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And the first-ever MBHA International champion quartet is
Arranged Marriage!
Arranged Marriage (Christina Lewellen, Jessi Nasto, Richard Lewellen, Anthony Nasto) sang their way into our hearts with Stop, Time and If My Friends Could See Me Now Medley to win the first-ever international mixed quartet championship on North American soil! The contest was sponsored by the Mixed Barbershop Harmony Association and hosted by Harmony, Inc. at the 2024 International Convention and Contests in Louisville, KY.
MBHA Quartet scoresheets
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The way we were... and where we're going
Hello Mixed Barbershop Singers!
As the newly elected MBHA President I’m excited to be stepping up into this new role after serving on the Board of Directors for the past seven years. So many things have changed in the Mixed Barbershop world during that period!
Originally, MBHA was the only voice for those participating in this subset of the barbershop world. We started with a small, passionate community as diverse as our broad geographical North American locations who were getting together to experience barbershop in a broader “family” sense with couples, siblings, and mixed gender friends. Some of the BHS Districts started offering “festival” and “for evaluation” opportunities for other ensembles and many of our quartets were able to step into a competition setting for the first time. We also had numerous mixed choruses register with MBHA in 2017 and 2018 and many of them also participated in the competition settings offered by BHS Districts.
In 2017 BHS adopted the Strategic Vision, Everyone in Harmony, that opened membership to the Society in 2018 to everyone (not just men as was previously the rule). This change has been reflected in non-gendered competitions at the International level, while some Districts still choose to offer three distinct classifications: men’s, women’s and mixed ensembles.
In 2024, MBHA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Harmony, Inc. where our registered ensembles are invited to participate in Area and International competitions with MBHA offering Area Champion and International Champion distinctions. 2024 is our first year with MBHA quartets qualifying and competing at the International level with Arranged Marriage winning the inaugural MBHA International Quartet Champion designation.
MBHA is in the process of finalizing a Strategic Plan which we will unveil later this year to revive our passion in Mixed Barbershop after the dark times during COVID and the reemergence of in-person singing and events. I can’t wait to share our educational opportunities, projects, competition offerings and plethora of coaches, arrangers, and supporters of all things Mixed Barbershop soon!
Please feel free to reach out with any comments or suggestions around what YOU would like (individual, quartet or chorus level) to see included in your MBHA membership. My email: president@mixedbarbershop.org I look forward to hearing from you!
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| Enjoy the barbershop contest vibe |
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Nothing beats the fun of a barbershop convention. And MBHA members are warmly invited to attend -- and compete for score and evaluation (and possible advancement to international-level contests) -- if they wish, at numerous Harmony, Inc. Area and Barbershop Harmony Society District conventions.
In addition to adjudications, all venues offer top-flight coaching and education as well as informal singing and socializing. See below for info on different venues.
HI invites MBHA to the wild, wild west!
Join Harmony, Inc. this summer for a weekend of hot harmonies featuring a festival chorus contest, quartet contest, education, and coaching from some of your favorite members of the judging community, and an opportunity to compete to qualify for Harmony’s International Convention and Contests!
July 10-13 in Tempe, Arizona, promises to be a blast as we continue to grow our westward expansion. Be a part of history and join us by contacting harmonyfestwest@harmonyinc.org today!
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Festival and contest signup begins
Festival entry/contest entry for any ensemble wishing to participate in Harmony Fest West is coming soon! Once it is available, it will remain open until June 10, although any entries received after May 12 will be considered late, and the late entrant will sing first.
You may be wondering about what will happen at Harmony Fest West, and, in particular, who may sing in the “contest” and who may sing in the “festival”. Keeping in mind that a goal of Harmony Fest West is to introduce the southwest to Harmony, Inc. while offering Harmony and MBHA ensembles in the west an opportunity to qualify for IC&C “locally”, here are some details about the festival/contest portion of the weekend.
Contest:
Harmony, Inc. ensembles located in the Expansion Area and Mixed Barbershop Harmony Association (MBHA) ensembles may enter the Harmony Fest West contest. In addition, Harmony, Inc. quartets that received permission from the ICJ Committee following timely submission (March 1 deadline) of a request to sing out of Area may register to sing in the contest. Registrants for the contest will receive numerical scores and will be eligible to sing at IC&C if their average score meets the qualifying score previously set by the IBOD for 2025 (69 average to qualify, 67 average as the floor for possible alternate spots).
Festival:
Any a cappella ensemble may enter the festival. Registrants for the festival will receive festival ratings (superior, outstanding, excellent, good) rather than numerical scores. Entrants may include any Harmony, Inc. or MBHA quartet or chorus (or part of a chorus, or part of several choruses) that has already sung at a Harmony, Inc. Area contest in 2025, but whose members wish to get in on the fun of Harmony Fest West. Again, these ensembles will receive festival ratings (and the fun of singing at our first ever Harmony Fest West!), but their appearance at the festival will not provide a basis for determining eligibility for IC&C.
Procedure:
The combined contest and festival will proceed very much like an Area contest.
- All participants – festival or contest – will be charged the same contest entry fee, and a late fee will be assessed equally if the entry is submitted after May 12.
- All participants – festival or contest – will be expected to register and perform two songs. (Instructions for registering songs are in the link for contest and festival entry.)
- All participants – festival or contest – will be in the same random draws for order of appearance, one draw for quartets and one for choruses.
- All participants will be judged by the same panel of judges and will receive in-person evaluations from members of the judging panel.
- Festival entrants will be judged on a two-song a cappella package that includes at least one barbershop arrangement.
- Contest entrants will be judged on a two-song package in accordance with Harmony, Inc.’s contest rules.
Beyond that, Harmony Fest West in Tempe, Arizona, will proceed like any other Harmony, Inc. convention weekend. There will be classes. There will be a banquet. There will be singing. There will be camaraderie. There will be fun!
If you have any questions about Harmony Fest West, please contact Trayce Elenteny
or, if your question is about contest or festival entry, Panel Chair Linda Muise.
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| How to enter a Harmony, Inc. Area contest |
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By Kathy Greason, HI Contest & Judging Chair
Here is what MBHA ensembles should know about being part of a Harmony, Inc. spring or summer contest in 2025.
MBHA Ensemble Eligibility
All members of mixed voice ensembles must be members of the Mixed Barbershop Harmony Association, and the ensembles must be registered with MBHA.
Contests
Area 1 (Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotic, Newfoundland, Labrador and Prince Edward Island)
June 5-8, 2025
Mount Allison University, New Brunswick
Entry Deadline April 7, 2025
Late Entry Cutoff May 7, 2025
Area 2 (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont)
April 24-27, 2025
Framingham, Massachusetts
Entry Deadline February 26, 2025
Late Entry Cutoff March 26, 2025
Area 3 (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia)
May 2-4, 2025
Syracuse, New York
Entry Deadline March 3, 2025
Late Entry Cutoff April 2, 2025
Area 4 (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin)
June 12-15, 2025
Normal, Illinois
Entry Deadline April 14, 2025
Late Entry Cutoff May 14, 2025
Area 5 (Ontario)
May 23-25, 2025
Richmond Hill, Ontario
Entry Deadline March 24, 2025
Late Entry Cutoff April 23, 2025
Area 6 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee)
April 10-13, 2025
Orlando, Florida
Entry Deadline February 10, 2025
Late Entry Cutoff March 11, 2025
Quartet Contest Entry Form
Chorus Contest Entry Form
MBHA ensembles may enter any of the contests listed in order to try to qualify for Harmony, Inc.’s International Contest and Convention in Hershey, PA in November. Information about each Area is available through the hyperlink in the table above. Information about Harmony Fest West is available on the Harmony, Inc website, Harmony, Incorporated.
Entering the contests
The path for MBHA ensembles seeking to enter a Harmony, Inc. contest is different from the path for Harmony, Inc. ensembles. This difference results from a number of factors, including contest history and possible BHS registration. Therefore, the first step for any MBHA ensemble wishing to enter a Harmony, Inc. contest is to email Linda Muise at adm@harmonyinc.org. She will gather necessary information and will provide step-by-step instructions on how to proceed. MBHA ensembles should not contact the BHS Member Center in relation to entering a Harmony, Inc. contest, as the Member Center will refer all inquiries regarding Harmony, Inc. contests to the Harmony, Inc. Barberscore Help Desk, i.e., to Linda Muise.
Please email membership@mixedbarbershop.org to request your quartet and individual ID#s to complete your HI Area Contest registrations.
Costs
The contest entry fee is a non-refundable $40US for a quartet and $65US for a chorus until the Entry Deadline. Entries submitted between the Entry Deadline and the Late Entry Cutoff will be assessed a late entry fee of $5 per performer. No entries will be accepted after the Late Entry Cutoff.
In addition, all performers must purchase an All Events Pass from the Area.
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| How to enter a BHS spring contest |
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Here is what MBHA ensembles should know about being part of a BHS spring or summer District/Division/Prelim contest in 2025.
MBHA Ensemble Eligibility
All members of mixed voice ensembles must be members of the Mixed Barbershop Harmony Association, and the ensembles must be registered with MBHA.
Entering the contests
There are 6 easy steps:
Step 1. Decide the District where you want to go..
Step 2. Contact the DRCJ (BHS speak for District Representative for Contest and Judging). Use the list of Districts with the associated DRCJ email address. Confirm that the District is welcoming entries.
Step 3. Since the quartet is not a member of BHS, the following link will have to be used to assist the creation of your quartet (or chorus) into the BHS. https://members.barbershop.org/s/guest-singing-community-registration
You will need the following information:
- Quartet (ensemble) name and MBHA ensemble number (viewable on your MBHA profile page) (may not be requested)
- Quartet contact name and address information
- Quartet personnel, email addresses and MBHA member numbers (viewable on your MBHA profile page)(may not be requested)
- Where you are from (are representing)
- All members of the quartet must be registered for the convention.
You still need the MBHA member and ensemble numbers, although the system may not ask for them. To get your individual and ensemble numbers, check your profile on the MBHA website.
Step 4. Provide the list of songs the quartet will perform, with song title, song composer, arranger and date of purchase.
Step 5. Confirm entry with the DRCJ and provide any additional information (such as entry fee if necessary) required by the DRCJ/ District.
Step 6. Congratulations. You are in!
Contests
Far Western District
NE/NW Division
Riverside, CA
March 13-16
Southeastern Harmony District
Knoxville, TN
Entry Deadline March 2
FWD SE/SW Division
Davis, CA
March 28-30
Entry Deadline March 1
Northeastern District
Prelims/Eastern Division
Marlborough MA
April 4-5
Entry Deadline March 5
Carolinas District
Pinehurst, NC
April 4-5
Cardinal District
Kansas City, MO
April 11-12
Ontario District
Belleville, ON
April 11-12
FWD Arizona Division
Phoenix, AZ
May 2-3
Entry Deadline April 4
NED Prelims/Western Division
Lake George, NY
May 2-3
Entry Deadline April 2
Rocky Mountain District
Cheyenne, WY
May 2-3
Entry Deadline April 2
NED Sunrise Division
Sackville, NB
May 17-18
Entry Deadline April 17
QUESTIONS? Email info@mixedbarbershop.org.
Not all BHS Districts had responded with their availability by deadline for this publication. To see if some other District/location may be available for your ensemble, check out the BHS Convention page.
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| New website & membership registration process |
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By Janine Roberts, Interim Membership Chair
As your interim MEMBERSHIP CHAIR, I'm thrilled to announce that we have the member and ensemble registration portals open! We are accepting new INDIVIDUAL and ENSEMBLE registrations!
NEW MEMBERS CAN REGISTER HERE: https://www.mixedbarbershop.org/join.
If you are an existing MBHA member, you should have received a "password reset" email mid-November which will allow you to access our MEMBERS ONLY area of the new website. If you have not received this email, please contact: membership@mixedbarbershop.org and I'll resend the email to you (reminder that we are a volunteer organization, so this might take a day or two).
Invoices have been sent to all soon to expire members - our new site is a bit different than our old site, so you should see renewal invoice notifications coming out by email approximately 60 days prior to expiry going forward.
For NEW QUARTET and NEW CHORUS registrations, please contact membership@mixedbarbershop.org and I'll walk you through the process of getting your individual and ensemble registrations completed.
We're also looking for a REGISTRAR volunteer, so if you have experience with HarmonySite or would be interested in learning more about this vital role with MBHA, please reach out to me: president@mixedbarbershop.org
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invites YOU
to join in the fun this summer
Dear members of Mixed Barbershop Harmony Association,
My name is Julia. I'm treasurer at BinG! (Barbershop in Germany) and I'm president of the European Harmony Brigade (EHB). I'd love to invite you and all members of MBHA to join the EHB from June 13-15, 2025 in Dresden,
Germany. It's a traditionally mixed Brigade in the country that hosts the World Mixed Contest with an amazing mix of people from different countries and experience levels.
While the trip to Germany is long, it is well worth it. What an experience it will be! We will have a blast with 12 songs and 60-80 singers ringing all day and night long. There will be a random quartet competition as well as a great Saturday Night Show with a Brigade Chorus.
There are still open spots for all voices. Having more people from North America would be a great addition to the event! And the music selection is really awesome including classics like Sold, Love Letters, and Blue Skies.
I'd love to hear from you. Do you have questions? Contact me at julia.stoetzel@barbershop.de.
Singing Ringing Regards,
Julia Stötzel
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We have questions!
Do you have answers?
By Barry Towner, Immediate Past President
As I have completed my term as President of the organization and move on to the role of Immediate Past President, I was left in a quandary as to what to write for the newsletter. I received a suggestion from another past Board member that we are now 10 years old as an organization and perhaps some history on the organization would be helpful to our newer members, and good reminders to our longer-term members of where we have come from. For the next few issues I will provide short snippets of our past, and even before we started.
I am also going to make this a participation column. I will pose a few questions, and I’m looking for feedback, remembrances, comments that I will include in future issues. Send your notes, comments, pictures to btowner@mixedbarbershop.org for inclusion in future issues.
Okay, let’s start. And where to start? How about before we started.
Do any of you remember a group of barbershoppers out of Minnesota, who performed as a mixed ensemble at many BHS International conventions? They were lead by a husband and wife team. The husband was a quartet medalist and a BHS certified judge in Interpretation and the wife was a Sweet Adelines queen. They gathered some like-minded friends and learned a bunch of songs and performed in many locations under the name FRIENDS. Let me know your memories of them. Pictures would also be great. This is the community of mixed barbershop.
Before we started MBHA there was another community of barbershoppers - MHBQA -- from mainly the west coast of the U.S. who formed and were involved for a number of years. Do you remember them? I don’t have much information on them so you all we be my resource for them.
Again, before MBHA, there were mixed-quartet performers at Showcases at BHS Internationals composed of individuals from the U.S. and Canada. Do you remember who these performers were?
As steps were taken to start what became MBHA, a few more questions for you.
Do you remember who was assigned by the Board to investigate mixed barbershopping? He is a well known director, judge, and coach. You may recognize the name: Joe Cerutti.
Do you remember the person who was the key contact person for the BHS Board of Directors in creating the organization which became MBHA and was our first President? His name was Ron Morden. Unfortunately, Ron has left us to join the great chorus in the sky, but perhaps some of you remember him and can provide more information on him and the work he did in our formation.
Well, that is enough of a history lesson for this issue. I look forward to all your responses to my questions as we build on our history. Remember my email address is btowner@mixedbarbershop.org .
See you next issue.
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Are you interested in putting together a mixed quartet but are missing members? Need a tenor who is from Toronto? We have a new resource for you: the Mixed Ensemble Interest Form
This directory will help MBHA members connect with others who are also interested in forming or joining an ensemble.
Complete information will be posted in the Members Only section of the website for your review.
Happy connecting!
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The MBHA currently has quartet trophies sponsored in the following Harmony, Inc Areas:
Area 1 - Mary & Murray Phillips
Area 2 - Steve & Renee Tramack
Area 3 - Dick & Roxanne Powell in memory of Chuck Wert & Compound W mixed quartet
Area 5 - Baldwin Blend Mixed Chorus
Area 6 - Rare Blend Quartet
We are looking for sponsors for the following trophies:
- Area 4 - quartet
- All area chorus trophies.
Cost of trophy sponsorship is $200 USD. This includes the purchase of the trophy (all
trophies are the same design), engraving of your name on the trophy as the sponsor,
listing as a sponsor on the MBHA website as well as the opportunity to present the
trophy to the winners.
If you are interested in sponsoring a trophy please contact amorton@mixedbarbershop.org
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MBHA is looking for our very own theme song, relevant to our mission and culture. Do you have any ideas, suggestions, thoughts?
Are you an arranger that would be willing to arrange a song for the MBHA? Are you a song writer that has the perfect lyrics?
Email info@mixedbarbershop.org with your thoughts.
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By Dick & Roxanne Powell, Editors
Hello, everyone! We hope you enjoyed reading about the exploits of our spotlighted quartets. We'd love to feature ALL of you in future issues of Mixed Message. Why not drop us a line and send us a photo the next time you perform in your community, assist in a service project, or visit someplace interesting you'd like to share with the rest of us.
In our next issue (Deadline May 18) we plan to feature some of the spring activities of our members, including the doings at Harmony, Inc. Area conventions and BHS spring conventions. If you attend one, we'd be very interested in hearing about your experience.
What would YOU like to read about in our next issue?
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