Harmony College Online 2024

A Gendered History of Barbershop

Aurélie Gandour | Monday 9th September 19:30

This session will look at the early history of barbershop singing from its origins up to the mid-twentieth century through a gendered lens. We will cover the story of how we ended up with a strict binary division along gender lines in how barbershop is practised and organised, and dismantle the idea of barbershop singing as a quintessentially male genre.

Aurélie Gandour is a doctoral researcher at the music department of SOAS University of London. Their research is concerned with gender in barbershop singing from an ethnomusicological point of view. Aurélie sings in the barbershop style with London City Singers, Endeavour Chorus, and Peridot quartet. As a former academic librarian, Aurélie has taught hundreds of hours of adult classes as an information skills trainer, and is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

The Singing Actor

Theresa Weatherbee | Monday 9th September 20:30

What if…

• You could command the stage with absolute confidence?
• You were able to deliver a moving and captivating performance?
• And you had the power to bring your audience to their feet?

During this interactive class, you will learn about the skills necessary to become an impactful performer. The Singing Actor is for those who want to know what it takes to be great at what they do on the stage.

Canadian born, Theresa Weatherbee has been a member of Harmony Inc. since 1981 and joined the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) in 2009. History was made in July 2019 as seven women became Certified Judges in the BHS and Theresa was one of them. Theresa is a Certified Performance Judge both organisations and is currently the Performance Category Specialist of Harmony, Incorporated As well as being a Certified Judge in Barbershop Harmony Society, she coaches quartets and choruses all over the world. Her experience comes from musical theatre and being in front of the camera as a background actor in movies and television. Known for her 'all-consuming passion' for the stage, Theresa’s main mission is to help the performer take their already existing performance skills to new heights and learn how to achieve believability through continued education and development.

Judge With the Judges

Delyth Knight, Anna Conochie, Paula Taylor-Williams, Mike Taylor (Chair) | Tuesday 10th September 19:30

Three experienced certified judges come together to review some fascinating barbershop performances. They will share their perspectives through the lens of each category and explain what they are looking and listening for. Why not judge along with them?

What I didn't know as a beginning director and quartet singer

Jim Henry | Tuesday 10th September 20:30

Jim Henry is the musical and artistic co-director of the five-time BHS international champion chorus, the Ambassadors of Harmony, a 130-voice men's a cappella ensemble. He took over the reins of direction of the chorus from David Wright in 1990,and since 2013 has co-directed with Jonny Moroni. He currently sings bass with and arranges for Crossroads, 2009 BHS International Quartet Champions. Crossroads has performed worldwide, has appeared in television and radio broadcasts, and has produced three albums. Jim was previously the bass of the hugely popular Gas House Gang, 1993 International Quartet Champions.

Jim travels worldwide as a guest conductor, coach, and lecturer. His doctoral thesis was on the origins of barbershop harmony.

Choosing music to make your group shine

Boo de Bruin | Wednesday 11th September 19:30

Where do you source ideas for new repertoire? How can you tell whether your group will be successful or not with this chart? What can you sing in barbershop contest? Boo will explore how to build a balanced repertoire of songs that show your chorus or quartet at their best, whether they are singing in shows or contest.

Boo is the current Category Director for the BABS Musicality Category. She sings tenor with 2022 European champion quartet Avalon; and LABBS chorus, Amersham A Cappella, where she is also assistant musical director. For four years she served as the LABBS Youth Co-ordinator.

The Challenges of Being an Arranger

David Wright | Wednesday 11th September 20:30

David Wright has written gold-medal arrangements for numerous champion quartets and choruses.  In this class he will discuss the obstacles that confront an arranger, from how to get started to the process of crafting a top-quality arrangement

David Wright is an arranger and composer of vocal music, where his work often integrates the close harmony barbershop style with jazz, gospel, contemporary a cappella and more.He is the Associate Director of the St. Charles Ambassadors of Harmony, an award-winning male chorus of 130 singers. He was inducted into the Barbershop Harmony Society Hall of Fame in 2008. He has arranged hundreds of songs in the barbershop style, including some co-arranged with Deke Sharon and has earned four international chorus gold medals with the Ambassadors of Harmony. As a quartet singer he has won three district championships. He has appeared on national radio and TV broadcasts, and has authored several articles on vocal harmony, as well as a textbook on mathematics and music.

Develop an ear for overtones

Jay Dougherty | Thursday 12th September 19:30

Headphones recommended.

This session will isolate the overtones of the human voice to demonstrate how the overtone series is affected by different vocal choices. Attendees will learn to hear overtones more effectively.

Dr. Jay Dougherty, is an Associate Professor at Drury University in Springfield, MO and serves there as the Performing Arts Department Chair and Director of Choral Activities. He holds a DMA and MM in Choral Conducting from the University of Colorado Boulder and a BM in Choral Music Education from Brigham Young University, Provo. Jay is a published author, arranger, and composer and has given nearly 100 presentations at conferences and conventions around the world. Jay is a certified Musicality Judge for the BHS, a coach and clinician, and is a 10-year faculty member at Harmony University. Jay resides in Springfield, Missouri, with his wife and five daughters.

A Live Rehearsal with Meantime Chorus

Simon Arnott and Meantime Chorus | Thursday 12th September 20:30

Join our BABS Chorus Champs for a live rehearsal. Meantime are opening up 45 mins of their rehearsal to get a glimpse at how they work towards a variety of goals.

On a crisp August morning in 2015, a small group of friends gathered in a beer garden and founded a chorus — with the dream of sharing the music they loved with the world.

A decade on and now fifty strong, Meantime Chorus continues its mission to share the joy of a cappella and barbershop music with our audiences. We’ve performed for people all over the country, including in Brighton, Harrogate, Manchester and our home in London. By pushing our musical boundaries, we’ve won national competitions and established ourselves as a prominent chorus in the vocal ensemble scene.

Although we’ve grown a lot, some things have stayed the same — after every rehearsal, we’re still gathering in a beer garden, having a laugh, and sharing our love of singing.

Tell the World! How to get your chorus/quartet noticed online and in the media

John Beesley | Friday 13th September 19:30

Under the title 'Tell the world' I cover tips on writing stand-out press releases, developing contacts and building relationships with broadcasters, newspapers and online newsletters and neighbourhood sites. We also look at ways to offer compelling online content from simple audio and video clips recorded on mobile phones to more complex mini-packages using free software. I'm anticipating a good deal of discussion, sharing of ideas and Q&A.

John Beesley is a seasoned broadcast journalist, producer, and presenter with a career spanning 40 years. In addition to his work in broadcasting, John has spent 15 years as an active member of the Barbershop singing community, performing with groups such as Capital Chorus, The Royal Harmonics, EQ Rendezvous, Luminosity, and several quartets.

As the Public Relations Officer (PRO) for Capital Chorus, John has consistently secured press coverage and appearances on local radio and regional TV for the group. His efforts have extended to supporting other ensembles, including arranging a Saturday slot on Radio Oxford for Hallmark of Harmony and Meantime Chorus ahead of their King’s Sutton performance last year. He also advised Simon Miskin on reaching out to regional TV regarding the British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS) convention in Bournemouth, providing key contacts that contributed to the event’s media success.

John has produced the Harmony UK Podcast for over eight years and has created numerous short online videos for both Capital Chorus and The Royal Harmonics.

Vocal Mythbusters

Rob Mance | Friday 13th September 20:30

When we sing, should we "open our throat"?  "Drop the jaw"?  "Raise the soft palate"?  "Sing from the diaphragm"?  These and other topics will be examined as we go together on a baber-mythbusting adventure!

Rob Mance is a barbershop coach and BHS Singing Judge. He is the Director of 2016 silver medalist chorus Central Standard as well as Sweet Adelines chorus Vocal Standard.

Rob is a highly sought after vocal coach and regularly visits the UK coaching our top choruses.