IN THE SPOTLIGHT

SINGING VALENTINE
PHOTOS ARE HERE!

In the fall of 1959, a few men who expressed interest in singing barbershop music met for the first time. They quickly established the desire to organize and charter a new chorus chapter in the barbershop society, then known as the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA).

The chorus was officially licensed in 1960. Under the sponsorship of the Minneapolis Commodores, it was chartered with SPEBSQSA in 1961, and held its first show in November of that year. The chorus was originally known as "The Medicine Men", after the fact that the city of Rochester is home to the world-renowned Mayo Clinic.

Barbershop music is not so much a kind of music as it is a style of singing. Barbershop harmony is a unique "art form" that originated in the United States in the late 1800's and has been enjoyed for over 100 years. The Barbershop Harmony Society (originally SPEBSQSA), formed in 1938, is dedicated to preserving this American heritage.

The characteristics of Barbershop music are:

• four part harmony (melody plus three harmony voices)
• unaccompanied singing (a cappella)
• melodies that are easily sung
• lyrics that use casual language
• a rich chordal structure

Barbershop singing is a folk style of singing that developed in the late 1800's ostensibly by men socializing while waiting for shaves and haircuts at the barber shop, hence the name. The hallmark of our sound is the four part harmony. The leads (almost) always sing the melody while the basses sing a foundation part establishing the harmonic chords. What sets barbershop apart from other styles is the tenor harmony above the melody, and a baritone part that fills out the chords somewhere between the tenor and bass.

Barberhop music is rich in chords often having all four singing parts on different notes. You'll see a lot of use of the "7th" note in the scale to complete the "barbershop 7th chord." Our style also takes advantage of playing with various other embellishments in music such as deviating the tempo to accomplish more emotion and definition of the lyric (especially in ballads). You'll also see added swipes to further stylize the music (the "bari's" are well-known for always finding places to suspend the chord and then resolve it). Many of the song endings have been enhanced for a more dramatic effect on the audience. Many times one of the voice parts will "post", or suspend the final note while the other three parts repeat lyrics or simply change the chords only to finally resolve back to the final chord of the song.

ABOUT THE LAND O' LAKES DISTRICT

Land O' Lakes District (LOL) of the Barbershop Harmony Society comprises all of North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and the western half of the Michigan Upper Peninsula, USA; and all of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and the western half of Ontario, Canada. Within the LOL are 53 barbershop choruses or "chapters," and many more registered quartets. Choruses range in size from more than 100 men "on the risers" to as small as 12 men. Each chorus rehearses one night a week, having fun making great a cappella music in the barbershop style. Most chapters hold regular shows during the year, often sharing the stage with spectacular guest quartets. Additionally, most choruses and quartets diligently refine their skills and compete annually at district contests. Our top choruses and quartets go on to compete at the annual International Competition and Convention held in a different city in North America, but always during the week of July 4th. 

Each chapter also works within their community supporting youth music programs as well as supporting the Harmony Foundation. The Harmony Foundation, is a not-for-profit organization incorporated in 1959 as a charitable subsidiary of SPEBSQSA. Today, the Foundation supports the Society's Endowment Program and provides grants for music programs, activities, and organizations. Additionally, there are many leadership and educational opportunities within the district and the Society, including Chapter Operation Training Seminars (COTS), District Mini-HEP, Harmony Explosion Youth Music Festivals, Harmony College, and Directors College.