SUMMIT CITY CHORUS ANNOUNCES NEW MEETING AND REHEARSAL LOCATION

The Summit City Chorus, Fort Wayne’s premier Barbershop men’s group since 1944, announces that effective Monday, November 3, 2008, their weekly Monday night meeting and chorus rehearsal will be permanently held at Taylor Chapel United Methodist Church, 10145 Maysville Road, on Fort Wayne’s northeast side, at 7:00 p.m. The church has just completed the construction of a Family Life Center, and is located adjacent to Discount Tire and Bob Evans restaurant in the Chapel Ridge shopping center area.

“We are excited about our new rehearsal location,” explains Al Schumm, President of the chorus. “It is spacious, brightly lighted, very conducive to singing, and has easy access because it is at ground level.”

Men of all ages are welcome and encouraged to be a guest any Monday night.

Organizational Background:

The mission of the Summit City Barbershop Chorus is to offer male singers the opportunity to entertain using vocal music performances that adhere to the highest standards of sound production and visual presentation.

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The purpose of this chapter shall be to perpetuate the uniquely-American style of singing, Barbershopping, and to promote and encourage vocal harmony and good fellowship among its members; to encourage and promote the education of its members and the public in music appreciation, to initiate, promote and participate in charitable projects and to promote public appreciation of Barbershop harmony.

The musical structure of “Barbershopping” has become well-established over the years:  male four-part harmony sung acappella (without accompaniment). By the end of the 19^th Century a new style of performing popular songs had developed in America. It was a style that invited participation by everyone. Wher­ever a few singers gathered and started to blend their voices, this musical style flourished. The style was so popular that songs soon were written specifically for these singers, with the first such song, “Mister Jefferson Lord, Play That Barbershop Chord,” appearing in 1910. Thereafter, these singers were forever labeled “Barbershoppers.” Soon thousands of amateur singers were flocking to Barbershopping, to the present day of over 30,000 members in over 800 local chapters in the United States and Canada.

The national organization is now called the Barbershop Harmony Society, but previously it was known as The Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America (“S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A.”).

The local chapter has a history dating back to 1883, but was formally organized in 1944 with two hundred members.