LARGEST GATHERING OF BARBERSHOP ENTHUSIASTS ON THE PLANET

MARK YOUR CALENDARS Anaheim, California, June 28 – July 5, 2009 Barbershop Harmony Society’s 71st Annual International Convention and Competitions

The sounds you hear will be harmonious. They will be plentiful. And they will be uniquely American in their roots, but expansively international in their impact. They will come from thousands of people gathering to join in song. Close harmony singers from across the world and their fans will gather for shows, clinics, competitions, and good old-fashioned sing-alongs.

“High energy and lots of fun, barbershop quartet singing is as much a part of American culture as Old Glory, Mom and apple pie,” said Todd Wilson, Director of Marketing for the Barbershop Harmony Society, also a member of champion quartets ACOUSTIX (1990). “With the supporting benefits of social media – FaceBook, Twitter, live webcasts, and blogs – Anaheim will create a harmonious foundation to Keep the Whole World Singing.”

The 71st annual international convention and competitions, considered by many as the greatest barbershop show ever, will feature over 30 hours of world class performances highlighting some of the very best quartets and choruses on the planet. With Disneyland only steps away from the Anaheim Honda Center, Tuesday, June 30 is officially named Barbershop Day at the park, with discounted admission for convention attendees.

Thursday, July 2, the Association of International Champions (AIC) presents “Champs in Hollywood.” Dick Van Dyke’s quartet, The Vantastix will perform along with current International Champion Quartet OC Times and the AIC Chorus. Later in the week will be the International Gold Medal competition, Bank of America Collegiate Barbershop Quartet Championship, Harmony Foundation Show featuring passed and current international champions and the screenings of American Harmony, an in-depth feature-length documentary revealing the amazingly rich subculture of an original American musical art form. The International Quartet Finals wrap the convention on Saturday evening, July 4.

The major sponsor for this year’s convention and competition is Bank of America.
Additional information regarding the Barbershop Harmony Society’s 71st annual international convention and competitions will be released as it becomes available. For more information, visit www.barbershop.org/anaheim.

The Barbershop Harmony Society: Founded in 1938 in Tulsa, Okla., the Barbershop Harmony Society (originally named the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America – SPEBSQSA) is the largest all-male singing organization in the world with nearly 30,000 members including 1500 quartets in 800 chapters. Another 4,000 barbershoppers are members of affiliated organizations in Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, The Netherlands, Finland, New Zealand, South Africa and Sweden. BHS is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee and is home to the Old Songs Library, the world’s largest privately held collection of sheet music, containing 750,000 sheets and 125,000 titles from the heyday of Tin Pan Alley.

The Heritage Hall Museum of Barbershop Harmony, also located in Harmony Hall, serves as a repository for barbershop memorabilia, early recordings, costumes, research materials, and historical documents tracing the roots of the barbershop style. www.barbershop.org

About barbershop-style a cappella music:   Barbershop harmony is a uniquely American musical art form.   It is known for its four-part harmony and the “expanded sound” created by its unique chord.

Author: Paola