Harmony On A Grand Scale
Illawarra Mercury
Thursday September 4, 1997
THE Wollongong Men's Barbershop Chorus will be on the cutting edge of its trade next week when the singers make their debut at the National Convention of Men Barbershop Singers.
The 1997 convention is the largest of its kind in Australia and incorporates the competition to select the country's championship quartets and choruses.
The Wollongong Chorus, encompassing about 20 singers, formed just before the 1995 convention and has been working hard in preparation for its competitive debut.
Led by director Carmel Jones, the chorus will join about 700 delegates at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre, raising their voices in harmony without musical aid.
Jones, a member of the Wollongong Harmony Chorus, loves the style and sound of Barbershop singing but says it is a disciplined music style.
"We sing unaccompanied and without music and commit the words and harmonies to memory," she said.
"Barbershop is performed in four parts - lead, baritone, bass and tenor - and whatever your part, you have to hold it against all other harmonies and not lose it."
Still, the rewards of Barbershop singing are enormous and the response to a well-performed harmony can be electric.
The Wollongong brigade will perform as a small chorus (some have up to 90 members), singing Wait Till The Sun Shines Nellie and My Coney Island Baby during the competitive rounds of the convention.
Although competition is the mainstay of the biennial convention, a traditional feature of the event is a massed performance for the public.
Held on the Darling Harbour Forecourt, hundreds of singers - including the Wollongong contingent - will present a selection of popular favourites and specially arranged Australian songs.
Carmel Jones will even direct one of the songs - Down Our Way - during this incredible performance.
The convention, from September 11 to 14, will culminate with a grand public concert featuring the medal-winning quartets and choruses on the Saturday evening.
For information on tickets to the concert or competition sessions, contact Ticketek outlets.
The Wollongong Men's Barbershop Chorus is looking to swell its ranks.
The group meets on Thursday's at the West Wollongong Primary School.
For more information, contact Carmel Jones on 4228 0536 or Rick Beale on 4296 4597.
© 1997 Illawarra Mercury