Barbershop quartet in Lincoln, Neb.
Gentlemen, 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 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 source of human liberty.”
Was this a call-in to a right-wing radio talk show last week? Hardly. It’s a letter penned to men in the Tulsa area on April 6, 1938, and goes on to read, “Therefore, we have decided to hold a songfest on the Roof Garden of the Tulsa Club on Monday, April 11, at 6:30 PM.” Picture the University Club (in years gone by)—the Tulsa Club was very similar, and there’s an old video showing this very meeting that you can see in a movie I’ll discuss later.
The birth of the “Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America,” called SPEBSQSA, a tongue-in-cheek acronym born during the alphabet soup era of government programs of the New Deal, survives to this day. Much to the consternation of old-time members, the organization is now called The Barbershop Harmony Society, a name change dating back just a few years.
“The Society” was perhaps hatched even before the letter excerpted above. Rupert Hall, the author of the invitation and a Tulsa investment banker, ran into O. C. Cash, a Tulsa tax attorney, in the lobby of the Muehlebach Hotel in Kansas City when a storm had closed the airport. Striking up a few chords (after tipping the bellboy to find them a tenor singer), the men bemoaned the decline of that all-American institution, the barber- shop quartet. The seed was planted for an organization that now includes more than 30,000 singers and 800 chapters in the United States and Canada. And now there are quartets and choruses in places as far flung as New Zealand and Australia and many European countries ... another 4,000 singers.
Lincoln, Neb., will be a focal point for much quartet singing in the month of October. Mayor Beutler has even proclaimed October “Barbershop Harmony Month.”
If you’re anywhere downtown on the weekend of Oct. 9 and 10, you’ll likely hear four guys singing on any given street corner: a bass (the low rumbling notes), a baritone (sometimes singing high, other times lower than the bass), a lead (the melody) and a tenor (the high, soprano of the group, likely in falsetto). The quality of the singing will vary! When a quartet is singing properly, you’ll notice that it sounds like more than four people singing. That’s because proper voice placement will create overtones ... notes an octave above what’s actually being sung.
One place where it’s guaranteed that the quality of singing will be world-class is the Lied Center on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 8 p.m. The Ambassadors of Harmony, the 2009 Chorus Champions, will be on stage. They’re composed of 140 excellent singers, many of whom drive hours to rehearse in St. Charles, Mo.
Their director, Dr. Jim Henry, is also the bass singer from this year’s quartet champion, Crossroads. They’ll be performing, as well as Vocal Spectrum, the 2006 Champions. It would be impossible for me to describe the incredible balance, tuning and expressiveness of the groups. To get a taste, go to YouTube and do a search, or better yet go to The Barbershop Society Web site, http://www.barbershop.org. While you’re there, scroll down to “Westminster Wins Choir of the World.” Click there and watch a video of Westminster. They’re the Society champion chorus of 2007, and they recently won the title of Choir of the World in Wales, singing several styles of music. They’re 30 guys all under the age of 30 from Southern California. An incredible sound.
The reason for this gathering in Lincoln is the Central States Barbershop Harmony Society Convention and Competition. Quartets and choruses from Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska will be competing to win Gold Medals. The chorus winner will be invited to “International,” which will be held in Philadelphia next July. Nearly 1,500 people will likely attend the competition. The remainder of the Lied seats will be available for each session. Single-session admissions will be available at the door. Someone will be there to guide you through the process. If you’re unable to attend Saturday night’s Champion show, consider attending the Abendmusik concert Sunday, Oct. 11. It’ll feature“Crossroads, the 2009 quartet champions, at First Plymouth at 4 p.m. There’ll be an ice cream social following the performance.
The first movie to feature barbershop quartet singing since “The Music Man” will be showing at the Ross Film Theater from Oct. 2–15. It’s called “American Harmony,” and it features four quartets and their quest for the International quartet championship over a three-year period. These guys are definitely not in the Buffalo Bills mold from the ’50s. Two of the quartets are composed entirely of young men under 30. It’s an inside look at some of the greatest talent ever in The Society.
And while they don’t hold practices on the roof of The University Club (Towers), Lincoln’s own barbershop chorus, The Lincoln Continentals, will be holding a guest night on Oct. 19 at Warren United Methodist Church at 45th and Orchard streets at 7 p.m. They’re looking for good singers to help launch the chorus to excellence as they begin their next 60 years. That’s correct ... the local chorus has been around since the late ’40s and has a loyal and most appreciative following. The chorus works hard to do an annual show every April at Kimball Recital Hall on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus, and it does many shows for local businesses and organizations throughout the year. They want to “Encourage and Preserve” this unique style of singing and performing. For more information about the chorus, go to http://www.lincolncontinentals.org.
The 1938 letter from Rupert Hall in Tulsa concluded, “Do not forget the date, and make every effort to be present, telephone us if convenient. We will have a private room and so will not be embarrassed by the curiosity of the vulgar public. You may bring a fellow singer if you desire.” Remember Oct. 19 at Warren Methodist!
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