Let’s face it. All those virtual contests and concerts and videos were nice, but nothing will beat the thrill of the live stage, sitting shoulder to shoulder with fellow fans, making friends, and singing tags! It was quite a week in Charlotte, North Carolina! Barbershoppers from all over the world gathered for the first time in 3 years to compete and enjoy the thrill of singing four part harmony.
In 2017, BHS made a historic announcement to open membership to all! The strategic vision of BHS has been greeted with celebration and challenges alike and the path forward has been a constant topic of discussion, but the first year of full integration in a genderless contest proved to be a momentous occasion, especially for the Mid-Atlantic District! We were represented in every single contest in the best way. We came home with 7 International medals! Our presence as a district was strong. There is no doubt we are leading the pack!
Better Together started off our week as Mic-testers for the first round of Quartet Quarter-Finals! They certainly made us proud as Heather and Elizabeth were the first women to step on the International stage! What was to follow was nothing short of incredible. Midtown • A Vocal Quartet, GQ, First Take, Gimme Four, and Round Midnight all advanced to the Semi-finals and Secret Best Friends finished 21st and served as mic-testers for the Quartet Semi-Finals. Their beautiful set even included the great Eddie Holt! If that wasn’t enough excitement, ALL of our semi-finalist advanced to the Quartet Finals!!
Wednesday night was just as thrilling. The Next Generation Varsity Contest was filled with talent that assured our world that the future is in good hands. We had four quartets representing our district! The Quin-Tones and New Socks gave performances to be remembered! Brothers in Arms came in third and Jefferson Plaid Tie TIED for first place! They walked away with second place international medals and we are so proud!
The Chorus contest certainly didn’t disappoint. We had 5 choruses and all of them placed in the top 11 in the world! How cool is that? The Alexandria Harmonizers had us tapping and Gotham made us want to throw on colorful clothes and DANCE! Parkside Melody had us busting out of our seats as they were the very first treble chorus to debut on the International stage and Parkside Harmony gave such a cool and memorable performance. Last and certainly not least, East Coast Sound presented us a master class in clean, beautiful singing. Way to go everyone!
We wrapped up the week with the ever popular Quartet finals! There was not a bad chord sung in the Spectrum Center. Each quartet gave it there all and it was entertaining to say the least. Midtown gave stellar performances all week that earned them a second place medal! History was made as GQ became the first women to receive a medal- placing FOURTH in the world. First Take made their debut week as a quartet one to remember placing fifth! Gimme Four wowed is all week with their incredible sound and charisma and ‘Round Midnight was cool as they come!
Congratulations to ALL who performed and shared your music with the world. You took command of the stage, wowed us with your performances, and inspired others to follow in your footsteps! As a district we were represented in every International contest throughout the week and also in the Chorus and Quartet Festival!
Quartet Contest Results
- Midtown • A Vocal Quartet- 2nd
- GQ- 4th
- First Take- 5th
- Gimme Four- 7th
- ‘Round Midnight- 9th
- Secret Best Friends- 21st (mic testers)
- Madhattan- 37th
- The Brooklynaires- 38th
Next Gen Contest Results
- Jefferson Plaid Tie- 2nd (tied for first)
- Brothers In Arms Quartet- 3rd
- Quin-Tones Quartet- 6th
- New Socks- 15th
Chorus Contest Results
- The Alexandria Harmonizers- 3rd
- Parkside Harmony- 4th
- Voices of Gotham/Sirens of Gotham- 8th
- Parkside Melody- 10th
- East Coast Sound- 11th
Quartet Festival Winner
Chorus Festival Winner
Let’s continue to make the Mid-Atlantic District a front runner, not just on stage, but offstage as well! Something that was so beautiful to see was the outpouring of love for each and every performer. It was evident that our district was there to support our fellow friends in harmony and there is something to be said for that kind of unconditional love and support. Congratulations once again!!
contributed by Heather Havens
