Read all about what's been going on with the Masters of Harmony. The articles on this page describe a rich history of musical excellence -- we hope they inspire you to come and see us soon!
After an uneventful drive from San Diego to Los Angeles last Saturday morning, I followed my singing brothers into the prestigious Walt Disney Concert Hall, a cultural icon and home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. I suspect the facility did not get my e-mail requesting my own dressing room...
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At their meeting on Sunday, May 4, the Executive Board of the Southern California Vocal Association established the new officer position of Vice President of Barbershop Harmony Festivals and appointed Mark Freedkin as the holder of that new office in recognition of his contributions to that organization as volunteer webmaster...
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Thanks to Youth in Harmony Chairman Mark Freedkin’s meticulous planning, this year’s Young Men’s Harmony Festival at Orange Coast College in February was regarded as the best festival ever by the choral music directors who attended. Mark commended OC Times and Gotcha! quartets for being positive role models while...
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This summer in Nashville, Tennessee, the real fireworks on the 4th of July are going to be going off inside the Sommet Center as the Masters of Harmony once again take on the world’s best in their latest quest for gold.
After securing six consecutive international championships, some might wonder where...
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What do you get when you take a piece of Gotcha!, a piece of Michigan Jake and you add a couple of pieces of Nightlife? Of course, the resulting mixture is one of the chapter’s newest quartets, Masterpiece. The quartet consists of Rob Menaker, tenor, and Brett Littlefield,...
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Masters University is a program designed for new members as an introduction to the Masters of Harmony way of life and the barbershop style. Each new member is required to take a four-week course consisting of classes on Vocal Production, Basic Presentation, Member Etiquette, and History and Organization. ...
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The 2008 International Chorus Contest in Nashville this July promises to be one of the most competitive in years. The Masters of Harmony will be seeking to win a seventh consecutive chorus gold medal, something done previously only by the Louisville Thoroughbreds and exceeded only by Dallas’ Vocal Majority,...
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The Crush was formed in October of 2006 when four friends from the Westminster Chorus got together to sing through some songs they all knew. The foursome hoped to form a quartet that would represent Westminster (now the Masters of Harmony) in Far Western District competitions and, hopefully, at...
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When Brett Littlefield’s name was announced as Barbershopper of the Year at the 2008 Awards & Installation Banquet, he received a well-deserved standing ovation. Brett’s long and dedicated service to the Masters of Harmony earned him this prestigious honor. He has served the chapter as bass section leader,...
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No. 6 in an erratic series preserving the history of the Masters of Harmony and highlighting the contributions of illustrious members most in need of preservation.)
Brett Littlefield: The name is redolent with baseball, the pursuit of excellence and a rumbling and pervasive bass sound that has anchored the Barbershop...
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“The amount of satisfaction you get from any achievement is directly correlated to amount of sacrifice and effort it took you to achieve it.” -- Unknown
What an exciting time to be a member of the Masters of Harmony! With new faces and enthusiastic former members flocking back to the...
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The last time the Masters of Harmony sang in Phoenix was 1998. Late in 1997, Jeff Oxley of The Vocal Majority had accepted the daunting challenge of following a competition trail blazed by Dr. Greg Lyne, who had led the Masters of Harmony to three consecutive gold medals. ...
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Fresh from winning the chorus contest in September at the Far Western District Convention in Phoenix, the Masters of Harmony launched its preparation for two very different upcoming performances, the Long Beach Community Concert Series at the end of October and the annual Christmas show at the end of November....
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The Masters of Harmony broke with tradition in announcing that the prospective keynote speaker and installing officer for the annual awards banquet on January 12 will be the 1985 International Quartet Champion, The New Tradition.
The New Tradition perhaps better known to thousands of barbershoppers as the Marx Brothers’ clones won...
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(No. 5 in an erratic series preserving the history of the Masters of Harmony and highlighting the contributions of illustrious members most in need of preservation.)
Bernard Priceman, another one of the people who have been shaping the chorus in their image, is more like a polo pony. He started...
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(No. 4 in an erratic series preserving the history of the Masters of Harmony and highlighting the contributions of illustrious members most in need of preservation.)
Doug Maddox, the only living member of the Masters of Harmony Hall of Fame that is still on the risers, has been honored so much...
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(No. 3 in an erratic series preserving the history of the Masters of Harmony and highlighting the contributions of illustrious members most in need of preservation.)
Gene Clements, a Golden Oldie in the Barbershop Harmony Society (35 years or more – now 41), and holder of six gold medals with the...
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It was not the Terrace Theater or even the much smaller Carpenter Center at Cal State Long Beach. But for the afternoon of Sunday, June 24, the Linder Hall at the First United Methodist Church in San Diego became the latest venue in a long list of successful performances...
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(No. 2 in an erratic series preserving the history of the Masters of Harmony and highlighting the contributions of illustrious members most in need of preservation.)
Ron Andreas, that handsome, bright-eyed, smiley fellow at the stage left end of the front row horseshoe, usually sporting a hockey or football jersey, carries...
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(No. 1 in an erratic series preserving the history of the Masters of Harmony and highlighting the contributions of illustrious members most in need of preservation.)
Les Weiser, tall – one might say, hulking – occupies the front spot, top row, stage right, of the baritone section, from which he has...
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The City of Santa Fe Springs continued their year-long 50th Anniversary Celebration with an event-filled weekend of family fun festivities. The three days of activities included a parade, carnival with games, giant midway, international food court, and a variety of live entertainment for the entire community.
The...
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The Masters of Harmony owes a great deal to arranger Aaron Dale who has supplied the chorus with some outstanding charts. Songs such as “For Good,” “Go Tell It On The Mountain,” “Into The Fire,” “Masters In This Hall” and “Yona From Arizona” show off the creative talent of...
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The month of March 2007 was extra special for Dave and Sally Briner. Dave (one of our emeritus members) was honored with the Hall of Fame award for the Far Western District of the Barbershop Harmony Society at the FWD Convention March 17, 2007, in Reno. Sally received...
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At the SoCal East-West Division Convention on Saturday, May 5, Far Western District President Bill Cale presented the highly prestigious President’s Award to Mark Freedkin for his ongoing work with the Young Men In Harmony Program. The award was presented immediately before the Masters of Harmony sang for their...
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It has become well known throughout Southern California and the entire Barbershop Harmony Society that the Masters of Harmony has organized and sponsored young men’s harmony festivals and other youth-related activities over the past nine years. More recently, the MOH has established a Music Education Scholarship program that provides...
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The 2007 Masters of Harmony Awards and Installation Banquet featured one of the most moving keynote addresses ever delivered at this event. Most in the audience will never know how tirelessly President Kirt Thiesmeyer worked to convince Jim Henry, director of the 2004 International Chorus Champion Ambassadors of Harmony,...
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The Musical Island Boys from Wellington, New Zealand, visited the Masters of Harmony on Wednesday night, January 17, and showed why their lilting and synchronized sonorities captured the 2006 International Collegiate Quartet Championship. Mixing English and their native language, they thrilled the gruff and jaded - but enthusiastic -...
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In a fitting ceremony last Wednesday, November 8, Frank Ortega was inducted into the Masters of Harmony Hall of Fame. In the 21-year history of the chapter there have been only seven previous recipients - Joe D'Amore, Jack Hines, Dr. Greg Lyne, Bill Roth, Dan Fullerton, Wayne Mendes and...
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The mystery can be revealed at last. Searching for someone to inspire both the chorus and our quartets, I found Jim Henry, Associate Professor of Music at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and, incidentally, director of the 2004 chorus champions and 2007 competitors, the Ambassadors of Harmony, bass of...
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1927-The New York Stock Market soared toward the economic stratosphere. Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs and his New York Yankees, with a lineup called "The Murderer's Row," swept the World Series. Charles Lindbergh made his historic solo transatlantic flight. Vaudevillian Al Jolson appeared in "The Jazz...
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It's Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. and Ken Potter is standing in front of the six-time international chorus champion Masters of Harmony. He is fluid, demanding and confident. The energy level is “spooling up” and Ken is a large part of the preparation for an intense rehearsal. When...
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For the second time in history, the Masters of Harmony returned to Indianapolis to retire a championship earned in Salt Lake City. And once again, the Masters’ influence was felt among the many competitors from the Far Western District. This year, the District sent three choruses, eight quartets,...
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Shout it from the rooftops and let there be absolutely no doubt in anyone’s mind that on Sunday, September 17, 2006, the town of Thousand Oaks, California, will be the “hottest” of all places to be. Yes, folks, that’s right! Some of the best four-part a cappella harmony...
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What is it about wine, cheese and quartets getting better (riper) with age? With the concentration on youth and Indy drowning out nearly every other activity – I expect to hear the Westminster Chorus announced as replacing the clown for the next kindergarten birthday party in upscale Pasadena –...
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The Terrace Theater is not a baroque masterpiece. There are no Rococo gargoyles or glitzy panels on its walls. This is a no-nonsense performance hall, a full production theater used year round for performing arts. The Terrace is the centerpiece of the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment...
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While many Midwesterners will be marking midsummer with festive celebrations on the 4th of July, those in the know realize that the real fireworks will start when the Masters of Harmony arrive the following day in Indianapolis for three amazing performances at this year’s International Convention.
When the chorus last...
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The Masters of Harmony once again supported the Society’s Young Men In Harmony program by hosting our 6th Annual Young Men’s Harmony Festival at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. About 30 MOH men and sweethearts were on hand to take care of registration, serve lunch and supper, and...
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Two major articles appeared in the Nov/Dec 2005 issue of The Harmonizer, the Barbershop Harmony Society's official publication. We are pleased to be able to share them with our readers "courtesy of the Barbershop Harmony Society www.barbershop.org. Used by permission."
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The Place: Pasadena, California
The Date: October 13-16, 2005
The Event: Far Western District (FWD) Convention
My name is Rick Veder, and I was the “Man on the Street” (or in this case, the “Man in the Auditorium”) on hand to witness one of the most satisfying events in recent Far Western District...
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President Ken Custer reported to the board of directors in December (MasterLink 12/22/05) that the Masters of Harmony is now the second largest chapter in the Society, with 206 members! The #1 chapter (the long-running Alexandria Harmonizers, founded in 1948) has only six more members, with 212, but the 10-time...
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No doubt the Masters of Harmony has presented many excellent performances over the years. But fans in the Carpenter Center audience for our November 26th program would have us believe that this one was easily our best.
In preparation for the show, the production team and designer Gerry Papageorge had...
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Pasadena, California --- Ken Custer, president of the retiring Far Western District champion Masters of Harmony, sent heartfelt congratulations to Justin Miller, president of the Westminster Chorus (and an international double gold medalist with the MOH himself) for Westminster’s stunning victory at the District chorus competition at the Pasadena Civic...
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At the 2005 Far Western District Convention in Pasadena, in recognition of his years of excellent service to the District and to the Barbershop Harmony Society, FWD President Peter Feeney presented Masters of Harmony Music Director Mark Hale with a special FWD President’s Award.
The inscription on the beautiful plaque...
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Masters of Harmony college quartet Afternoon Delight lived up to its name as it captured the fourth place bronze medal at the MBNA America Collegiate Barbershop Quartet Contest at the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on July 8, 2005. With a total double-panel score of 908,...
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July 9, 2005; 12:45 p.m. After giving the performances of their lives, the men of the Masters of Harmony were back in the audience, closely watching each chorus that followed them onto the LDS Conference Center stage, each man now wearing his judging hat, privately evaluating every challenger to...
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The Masters of Harmony continued its support of music education in our schools and communities by awarding a college scholarship to a deserving student from a local high school. A check for $500 was presented to Michelle Juarez, a resident of Santa Fe Springs and a recent graduate from...
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Many hours of preparation for the Masters of Harmony Spring Show paid off handsomely at the Terrace Theater in Long Beach on Saturday, April 30th. Two large audiences paid the highest compliments sought by stage performers by first buying tickets to our show and then by responding to our...
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For many years Hugh Brown has been the man in the middle of the chorus to whom the director points when he wants the pitch. We asked Hugh what it takes to be the pitchman for the Masters of Harmony.
MV: How did you first become involved in blowing...
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The Masters of Harmony once again “raised the bar” with our 5th Annual Young Men’s Harmony Festival held at Orange Coast College on Saturday, February 19. With an attendance of 214 young men representing 34 schools and 18 choral directors, this year’s festival was the largest ever assembled. ...
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The Hugh Ingraham Award for Quartet of the Year was presented to OC Times at the Masters of Harmony’s Annual Awards and Installation Banquet on January 8. The quartet was acknowledged not only for their singing accomplishments, but also for their efforts in supporting both the Masters of Harmony...
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This year finds the Masters of Harmony headed for Salt Lake City in quest of their sixth consecutive international gold medal. The annual awards and installation banquet initiated this important year with a festive affair on January 8 at the LAX Radisson Hotel in Inglewood. Steve Pence served...
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The Masters of Harmony completed its 2004 performance season with a benefit show at Bakersfield High School for the Bakersfield Chapter and the music-loving audience of the Kern County area. Show Producer Bill Rosica said that we have performed for the local chapter a total of four times, but...
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From throughout Southern California they came, streaming into the Richard & Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center at California State University, Long Beach. The “sold out” sign was posted several days before the November 27th Masters of Harmony annual Christmas show. Again this year the MOH invited the...
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As with other artistic endeavors, the range of skill levels in the world of vocal harmony is broad. At one side are singers only beginning to understand the dynamics of vocal production and the delicate interplay of melody and harmony. Like six-year-old children learning to play the violin,...
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All successful non-profit groups are characterized by the intrinsic value their members bring to the organization, without benefit of financial compensation or reward. Often these valuable people go unrecognized. Fortunately, our board of directors allows no such omissions, and last Wednesday night we honored Doug Maddox with his...
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Finding superlatives for the Sweet Adelines International Convention recently held in Indianapolis severely taxes me. New quartet champion The Buzz, composed entirely of former gold medalists, was clearly superior to everyone (53 competitors) except Brava, the 2004 winner. The Melodeers from Northbrook, 2004 chorus champion, did a crowd-pleasing...
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Our win in Bakersfield on October 2nd was clear evidence that the Masters’ hard work ethic, combined with the high-caliber of our directorial and coaching staff, has helped us maintain our performance edge over the other Far Western District choruses. To win by 99 points in one of the...
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The premier issue of MasterLine, a periodic newsletter for patrons, fans and friends of the Masters of Harmony, has been sent to a growing list of subscribers.
What's it about?
Basically, we'll be keeping subscribers abreast of our busy schedule of events, shows and performances. We will occasionally promote the...
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Wasn’t that a time! History was made, an era passed, records were shattered. I’m talking about Operations VP Bruce Oldham relaxing and enjoying himself without having to worry about every little detail.
O.C. Times and the Westminster Chorus rock! Gotcha! rules! I was there. What...
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All the ingredients for a barbershop “happening” were in place Saturday evening June 19 at the Plummer Auditorium in Fullerton. Not even flooded restrooms could dampen the enthusiasm of the appreciative audience, as the top quartets from the Far Western District and the district-winning Westminster chorus showed why they...
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After more than eight months of planning, the Masters of Harmony once again “raised the bar” in supporting the Society’s Young Men In Harmony program by hosting the Fourth Annual Young Men’s Harmony Festival on February 21 at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. About 25 MOH men and...
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The Masters of Harmony kicked off a new contest cycle year with a gala awards and installation banquet on Saturday, January 10, at the LAX Radisson Hotel in Inglewood. Banquet Chairman Steve Pence did an outstanding job of organizing the event. The setting was a beautiful ballroom with...
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Synergy. It's a word management texts use all the time to describe what happens when two things come together and create something much better than could have been achieved separately. Synergy is a rare thing in the world of business.
But synergy is what occurred on Saturday night when...
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There are times when I am particularly proud to be part of such a classy organization as the Masters of Harmony. On Wednesday night, November 12, 2003, Dan Fullerton's induction into the Masters' Hall of Fame was one of those times.
Lured under false pretenses, Dan initially succumbed to the...
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The glorious Christmas show by the Masters of Harmony has passed into history, with vows by one and all that the enrichment provided by our sisters from Anaheim's Harborlites Chorus will not be a one-time thing; we sound too good together. For now, we hunker down into "contest mode"...
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Far Western District conventions have not been too well attended in recent years. A general reluctance to travel, declining barbershop numbers, poor marketing, and perhaps the location of the conventions are among the reasons known. Well, the fall convention in Bakersfield this past weekend sure bucked the trend....
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This year's Christmas show promises to be the most spectacular ever presented by the Masters of Harmony. The title of the program, "Together at Christmas," gives an indication of the show's content. Two great choruses, the Masters of Harmony and the Harborlites, will join together to make this...
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In addition to this year's International Convention being held "across the border," MOH singers had the opportunity to share the stage at the World Harmony Jamboree (WHJ) on July 4 with the only non-American chorus to have won the Sweet Adelines International (SAI) contest an amazing three consecutive times.
The women...
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July 5, 2003 (Montreal, Canada) --- With every seat filled in the massive ballroom at the Hilton Bonaventure and an additional 300 people crowded along the sides and in the front, Midnight Madness began with a reprise performance of the afternoon's contest set by the Toronto Northern Lights. As...
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Bill Cain, bass of the Suntones, is now residing in Southern California, and since the chorus program for the June 7 show included two numbers from the Suntones' book, Bill and his wife Betty were invited to be our guests. The two numbers were "Finian's Rainbow Medley" arranged by...
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On June 7, the Masters of Harmony staged their annual Spring Show, "A Cappella Showcase," at the Long Beach Terrace Theater. It was arguably the most ambitious show content to date, and was enthusiastically received by a combined audience of approximately 1,500 for the matinee and evening shows. ...
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On May 18 a capacity audience of the Long Beach Community Concert Series enjoyed Sunday afternoon performances by the Masters of Harmony and guests at Cal State University-Long Beach.
The first guest group was the 2002-2003 Far Western District Champion, Sam's Club. This young group, made up of Masters...
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Last month, Canadian golfer Mike Weir, came from way back in the pack on the last day to win the Masters Golf Tournament. Probably the biggest thrill, in addition to the monetary prize, is that he now joins that exclusive fraternity of golfers that get to wear the Green...
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On Saturday, February 15, the Masters of Harmony and the Southern California Vocal Association co-sponsored their 3rd Annual Young Men's Harmony Festival at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California. Over 130 young men from more than 20 Southern California high schools spent a full day learning about the...
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"Talent, youth and beauty triumphed over arthritis and inexperience," writes your humbled correspondent from the storied halls of Huntington Beach High School, where the 42nd Annual Novice Quartet Contest has just ended. Sponsored by the Westminster Chapter, the novice competition showcased new barbershop quartets in their first attempts to...
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The Barbershop Harmony Society's Association of International Champions held a spectacular show at the Knott's Charles M. Schulz Theater in Buena Park, California on Saturday, January 11. Hosted by the Masters of Harmony, the event lived up to its billing as "The Best Barbershop Show of the Year."
Starting...
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The City of Santa Fe Springs kicks off the Holiday season with its annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the first Saturday of December. Following the event and for the next two weeks, the City continues celebrating the Holiday season by treating the residents of the community, particularly the...
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No longer can Barnum and Bailey say that they have the “Greatest Show on Earth.” Those who attended the “Champions on Parade” Show at the Long Beach Terrace Theatre on October 20 would probably challenge their claim. The event showcased the greatest collection of gold medallists that has...
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Conventioneers rose to their feet in excitement at the Far Western District Chorus Contest in Bakersfield when the Masters of Harmony reprised the contest songs that won them the gold medal in Portland. As reigning international chorus champion and outgoing FWD chorus champion, the Masters gave a stirring performance...
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The Masters of Harmony, 2002 SPEBSQSA International Chorus Champion, continued its tradition of musical excellence by being inducted into the Barbershop Hall of Fame in ceremonies held in Sharon, Pennsylvania on September 17. The Masters join the 2002 SPEBSQSA International Quartet Champion Four Voices as honorees in this year’s...
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Barbershop fans, prepare yourselves for what may just possibly be the show of the decade. On October 20 the Terrace Theatre in Long Beach will be the site of an historic event, a grand gathering of the best of the best of the barbershop world. Both the men's...
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It is often said that it isn't the end result, but the journey to get there that really counts. On Saturday, July 6, our latest journey ended and a new one was well underway. In the same way that we reflected on the South in our ballad, let's...
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It seems that the machine we all started 15 years ago still has what it takes. I was thrilled to see the Masters run away with another gold medal this year. You all are doing a wonderful job. I hope to see more of you guys in...
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