FOR RELEASE PRIOR TO JUNE 1
HARMONY TO CONVERGE ON DENVER DURING SINGERS’ INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
The sound you hear will be harmonious. It will be plentiful. And it will be uniquely American in its roots, but expansively international in its impact. It will come from thousands of people gathering to join in song in Denver July 3-8.
Close harmony singers from across the world will meet in Denver for the Barbershop Harmony Society’s 69th annual international convention and competitions. The singers and their fans from five countries will gather for shows, clinics, competition and good old-fashioned sing-alongs.
This is the first time the Society will hold its international convention in Denver. The convention is expected to bring at least $7 million to the local economy.
During the week, the world’s finest barbershop quartets and choruses will vie for coveted medals and titles naming them the best of the best in barbershop harmony. To give non-members a taste of the drama of competitive singing, the Society will open its international quartet and chorus contests to residents of Colorado who are not members. Denver’s own Sound of the Rockies Chorus will be among the competitors.
Take 6 headlines opening show
The week kicks off with the Grammy-award-winning sextet Take 6 headlining “Harmony Foundation Presents…” on Tuesday, July 3, 7:30 p.m., at the Pepsi Center. Joining them on stage will be last year’s international quartet champion Vocal Spectrum, bronze medalist OC Times and silver medalist Westminster Chorus. Tickets are $25, $35, $75.
Competitions sessions
Competition begins Wednesday morning at the Pepsi Center. Throughout the next few days, groups will face off in several categories to be named the best barbershop singers in the world. Denver is represented in competition by Sound of the Rockies chorus and four quartets: Storm Front, Ignition, NeXus, and Mojo. Admission to the international quartet and chorus competitions is by convention registration with some exceptions.
Interested in the college scene? The Saturday morning Bank of America Collegiate Barbershop Quartet Contest is open to the public. Twenty-one collegiate quartets will vie for the gold during this contest session from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Pepsi Center. Tickets are $17 and will be sold inside the Pepsi Center lobby prior to contest start.
From gospel to The Music Man
On Thursday, the Society is true to the promise in its motto to, “Keep the whole world singing.” Everyone is invited to join in the 9:00 a.m. Good News! Gospel Sing at Central Presbyterian Church, 17th Ave. and Sherman St. The event is free and open to the public.
Also on Thursday, the Association of International Champions show will pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of Meredith Willson’s The Music Man, the first musical to bring barbershop harmony to the Broadway stage. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Pepsi Center. Eight gold medal quartets will perform as will a chorus made up of champion singers. Tickets are $80, $45, $30 and $25.
International harmony
Night owls have the chance to see the Mixed Harmony Showcase, with men and women blending their voices in concert, Friday from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. in the Adam’s Mark Hotel. The showcase is free.
As the week winds down, the singing revs up. At 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, the World Harmony Jamboree at Buell Theatre, Denver Performing Arts Center, will feature some of the best men’s and women’s groups from throughout the world. Award winning singers in groups from Australia, Great Britain, Germany and New Zealand will join those from Canada and the United States in showcasing the uniquely American musical style of barbershop harmony. Tickets are $$35 and $25.
Ticket sales
Tickets for contests and all shows will be available inside the Pepsi Center lobby prior to performance. Tickets for regular contest sessions are available to Colorado residents who are not members of the Society.
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 structure. Sharing roots with gospel and jazz, it is part of the continuum of American music.
About the Barbershop Harmony Society: Founded in 1938 in Tulsa, Okla., the Barbershop Harmony Society is the largest all-male singing organization in the world. There are eight official foreign affiliates of the Society, but barbershop harmony is sung in more than 40 countries, including Japan, Russia and China.
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