Noted arranger Dave Briner passes
A barbershop career that spanned more than six decades, hundreds of charts, and devotion to sharing his abilities came to a close with the December 2019 passing of Dave Briner at age 92.
Whenever one of “the giants” passes, one wonders how to encapsulate a long barbershop life in a few sentences. No number of medals, or awards, or dollars can reflect the value and impact of a person who gives so much for so long.
Dave Briner’s gifts were many, and he gave them widely. Through 61 years s a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society, he attended hundreds of conventions, evaluated thousands of quartets and choruses in his 20-year judging career, arranged music sung by world champions and by tiny chapters (more than 200 titles still in print by BHS!), and taught at Harmony College for decades.
Dave's work was always marked by respect for the songwriting craft, and he is often remembered for helping groups select material suited to their unique talents and styles.
An avid quartet singer and chorus singer, he earned a silver medal with Mutual Fun in the 2000 International Seniors Quartet Contest, and five gold medals with the Masters of Harmony Chorus.
Dave was preceded in death by his wife, Sally, herself a two-time Queen of Harmony in Sweet Adelines International (4-for-the-Show (1984) and Panache (1990)) and member of the Harborlites Chorus, with whom they were long associated.