chamber of Commerce.
That's all.

GRANT DEADLINE APPROACHING!

BHS grants now support a broader range of outreach

The Society's new vision extends far beyond traditional youth outreach. Relevance in your communities means making a difference in many areas and in support of projects that cover a wide variety of activities. Maybe YOUR project fits into one of these categories:

  • Adult outreach - all age groups, from recent college graduates to seniors; as members, fellow singers, and audiences
  • Community outreach - building partnership with other musical organizations and underserved populations, age groups, income levels, and ethnicities
  • Youth outreach - through camps, workshops, festivals and scholarships
  • Education- supporting school music programs and support for educators themselves
  • Supporting community-based choral initiatives and community singing
  • Support of the chapter purpose areas in the Society bylaws
  • Leveraging BHS funding to obtain additional local funding

Next grant deadline is OCTOBER 31ST! 

HARMONY MARKETPLACE: DOWNLOAD EVERYTHING!

Learn an entire show set during a single crummy airport layover
With instant purchase and download from iTunes and Amazon, you can turn a bad night in O'Hare into a mini-retreat.
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