The last day of #BHSOpry was spent in contest with the world’s best senior quartets before the Midwinter Convention closed with a blockbuster Saturday Night Show.
Before DoubleDouble was named the new Senior Quartet International Champions, we heard a swan song from the 2018 Senior Quartet International Champions: St. Croix Crossing. This foursome out of Wisconsin and Minnesota and comes with talent, personality, and a lot of charm.
Here is One Minute With: St. Croix Crossing –
Quite a blockbuster of a week for a cappella – here are this week’s favorites
Heartthrobs of the late 90’s and early 2000’s, this boy band stripped down all of the bells and whistles and went full a cappella with a little help from Ben Bram and Ed Boyer.
Oh how we’ve missed you, Duwende. They lit up their fans’ day with their latest release – a Hall & Oates classic featuring Abbey Janes on lead and a killer bass line from David Lane.
We never get tired of a cappella originals, especially not great a cappella originals.
A sweet cover of Ben&Ben’s Ride Home out of the Philippines, this arrangement is light and intricate, perfectly evoking the joy of coming home to your loved ones.
The UK stars are one of the first to put a song from A Star is Born out into the aca-ether. Enjoy this great live take on Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper’s “Shallow.”
A visit to Harmony Hall is high on anyone’s barbershop bucket list, but when you are the newly instated International Quartet Champions it holds an even more special significance.
During #BHSOpry, After Hours got a special tour and got to see their physical mark on barbershop history. Here’s a little inside peek at their visit, with footage courtesy of Bryan Lynch, BHS Public Relations/Brand Manager.
Day 2 at #BHSOpry in Nashville was dedicated to the youngest and oldest members of the barbershop community with the day-long Junior and Senior Chorus Invitationals.
23 choruses with singers ranging in age from 9 to 94 crossed the hallowed stage at the Grand Ole Opry, treating the audience to three songs each. The shine of the costumes were only outdone by the smiles of the performers, with eight choruses earning the top rating of Superior including:
A CAPPELLA! (James Hubert Blake High School, Silver Spring, MD)
Chandler High School Treblemakers (Chandler High School, Chandler, AZ)
Harmony Explosion Chorus (Columbus High School, Columbus, NE)
Hurricane of Harmony (Gaither High School, Tampa, FL)
Provo High School Combined Choirs (Provo High School, Provo, UT)
Rowdy Rhythm (Peters Township High School, McMurray, PA)
Dixie District Seniors Chorus (Dixie District)
Carolina Statesmen (Carolinas District)
Hurricane of Harmony directed by Debbie Cleveland earned the Plateau AAA Award, A CAPPELLA! directed by Sandra Zinkievich the Plateau AA Award, and Upbeat! from Lopez Early College High School in Brownsville, TX earned the Plateau A Award. Hurricane of Harmony also won the Audience Favorite Award, meaning we’ll get to see a reprise of their set during the Saturday Night Show.
The special Presenter’s Award was given to the Wildcat Chord Ringers, a group of nine elementary and middle school students from Quinton Township School in New Jersey. The youngest performers of the day not only pulled off some great chords, but also several wardrobe changes and full theatrics that kept the audience laughing.
The day also included honoring NAfME Music Educator of the Year Lori Lyford who led both her women’s chorus, Chandler High School Treblemakers and the Chandler High School Men’s Choir onto the Opry Stage.
In a field of accomplished singers and longtime members, the Dixie District Seniors Chorus was named the International Seniors Chorus Festival Champion. They are led by director Jimmy Tompkins.
