A friendly competition
Nation's foremost barbershop groups are going for the gold in national contest here

By Aldrich M. Tan
aldrich.tan@indystar.com

July 7, 2006

For fans of "For Me and My Gal," things may never get better for the barbershop standard than they are this week in Conseco Fieldhouse.

That's because the nation's top barbershop quartets are in town for the 68th annual national Barbershop Harmony Society's convention and championships. Nearly 50 groups from across the country began their head-to-head harmonizing battle Wednesday, with a winner to be named Saturday. The event also includes an international chorus contest starting today, as well as a collegiate version that starts Saturday.

And with so many mellifluous visitors in town, you shouldn't be surprised to hear a spontaneous eruption of "Alexander's Ragtime Band" at a Downtown restaurant or club.

As fierce as the four-part competition is for the gold medals and trophy, organizers say the event is much more about friendship.

"Nowhere will you find the bond of camaraderie as strong as I've experienced in the organization," said Randy Loos, chairman of the board for the Harmony Foundation in Clearwater, Fla. The organization is a charitable subsidiary of the Barbershop Harmony Society.

Not that anybody is downplaying the competitive atmosphere. A local group, Keep 'em Guessing, is hoping home court advantage will make a difference.

"I got to sleep in my own bed last night," said Bryan Hughes, Indianapolis, the group's lead singer. When the quartet competes overseas, Hughes rarely gets much sleep. "I got a good eight or nine hours of sleep last night. I'm ready to go."

Simply reaching the championships is an achievement.

"We've come a long way, and the practice helped," said Chris Hallam, a bass singer from St. Peters, Mo., with the group Vocal Spectrum.

The quartet got as much practice as it could, including appearing in St. Petersburg, Russia, for the International Fine Arts Festival. That involved 10 days of performing at old concert halls without microphones.

"The audiences didn't understand what we were saying, but it was great to perform beyond the words," said lead singer Eric Dalbey, St. Charles, Mo.

And strong performance is key, said society spokeswoman Julie Siepler. Trained judges will rate each quartet based on singing, presentation and music.

The weeklong event concludes Saturday with the finals and the World Harmony Jamboree at the Murat Theatre, Siepler said. Groups from England, Canada, Japan and Sweden will join national quartets Saturday afternoon.

As rich as the harmony is in song, participants say it runs deep among the groups, too.

"You're patting them on the back and wishing them well," said Keep 'em Guessing's Terry Wence, "and at the same time you're kicking them in the rear end on the stage. That's what it's all about."

Call Star reporter Aldrich M. Tan at (317) 444-6309.
Copyright 2006 IndyStar.com. All rights reserved

WHAT IS A BARBERSHOP QUARTET?

According to Dirk Girvin, spokesman for the Barbershop Harmony Society, a barbershop quartet is an unaccompanied group of four voices singing in harmony. The form arose about 125 years ago in the black community and was later adopted by white groups. It faded from popularity by the 1930s, but fans have worked to keep the harmonies alive. To learn more, check out the Web at www.barbershop.org.

Source: Barbershop Harmony Society

BARBERSHOP QUARTET COMPETITION

Today
International chorus contests
11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.: Conseco Fieldhouse, 126 S. Pennsylvania St.; tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster, $40 per session, $75 for both sessions.
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Indiana State Museum, 650 W. Washington St.; free performance of quartets.

Saturday
Collegiate competition
11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Conseco Fieldhouse. Tickets $18 through Ticketmaster.
International finals
7:15 to 10 p.m., Conseco Fieldhouse; tickets $40 through Ticketmaster.
Other events:
1 p.m., free performance at the Artsgarden, Circle Centre mall.
2:30 to 5 p.m., World Harmony Jamboree, Murat Theatre, 502 N. New Jersey St. Tickets are $25 to $35 at etix.com.
11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday night, Chorditorium -- singing for fun, Westin Hotel, 50 S. Capitol Ave. Free.

-- Aldrich Tan