Singing Double Wins NextGen Junior Quartet Contest

In 2019, the Barbershop Harmony Society expanded their youth offerings to include the Next Generation Junior Quartet Contest and Chorus Invitational. Aside from shining a light on the youngest barbershoppers – those 18 and younger – it was also the first international contest open to all genders.

In its second year, the Junior Quartet Contest has grown beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. The robust field of 15 competing groups showcased a jaw-dropping amount of talent from teenagers from around the country. While only 3 medals were awarded, every group was greeted with a near deafening standing ovation. You couldn’t find a more welcoming and enthusiastic sold out crowd anywhere.

Each group performed one song for a panel of judges on a similar rubric to other BHS contests, but out of a total score of 35. This year’s judges were Renee Tramack (Singing), a two-time Harmony Queen and Director of New England Voices in Harmony, Sandi Wright (Performance), a Queen of Harmony, Director of St..Louis Vocal Project, and a certified judge and director in SAI, HI, and BHS, and David Wright (Music), the Associate Director of the Ambassadors of Harmony and arguably the most sought after arranger in all of barbershop.

With the scores tallied, BHS awarded their first ever gold medal to a women’s quartet – Singing Double. Singing Double earned a score of 22.2, to top a field of quartets that were so talented,  the full room of seasoned barbershoppers simultaneously felt challenged by this new crop of singers, while also being excited about the future of the art form.

Singing the jazz standard My Foolish Heart, Singing Double sang with incredible poise, impeccable blend, and a true display of talent, well beyond their years.They will be the first women to have their picture hung on the wall of champions at Harmony Hall in Nashville.

This quartet, comprised of 2 sets of twins, is coached by the legendary Debbie Cleveland, a lifelong music education, a two-time Queen of Harmony, and the 2018 recipient of the BHS NAfME Educator of the Year Award. Cleveland was also this year’s Midwinter Keynote Speaker.

In second places was yet another women’s quartet, Best Sellers. This Onalaska, WI quartet scored a 19.8 to earn the silver. With a score of 19.6, Atchison, KS-based mixed Quartet, Default, took home the bronze medal.

The audience was also treated to performances by the inaugural Next Gen Junior Quartet Champions, The Quin-Tones, the NextGen Varsity Quartet Champions, Wildfire, and the 2019 Sweet Adelines Rising Star Champions, Duly Noted.

After a quick break, the convention moved to the Florida Theatre for and Opening Night Showcase with performances by Singing Double, The Quin-Tones, Wildfire, and Duly Noted, as well as 5th place medalist quartet, Midtown, and 2019 International Champions, Signature.

Today, the Convention turns their attention to the choruses, as both the Junior and Senior Choruses will spend the day on stage at the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, highlighting the talents of the oldest and youngest members of the Barbershop Harmony Society.

A Win For Youth and Heritage at #BHSOpry

The first day of contest and shows at the 2019 BHS Midwinter Convention was especially significant. It started with the first-ever Next Generation Junior Quartet Contest and ended with a barn-burning Heritage of Harmony Show on the stage at the Grand Ole Opry.

The significance of both events is the demonstration of the Barbershop Harmony Society’s ongoing mission of “Everyone in Harmony” with a focus on youth and the roots of barbershop in African-American music tradition.

15 young quartets, all singers under the age of 18, took the stage in front of a rowdy crowd in the ballroom at Opryland. There were both men’s and women’s quartets and one mixed quartet. While most of the singers were in high school, Elementary Mix from Quinton, NJ – a quartet of elementary school students – charmed the crowd with their rendition of “The Chordbusters March.”

At the end of the contest, the Quin-Tones, a men’s quartet from Salem, NJ, took home the gold medals with a score of 219 points, edging out both 2nd and 3rd by just one point. Singing “My Ideal,” these young gentlemen demonstrated musicality and personality far beyond their years.

Tying for 2nd and 3rd were Singing Double, a quartet of two sets of twins from Tampa, FL, and Vintage Mix, seasoned barbershopping quadruplets from Milwaukee, WI.

Singing Double
Singing Double; Photo: Rick Krebsbach
Vintage Mix
Vintage Mix; Photo: Rick Krebsbach

 

See the full results.

The excitement carried right across the street to the iconic Grand Ole Opry for the Heritage of Harmony Show, featuring The Fisk Jubilee Singers, The Fairfield Four, HALO, Crossroads, Signature, After Hours, and a cameo from Throwback.

The evening was a true celebration of barbershop not only coming to terms with a segregated past, but celebrating a new path forward where diversity and inclusion is paramount.

HALO and The Fairfield Four
HALO and The Fairfield Four at Grand Ole Opry