2020 BHS YEARBOOK a Year Unlike Any Other Still Offered Plenty to Celebrate
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BRINGING BARBERSHOP HARMONY TO LIFE • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 2020 BHS YEARBOOK A year unlike any other still offered plenty to celebrate 2020 MIDWINTER BHS AWARDS LEGACY QUARTETS COMPETITORS, JUNIOR AND CELEBRATING THE NON- THE BEST WHO NEVER WON SENIOR FESTIVAL PERFORMERS CONTEST GREATS AMONG US EARN THE HONOR THEY DESERVE GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE/EDITORIAL [email protected] In This Issue EDITOR Lorin May JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 • VOLUME LXXXI • NUMBER 1 OUR VISION Everyone in Harmony OUR MISSION To bring people together in harmony and fellowship to enrich lives through singing. OUR PURPOSES To perpetuate the old American institution: the barbershop quartet and barbershop harmony To promote appreciation of barbershop harmony To initiate and maintain a broad program of musical education, contests, and appreciation in support of barbershop harmony and the allied arts To establish and maintain foundations that support our vision Barbershoppers had to learn new ways to socialize and harmonize with each other in 2020. But To initiate, promote and participate in charitable just as singers had to move online, so did our audiences. Our many virtual performances and projects that support our vision shows delivered some of the largest audiences many BHS choruses and quartets had ever seen, and online events opened up exciting new possibilities for the present and for a post COVID-19 The Society for the Preservation and Encouragement world of singing. Above: Jordan Travis, director of Ontario’s Harbourtown Sound Chorus, directs of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. one among several InstaChoir performances featuring singers from all over the world. (DBA Barbershop Harmony Society) is a non- profit organization operating in the United States and Canada. January/February 2021 Volume LXXXI Number 1 Contents Complete contact info: pages 35-36 2 A Change of Plans 20 Virtual Harmony University The Harmonizer (ISSN 0017-7849) (USPS 577700) is published bimonthly by the Barbershop Harmony Society, 110 7th Ave N, Nashville TN 37203-3704. With singing mostly shut down by COVID-19, The first non-live Harmony U succeeded far Periodicals Postage Paid at Nashville TN and at additional mailing offices. Barbershoppers found answers online beyond expectations POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Harmonizer, 110 7th Ave N, Nashville TN 37203-3704. Advertising rates available upon request at [email protected]. 7 Awards and Honors 22 Legacy Quartet Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts or artwork. Kevin Keller, Alan Lamson, Misty Martinez, Honoring the best who never won Postmaster: Send address changes to editorial offices of The Harmonizer, 110 7th Greg Clancy, and the inaugural Lifetime Ave N, Nashville TN 37203-3704 at least 30 days before the next publication date. (Publications Agreement No. 40886012. Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Achievement Award for Arrangers. Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor ON N9A 6J5. Email: [email protected]) 24 Society Awards Honoring the top non-contest achievements A portion of each member’s dues is allocated to cover the magazine’s subscription price. Subscription price to non-members is $25 yearly or $5 per issue; foreign 8 Midwinter Convention subscriptions are $35 yearly or $7 per issue (U.S. funds only). The only major in-person BHS gathering of 26 Welcome new members © 2021 The Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop 2020 was a thrilling sell-out success. Quartet Singing in America, Inc. dba The Barbershop Harmony Society. Printed in the USA 37 Happy New Year Tag 19 BHS judges, Board Connect with us YouTube: BarbershopHarmony38 Twitter: @barbershopnews barbershop.org Facebook: barbershopharmonysociety Instagram: @barbershopharmonysociety barbershop.org | January/February 2021 | The Harmonizer | 1 A CHANGE of 2PLANS | The Harmonizer | January/February 2021 | barbershop.org THE YEAR 2020 DIDN'T GO AS PLANNED FOR ANYBODY, BUT The news devastated singers, but fortunately the frustration gave birth BHS MEMBERS FACING UNIMAGINABLE RESTRICTIONS FOUND to action. As quickly as the virus WAYS TO FILL THEIR COMMUNITIES AND LIVES WITH SONG changed our broader world, an entire singing community innovated chan- nels to remotely deliver musical and social harmony to our homes. efore March 2020, the following over, all District Spring Conven- A CHANGE B sentence would have been cryp- tions had been cancelled (with the Zooming into a new normal tic nonsense: “During our quartet 2020 International Convention and The effect of the pandemic on sing- Zoom, we decided to keep meeting Harmony University Belmont soon ing ensembles could have been much virtually because the local curve to follow) and every chapter had worse had it come only a few years isn’t flattening enough to form a bub- cancelled in-person rehearsals. Jokes earlier. The vastly improved tech- ble and rehearse maskless.” about toilet paper shortages soon nology that kept many of us working What a year. gave way to the grim realization that As we tagged our hearts out in people were actually sick or dying, Late night at Jacksonville Midwinter, some of Jacksonville during January’s Mid- and that the pandemic was staying the last live tagging at a BHS event in 2020. winter Convention, some of us were with us for the foreseeable future. vaguely aware that countries on the As many workers risked their lives other side of the world had started or lost their jobs outright, others battling an infectious virus. Through struggled to work from home while the first part of March, most of serving as their kids’ school teacher. North America carried on blissfully Sadly for us, we also learned that without hearing the terms “social the world’s most harmonious form distancing,” “aerosol droplets,” or of stress relief was a super-spreader LORIN MAY “quarantine.” Before the month was activity. barbershop.org | January/February 2021 | The Harmonizer | 3 2020 IN REVIEW How we adjusted to a year like no other from home also helped us keep meet- but fairly regular Friday night virtu- ing and singing. al concerts, a streaming event that Using chapter downtime It didn’t take long before hundreds was a cross between a concert and a to build a better future of chapters were hosting meetings podcast. via video conferencing giant Zoom Groups like the Seattle Calgary’s Western Hospitality Singers and other services. While the tech Seachordsmen (EVG) report that (EVG) used the downtime to engage in a for real-time harmonizing was out of their chapters have been creating re-branding of its chorus. “A new name, reach for most, video conferencing great experiences throughout 2020, logo, image and marketing - aimed at was still a good medium for meet- often featuring guest speakers and raising our profile in the communities ings, vocal warmups, learning and clinicians nearly every week from all we touch,” said Chapter President Doug over the world. Minnesota’s Croix Gardner. “After reviewing and updating Chordsmen (LOL) have reportedly our direction, mission, and key goals, WHILE TECHNOLOGY been a model of member engage- we took marketing classes at Mount Royal University to develop a re-brand- COULD NOT DELIVER ment. Meanwhile, the Ambassadors of Harmony (CSD) began opening ing proposal and a communication plan REAL-TIME HARMONIZING, up their streamed virtual meetings for our chorus.” The chapter also hired HUNDREDS OF to all, giving valuable insight into a marketing advisor and two university students to work through the process. CHAPTERS MET, leadership, culture, music training, and innovation. SOCIALIZED, AND Online gatherings have made it PERFECTED CRAFT IN far easier for BHS leaders, district in future years as well, eliminating leaders, and staff to connect with travel time and costs for chapters VIRTUAL MEETINGS chapter and district members. BHS and the district. staff alone participated in hundreds perfecting music and choreo plans, of online meetings throughout the Social media helps fill gaps socializing, and much more. pandemic months. While many turned to “old school” At the early epicenter of greater The Northeastern District was one methods to keep in touch with fellow New York City’s first outbreaks, the of several that hosted an online fall singers, the thousands of Barber- Westchester Chordsmen (MAD) convention, including an afterglow shoppers who were already engaged moved quickly to create engaging hosted by Destination quartet. The via social media went into overdrive. online rehearsals, virtual chorus- widespread online Board meetings, As singers shared ideas to fill the es, and a partnership with a local leadership training, and House of musical void in their lives, many hospital. In Cincinnati, Southern Delegates meetings have been so ideas were quickly adopted. Gateway Chorus (JAD) led the way successful that the Southwestern Early on, 2019 International Final- in not only regular chapter meetings District plans to host them online ist The Core (JAD) started the pop- For three years, the Chicago Metro Chapter (ILL) hosted the Chicago Metro Quartet Contest, a warm-up to fall district contest for new and non-sea- soned quartets throughout the metro area who wish to get experienced and off-the-book judges feedback. They made the event virtual this October, with proceeds supporting Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. Participants included every variety of quartet: mixed harmony, high school, comedy, Next Generation, Seniors, and more. Part of the Zoom recording