7930 Sheridan Road, Kenosha, WI 53143 :: 262-653-8440 :: fax 262-654-5552 :: www.barbershop.org

Onsite Media Contact: Todd Wilson
twilson@barbershop.org; 214-533-5419
or Harmony University Office 816-383-7150

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – High resolution photo at http://www.flickr.com/photos/8019069@N04/
“Show of Champions” to showcase four-part harmony Aug. 4

An explosion of four-part vocal harmony will fill the stage when international champion quartet Vocal Spectrum and 2007 international silver medalist Ambassadors of Harmony chorus perform in the “Show of Champions” at 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, in Missouri Theater, 717 Edmond St.

Open to the public, the concert is being held in conjunction with the Barbershop Harmony Society’s Harmony University, a weeklong intensive education program, held on the campus of Missouri Western State University.

“This is a rare opportunity to hear two of the world’s best barbershop harmony groups performing on the same show,” said Todd Wilson, the Society’s marketing director.

Vocal Spectrum, 2006 Barbershop Harmony Society quartet champion, has dazzled audiences across the globe. Formed three years ago as a teaching quartet, Vocal Spectrum has soared through competition rankings, winning the collegiate contest in 2004 and the international men’s contest in 2006. The group is known for its precise technique and artistic expression. Members, all in their 20s, are: Tim Waurick (tenor), Eric Dalbey (lead), Chris Hallam (bass), Jonny Moroni (baritone) Their self-titled CD has met with rave reviews.

The Ambassadors of Harmony, a chorus of 155 men, has an extensive a cappella repertoire, including contemporary, Broadway, gospel, folk, and light jazz music. Based in St. Charles, Mo., the chorus is “home” for Vocal Spectrum. The chorus has performed throughout the United States and around the world, including performances in Canada, England, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

The concert also will include performances by the Honors, Directors College and Next Generation choruses, made up of Harmony University attendees who have rehearsed throughout the week.

Tickets ($20) are available by calling the HU office at 816-383-7150. Tickets also will be sold at the door. Students with a photo ID may purchase tickets at the door for $10.

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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