Why Brigade?
A weekend of quartet singing with people who came to PLAY. George Flanders radiates all the joy of a great time laughing, smashing chords and feeling all that barbershop love.
As I wrote this, I had recently just come back from the 2026 Lone Star Brigade that was held in Dallas. Like I had an end-stage case of rabies - I was mouth-foaming-enthusiastically relating how much fun I had to Debbie Cleveland who suggested that I write an article for “The Harmonizer” (Mmm-Hmm - Probably like Shrek giving Donkey something to do to make him stop talking… …can’t fool me! But you might hear Eddie Murphy’s voice narrating the whole time if you want…)
I love quartetting – but found myself at enough district and International convention afterglows and parties where people stand around for 20-30 minutes to find out that they don’t know the same polecats (even though I bring 4 copies of both polecat books with me, and finally printed tag books – …some folk don’t like to sight read), same songs, or know different versions, etc. and then end up singing a few short little tags - and “poof” - that is it – the magic moment is over – leaving most people feeling let down. Yep - just got started having fun and then you have to go find more people.
With Brigading, you all learn 8 core songs each calendar year, with each Brigade picking 3-4 more songs to total 10-12 songs that are Championship level songs. Everyone comes prepared knowing their part— some in multiple parts— and you get to sing gold medal songs with your peers who came ready to ring, And who know a bunch of other songs you likely have in common and can learn over the weekend until “last person standing” come Sunday morning!
If you go a few years to multiple brigades, you’ll know 30-40 common songs. It is a great quarteting venue if you are “in-between quartets” like me and looking for a quality quartetting experience, or prospective quartet partners, or to test out a bunch of new songs for your quartet. See the links below for many more details.
I started Platooning in 2024 and then Brigading in 2025. In addition to songs I know from my choruses and past quartets, I now know 35+ Brigade and 12 Platoon songs I can quickly dust off and use in my next quartet – almost all contestable and all crowd-pleasers.
Of course, your reaction may well be: “I have to learn 10-12 Championship level songs? And get tested to see if I know my part?” It is work, but, even if you don’t have any quartet experience yet, if you ease in by Platooning first with 5-6 easier songs until you are ready for more, and then via Harmony University’s Brigade with 5-6 harder songs versus 12 – many can and will work up to it. Do what works for you – Platoon or Brigade. I am amazed at how my memory capability expanded over time. The payoff is amazing.
Sometimes the headliner quartets at the Brigade shows will let you sing their championship songs with them at afterglows. I got to sing bass on Aaron Dale’s arrangement of “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” with OC Times at New England Harmony Brigade in 2025 and leads with other such groups.
A typical Brigade weekend
So that’s “the business end of it” – now for the fun things Brigades do:
We typically “sing-out” at area schools and retirement homes the Friday before we start the Brigade – which gives you even more time singing more songs with fun singers who quickly become new friends. (Donkey’s voice: “OH Pleeeeease don’t throw me in that thar briar patch!”) The kids love us. Funny thing at Lone Star in 2026 - LSHB President Tony Stafford innocently mentioned to a class of ~45 middle school girls that we had 67 singers this weekend – and - yep they just went nuts because he said “67” (we don’t get it, but Tony worked the kids good every class after that) The kids also got to sing for us, and try quartets or VLQs.
Then we “open the meeting” on Friday afternoon. And everyone is fired up because they know what is coming. For Lone Star, we were emcee’d by one of the Finest Gentlemen the Great State of North Carolina has ever PRO-Duced, Mr. William Stutts Jr. who starts out soft and low, then to a crescendo and it is Brother Stutts’ Traveling Barbershop Revival show as he makes introductions and reviews the schedules.
Four random singers, one random song
In the Random Draw Quartet Contest, you get a whole thirty minutes to rehearse with your new best friends, then compete in a semifinals round, with the top 10 advancing to the finals. Suddenly, the “teammate magic” of barbershop quarteting happens. Chorus Directors and coaches materialize from the group to help coach your team. You quickly see what each person in the quartet has to offer in terms of leadership and ideas to make your performance great!
There are other auditions for quartet spots on the big show Saturday (with a Brigade Chorus too) for specific songs, or “any song you can rustle up 4 singers and do”, “challenge songs”, etc.
IF you’re performing at the Saturday show in a quartet(s) – everyone has sung a lot already and is tired – and funny things happen with fatigue - but the miraculous recoveries and team work is inspiring – and fun to watch or experience. The invaluable “trial by fun fire” makes district contests a snap!
One song we did, I decided to tell a joke at the last minute – it went well, then our bari Scott blew the pitch and I had “a lapse” as lead, and he saw that “uh…” look in my eyes, so he just started the song and we went and crushed it, and probably only us 4 knew (Donkey’s voice: I knew – you wuus sooo pleeeased with yourself tellin’ that joke, that you forgot how to start the song!), and we can’t wait to sing together again. Other people in quartets forget words, changed words, or after singing the wrong words creatively changed the rest of the lyrics to fit the obvious mistake and had us roaring with laughter.
And, yes, there is much “Death by Afterglow singing” – but by Sunday morning at Lone Star Brigade, I was getting monster hugs from big guys who looked like they could make the “All-Madden Team.” The fun camaraderie is similar for mixed Brigades, SAI and HI events. We did an 8-part version of “Lone Prairie” with 4 singers a fifth above (posted on Facebook) at 4am (Donkey: Mama said “nothin’ good happens after midnight – except in Barbershop!”). At North Carolina Harmony Brigade, I got to sing with 2 of the ladies from “Extra Credit.” They played a trick on me to get me to sing the tenor part, THEN they told me they key it up a whole step (I squeaked it out). I get many great tips that will help me be a better singer and performer.
In conclusion – if something is worth doing, it is worth doing to excess. Come join us in the Platoons and/or Brigades
Sing you soon,
George Flanders
