07/10/08

The Harmony Heritage Singers

Bob Wachter Director

Mount Vernon Chapter of The Barbershop Harmony Society

Let Us Entertain You In The Barbershop Style

Uniquely American. As American as Old Glory and apple pie, barbershop singing originated in the early 1900s in places like barbershops where men got together to socialize. They sang from memory without accompaniment and emphasized close harmony and improvisation. In that way barbershop is a bit like jazz, another distinctively American art form. With the spread of radio in the 1930s, do­it-yourself entertainment was on the decline - but there were those who remembered, and yearned for, the personal touch of live performances.

Now Worldwide. In 1938, a small group of devotees formed an organization with the ingeniously cumbersome title of The Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA). With affiliates around the world, ­the organization is now called simply The Barbershop Harmony Society. In the United States there are 28,000 members in over 800 chapters, including the Mount Vernon chapter, home of the Harmony Heritage Singers.

What We Do. The Harmony Heritage Singers perform regularly for retirement communities, assisted living facilities, and fraternal organizations. We sing familiar songs, many of them about fun and romance in "the good old days." All are sung from memory in the rich harmonies that are the trademark of the barbershop tradition.

Who We Are. Because we are all either retired or self-employed, we are happy to perform during the day when most groups cannot. A typical performance will feature about 30 or so of our members, along with one or more of our quartets. Most of us are veterans of military service and several of us sing regularly with one of four other barbershop choruses.

Our Director. Our leader, Bob Wachter, has directed choruses for over four decades. Under his leadership, the Harmony Heritage Singers have made over 250 appearances in the last 10 years.

HHS has performed for the following organizations and events:

MRP Chapter Meetings

American Art Museum & Portrait Gallery, Washington DC

Capitol Christmas Tree Ceremony - Alexandria

Festival of the Arts and USO Show - Alexandria

Arlington Co. National Cemetery 9/11 Remembrance

Armed Forces Retirement Home - Washington, DC

Fairfax Co. Board of Supervisors

Fairfax Co. Senior Center luncheons

Foodservice & Packaging Institute

Greenbriar Civic Association summer concerts,

Chantilly, VA Greenspring Village concerts

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Ball

Mount Vernon Estates community concerts

NARFE VA State Convention & local meetings

Prince George's Co. Retired Teachers

Reston VA Seniors holiday luncheons

Salvation Army of Northern VA

Shepherd Center luncheon, Fairfax Co.

Veterans of Foreign Wars - Clinton MD

Virginia's 400th Anniversary, Godspeed Sailing Ship, Alexandria, VA

Walter Reed Armed Forces Medical Center

Washington Industrial Round Table

White House Christmas concert series.

HHS has performed at the Washington Convention Center,

the Capital Hilton Hotel, the Washington Fairmont Hotel

and the Waterford at Fair Oaks in Fairfax VA.

The group has performed for various business and professional organizations,

along with special appearances at a number of official Barbershop functions.

The central theme of every Harmony Heritage Singers' engagement is wholesome,

clean entertainment. Simply stated, good music, good fun.

Harmony Heritage Singers

Current Show Performance Package

Top of the World

I Love That Old Barbershop Style

Back in the Old Routine

Fun in Just One Lifetime

Country Roads

Cliche Quartet

My Gal Sal

Barbershop Blues

Roll Out the Barrel

Barbara Ann

Smart Alex Quartet

Old Bones

Amazing Grace

American Medley

Thanks for the Memory

Some Audience Comments:

"Best program ever"

"Truly enjoyable"

"Loved your performance, very professional"

"We want you back next year"

"Holy cow. Those old guys can really sing"

Mount Vernon Chapter The Harmony Heritage Singers Barbershop Chorus

You Wanna' Sing?

 You are invited to sing with us. We rehearse about every two weeks, usually at 10:00 a.m. at the Sherwood Regional Library, located at 2501 Sherwood Hall Lane in Alexandria, VA. Call 703 765-3645 ext. 4

Members of the Barbershop Harmony Society

Director: Bob Wachter

Assistant Directors:

Jerry Eiler   Chris Buechler   Bill Curtis

Contacts:

Jere Richardson 571-223-1553

Mount Vernon, VA Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society is supported in part by the Arts Council of Fairfax County from funds provided by Fairfax County.

Bob Wachter 703-768-5098

The Mount Vernon Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society is a 501 (C) (3) nonprofit organization.