Hays High Plains Barbershop Chorus Preparing For 49th Annual Show
The Hays High Plains Barbershop Chorus will present ”Land of Rainbows” at the Beach-Schmidt Performing Arts Center on the campus of Fort Hays State University on April 8, with performances at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM.
Joining the chorus on stage for both shows will be “MAIN STREET”—the 2016 International Barbershop Competition 3rd Place Finalists quartet from Florida and “LEGACY”—a Sweet Adelines International Competition quartet from the Kansas City area who have finished in first place in their region for the last seven years. Chapter quartet Prairie Timbre will add to this joyful day of harmony with their fine singing skills. They will be joined in one song by Shades of Joy, a local ladies quartet. The chapter quartet Uncalled-4 will not be able to sing on this year’s show due to a prior commitment made by one of the quartet members. To further your enjoyment, the Fort Hays Singers will appear on the afternoon show, and Full Chord Press combined with Singing Falcon Boys, both young men’s choruses, will appear on the evening show.
Show Chair Don Barber said, “We are all very excited about this year’s show, since this is our 49th year of presenting the very finest of barbershop music to the patrons of the Central States District. We are also delighted to have our chapter coach, Dr. Terry Crull, the Director of Choral Activities at Ft. Hays State University, emcee our event this year.”
The chorus always looks forward to singing with the headliners and local quartets at this event because it helps further the chapter’s primary goal of fostering the growth of community singing. The success of this show annually helps provide thousands of dollars to various schools, singing groups, and other organizations that help people with special needs.
The chapter membership is currently in the process of selling advertising in the show program to support this important event. Nearly 2,000 people attend the show each year, and the advertisers make this event possible. The chapter is thankful for the community support.
About The Hays High Plains Barbershop Chorus—
Formed in 1968, the chapter is composed of 37 members living in nine counties surrounding Hays. Besides more than 25 annual chorus performances for community, business and religious organizations, the chapter and its quartets routinely sing at other events throughout the region.
About the High Plains Chapter Quartets—
- Uncalled-4 was organized in 2008. Contact Gary Horchem at (785) 731-2712.
Find them on Facebook at: facebook.com/pages/Uncalled-4/172040766834.
- Prairie Timbre was organized in 2005. Contact Gayle Garrelts at (785) 628-0818. Find them on Facebook at facebook.com/pages/Prairie-Timbre/252698404248.
Afternoon Show–About the Fort Hays State University Singers—
Fort Hays Singers is the top choral ensemble at FHSU. The group consists of 16-24 voices chosen by select audition from the voices of the Concert Choir. FHS performs a separate set of choral selections at all of the choral concerts. In addition, the Fort Hays Singers represent the University on tours, at festivals, in church services, and for banquets. The FHSingers has been chosen to perform at various local, statewide, and regional events. The select ensemble performs mostly a cappella, and mostly from memory, in a wide variety of choral styles from Renaissance to Romantic to Contemporary. Vocal jazz selections appear in the Spring semester, and often add a jazz combo to accompany.
Evening Show–About Full Chord Press and Singing Falcon Boys—
Johnny Matlock organized Full Chord Press in 2009 at the middle schools in Hays. The goal of the organization was to create an exciting singing opportunity for young men 6 – 12 grade. The chorus has since grown from an original group of six to approximately 45 young men from middle school through high school. They have performed at many school functions, business and community events, and perform
with the High Plains Chorus during the opening ceremony of the Kansas Special Olympics. This year the program expands to include the newly formed Singing Falcon Boys, a 6, 7, and 8 grade choir of 65 that are part of the daily curriculum at Hays Middle School. We are proud to feature some of the Singing Falcon Boys and Full Chord Press together on this year’s evening concert.
About Legacy—Legacy was formed in the fall of 2009, when four friends found themselves singing in the wee hours of the morning after a regional event. Just four months after their first rehearsal, they were thrilled to become the 2010 Region 7 champions, earning their first trip across the international stag in Seattle. They have since qualified every year to compete at international competition and have placed in the top twenty quartets three times.
The members of the quartet are Stacy Schumacher, lead; Trish Holland, bass; Alexis Nicoletta, baritone; Wendy Pool, tenor. Between the four of them they have over 100 years of barbershop experience. Two of the members are second generation barbershoppers and two are third generation barbershoppers. They feel that barbershop is truly a “Legacy” they have been given, and are proudly carrying the torch.
Legacy—A blend of harmony, tradition, and friendship!
About Main Street—Established in 2011, Main Street quartet harkens back to the traditional style of barbershop harmony with soft shoe dance, slapstick routines and nostalgic songs – tipping their hat to the performances turn of the century song and dance men. Whether it’s the waltz clog, a silly one-liner or a tender ballad of romance, a typical Main Street show will pay respect to the creative singers, dancers and humorists who blazed the trail in entertaining audiences around the world.
The members of Main Street are Roger Ross, tenor; Tony DeRosa, lead; Mike McGee, baritone; Myron Whittlesey, bass. Together they bring a combined 100+ years of barbershop singing experience to the stage. This past July 2016, they were International 3rd Place Bronze Medalists at the Barbershop Harmony Society convention in Nashville, TN.
While their involvement within the Barbershop Harmony Society is impressive, all four members have been or are currently performers at Walt Disney World with the Dapper Dans of Main Street USA.
Main Street–With a shine on their shoes, a snap in their spats and a twirl of the hat… “…you’ve got a date with Main Street.”
What is Barbershop Harmony?
Four-part, unaccompanied, close-harmony singing, with melody in the second voice, called the “lead.” The tenor harmonizes above the lead singer, bass sings the lowest harmonizing notes, and the baritone provides in-between notes, to form consonant, pleasing chords.
About The Barbershop Harmony Society—
Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, the Barbershop Harmony Society has grown into the world’s largest all-male singing organization, with nearly 30,000 singers in more than 800 chapters in the United States and Canada. Find their website at: barbershop.org