Young Men In Harmony
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4M4O-Trophy
(video )
4 Men, 4 Octaves
Aaron Winey (Baritone), Evan Clarke (Bass), Kyle Fait (Tenor), and Ben Hulbert (Lead)

This quartet from Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego won the 25th annual Far Western District High School Quartet Contest on March 21, 2015, at the Lion's Gate Convention Center in Sacramento, CA

These four students at Scripps Ranch High School exceeded expectations by winning AGAIN (see below). Their score was head-and-shoulders above the competition. All are members of Pacific Suns youth chorus.

They sang I Can Go The Distance from Hercules, and For The Longest Time, adding a bit of comedy in the latter. They were again coached by Mike Lawton, the baritone of Revival, the 1998 International Barbershop Quartet champions, to refine their quartet presentation. They are truly champions, who will do well as they move on to college.


San Diego A Cappella Festival Wows Audience

Youth Harmony San Diego, a collaboration of local barbershop chapters of BHS and SAI, held their first annual A Cappella Ensemble Showcase on April 11, 2015 (which was, by no coincidence, Barbershop Quartet Day). The concept involves having a cappella groups of various genres from secondary schools and colleges compete for cash prizes. Then there is an evening show featuring the winners of each tier and headliners of national renown to attract an audience. The event was held at a brand new Performing Arts Center belonging to Creative, Performing and Media Arts Middle School. We were supported by grants from the County Board of Supervisors, BHS/HF and the FWD.

This year, we only signed up three competitors, so we awarded them each first prize. They included a Marshall middle school chamber choir and two college a cappella groups, Frequency from UCSD and Sound Wave from SDSU. An audience favorite was selected by attendees, as well as competitors and performers, by placing their ticket into a competitor’s box in the lobby. The middle school won audience favorite and appeared on the Showcase that evening.

headliners

The headliners on the evening Showcase were The Newfangled Four, 2013 Collegiate Barbershop champs and FWD quartet champs, and SoCal Vocals, International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) champs in 2008, 2010, and 2012, who went on to win the ICCA on April 18, 2015.  Our youth chorus, Pacific Suns, also appeared, directed by Royce Ferguson. They were augmented by North of the Border, a new highly-competitive quartet, who also performed impressively.

composite

The response from attendees has been uproarious. The talent exhibited was phenomenal, as was the variety of music, from barbershop favorites to neo-classical Eric Whitaker to gospel to Justin Timberlake, Shaggy and Beyonce, including a contemporary a cappella piece arranged by BHS member, Ross Hansen, covering Rihanna and Ariana Grande songs. Attendees got a healthy dose of barbershop and it was obvious they were awed by the sound. Local collegians expressed an interest in doing some barbershop. That was one of our objectives, so the event was a practical success, as well as an artistic tour de force. Plans are in progress to continue the series next year.


The member organizations of Youth Harmony San Diego, including Pacific Coast Harmony nd Sun Harbor Chorus and San Diego Chorus of Sweet Adelines International, conducted a workshop and show for high school and middle school boys and girls on November 1, 2014. As a result, over two-dozen youngsters had an exhilarating day of singing four-part close harmony. We conducted a co-ed workshop, with the boys learning It’s A Brand New Day, Coney Island/We All Fall Medley, and Kentucky Babe, while the girls took on We Go Together and Feelin’ Groovy. They both learned Harmony Leads The Way.

Here is the massed ensemble singing Harmony Leads The Way. Teaching quartets, Flightline and C’est La Vie bolstered the sound, along with members of our Youth Chorus, Pacific Suns, for an exciting combination of voices. Responses from the students were universally delighted and encouraging for future workshops.


Once again, Pacific Suns, our growing youth chorus of 18 singers, performed at the International Youth Barbershop Chorus Festival on January 9, 2015, in New Orleans, LA, attaining an Excellent rating. We sang Sweet Georgia Brown, When Somebody Loved Me and I'm Yours. The New Orleans atmosphere provided a fun backdrop and dining pleasures.

PacSuns-LongBeach
See the video.


4M4O-Trophy
(video )
4 Men, 4 Octaves
Aaron Winey (Baritone), Evan Clarke (Bass), Kyle Fait (Tenor), and Ben Hulbert (Lead)
This quartet from Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego won the 24th annual Far Western District High School Quartet Contest on March 22, 2014, at the Fox Theater in Riverside, CA

Four students at Scripps Ranch High School traveled to Riverside , CA, on March 22, to compete in the High School Quartet Contest (HSQC) as part of the Spring Comvention of the Far Western Disterict (FWD) of the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS). As you can tell from the trophy, they WON! They not only blew away the competition, they blew away the barbershop afficionados in the audience, who gave them two standing ovations. Since they are all juniors, they are expected to compete again and win next year, their final year of eligibility. All are members of Pacific Suns youth chorus.

They sang Love Me And The World Is Mine and Sweet Georgia Brown, two songs they learned in Pacific Suns. They were coached by Mike Lawton, the baritone of Revival, the 1998 International Barbershop Quartet champions, to refine their quartet presentation. Their Pacific Suns director, Kathleen Hansen, Associate Director of San Diego Sweet Adelines, rehearsed them in the chorus and coached them on game day. They took what they learned to the stage and demonstrated their blend and expression that made them champions.

The trophy is named in honor of Lloyd Steinkamp, who started the FWD HSQC in 1991 when he was FWD President, and whose church is where Pacific Suns rehearses.


LoveNotes4

A Youth Harmony Day was held on February 8, 2014, at Lewis Middle School in San Diego. This day-long workshop was followed by a show featuring LoveNotes, current champion Sweet Adelines quartet and our own Pacific Suns, youth honor chorus.

PacSuns-YHD Show 2014


Pacific Suns, our intrepid youth chorus, performed at the International Youth Barbershop Chorus Festival on January 31, 2014, in Long Beach, CA, attaining an Outstanding rating. We sang Love Me And The World Is Mine, Sweet Georgia Brown, and Blue Moon. It was a great day for bonding and singing.

PacSuns-LongBeach
See the video.


Pacific Suns, our youth honor chorus, performed on a show produced by the Califirnia Note Catchers, a Harmony Incorporated chorus, on December 15, 2013, to a very appreciative audience. It was excellent experience and may have attracted more performance opportunities. We wore standard black, but flashed holiday ties for the season. The quartet, Why Not? brought Joy To The World.

PS-NoteCatchers


We had our inaugural performance on September 15, 2013 at 3 PM at the Prado Theater in Balboa Park as a guest ensemble for Sun Harbor Chorus. We wore all black, including long-sleeve black shirts, plus various brightly colored solid ties. The member quartets, "4 Men, 4 Octaves" and "Why Not?" also killed it. Check out our performances of Heart of My Heart and In The Still Of The Night.


Rehearsals are held on weekends, alternating on Saturdays from 9:30 to 11:30 AM and Sundays from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. It's casual, as you can see. For a schedule se the Youth Chorus page.



An inaugural rehearsal and pizza party was held June 15, 2013, in Scripps Ranch for the launch of a new Young Men's Honor Chorus. It was an awesome event, with 15 eligible singers attending, and more expressing interest in joining at future meetings. The music was directed by our new principal director, Kathleen Hansen, a music educator, who is also the Director of the men's barbershop chorus, Sun Harbor. She is also Associate Director of the San Diego Chorus of Sweet Adelines, International. Rehearsals continue, as noted above. If you are interested in more information, check the youth chorus page. Inaugural

There were 27 students from San Diego who went to the Masters of Harmony Young Men's Harmony Festival on February 16, 2013. It was a fantastic experience, with about 240 students and 100 chorus men on stage at the same time. With this cadre of singers invited to join, we will have a repertoire of five festival songs to organize a new youth chorus. We will be recruiting more members. We will also be learning new songs for continuing performances and activities of San Diego County's Young Men's Honor Chorus.


Thurgood Marshall Middle School barbershop quartet shines at Fullerton College forum festival in May 2012, rating Gold and four outstanding musician awards. Sponsored and coached by Youth In Harmony, San Diego County.


The newly formed San Diego County Youth Barbershop Chorus, Pacific Suns, made their debut at the International Youth Barbershop Chorus Festival, held in Las Vegas on January 29, 2011, by the Barbershop Harmony Society. There were nineteen competing choruses from all over the United States and Canada, and as far away as New Zealand.

The chorus is a joint effort of San Diego County men's barbershop choruses and choir directors from San Diego schools. Seventeen students from SCPA, Scripps Ranch, Fallbrook, Patrick Henry, High Tech, and Classic Academy High Schools participated, along with three young members of Pacific Coast Harmony. They were directed by Allan Webb of the La Jolla Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society.

Las Vegas trip
The group sang It's A Brand New Day; Wait 'Til The Sun Shines, Nellie; and Crazy Little Thing Called Love. The chorus sounded good and relaxed further into the experience with each song. For more information or to involve your students contact the Youth Chorus Manager.


Land Of Lakes Choirboys Visited San Diego and enjoyed a Concert with the
San Diego Children's Choir and Pacific Coast Harmony
7 PM, Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at Good Samaritan Episcopal Church
Flyer

 
The Ringmasters, 2008 International Collegiate Barbershop Quartet Champions, visited San Diego from January 19 to 24, 2009. They went to eight schools, two chorus rehearsals, a teachers conference and participated in a Real Men Sing Clinic followed by a Young Men's Vocal Ensemble Showcase. They wowed every audience with amazing chords and personality.

The "Timbre-Rings" did it!


(video)
Mark Suennen (b), Peter Yoon (B), Jacob Haren (L), and Cameron Sczempka (T)
This quartet from Westview High School in San Diego won the 19th annual Far Western District High School Quartet Contest on March 21, 2009, in Las Vegas, NV.

This impressive quartet was provided with music to I Got Rhythm in early December 2008, at the request of their choral teacher, Doreen McCarty. Based on YouTube videos of the 1999 International Barbershop Quartet champions, FRED, performing this song, they crafted their own choreography and performed it on their school's Romance Concert in late January, where the Ringmasters also performed (see story above). Our Youth In Harmony coordinator took note of their progress and encouraged them to enter the High School Quartet Contest. In six weeks, they learned a second song, Love Me And The World Is Mine. They were coached by Mike Lawton, the baritone of Revival, the 1998 International Barbershop Quartet champions, to refine the whole package. Their tonality, blend and just plain in-tune singing put them head-and-shoulders above the competition. (See a sample of their performance.) They were rewarded $500 for their school music program and received the FWD HSQC trophy. This year the trophy has been re-named in honor of Lloyd Steinkamp, who started the FWD HSQC in 1991 when he was FWD President.


On January 31, 2009, we participated in the Youth Chorus contest in Pasadena. The Ringmasters quartet, 2008 International Collegiate Barbershop Quartet Champions from Sweden, sang with us as a wonderful show of support. See the video of our performance. More coverage about the January events.

Northwest Vocal Project from Seattle won the overall competition and the 25-

year-old plateau. 52Eighty from Denver won the 22-year-old plateau.
They went on to win the contest in January, 2010, and NVP competed in the
July 2010 Men's Chorus competition, finishing 12th of 27 choruses.

Check out the sample videos of the competitors from 2009.

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