Pride of the Ozarks Barbershop Concert - 2009

For the second year in a row, we attended the concert of the Greater Ozarks Chapter of The Barbershop Harmony Society (formerly the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America.) This year's concert, entitled "I Have A Song To Sing," was held in the modern auditorium of Rogers (AR) High School. The group lost some membership from last year but still had a wonderful blend and very fine sound...



Did you notice the young men in the front row? It's good to see youth involved with this old-time traditional American music endeavor. And speaking of youth, one of the guest groups was the Rogers High School "Debonair Men" seen below, accompanied by 2 violins. This group is in its first year of existence and sounded wonderful! The entire concert was dedicated to music educators -- be they school faculty members, people who give lessons in their homes or studios, or volunteers who lead community groups -- all important components of carrying on music traditions in our country and around the world. From the program: "It is the right of every man, woman, and child to experience the joy of singing. Music is the expression of the soul and the all-embracing language of the world." Amen!


"Melody Lane," including two men from the chorus, entertained next. These four gentlemen together represent over 100 years experience in barbershop music!



...followed by "High Definition," a group only 1 1/2 years old but already Central District Champs and 13th in the world in an international competition. They were fabulous and got a well-deserved standing ovation from the audience.

The final numbers saw all on stage joining in song...

Like last year, we spent another enjoyable afternoon listening to the concert, despite the non-Arkansas-like weather outside featuring 34 degrees and hours of snow flurries (without accumulation, fortunately.) A tasty dinner at Outback on the drive home capped off a great day!

Here's last year's post.