Chorus Boys Attend Barbershop Workshop

by Andrea Reinwald

P.H.S. Chorus Boys Attend Barbershop Workshop

Fourteen P.H.S. chorus boys attended a private Barbershop Workshop on Thursday, May 20 at the Hoogland Performing Arts Center in Springfield. The workshop was an introduction to barbershop music and was lead by members of the Central Illinois barbershop quartet “Leisure Time”.

The students spent time working on ‘tags’ and ‘polecats’. A tag is usually the ending of a song and is characterized by a heightening of the dramatic tension. A tag can often stand alone as a short song. A polecat is one of twelve songs that are standard repetoir for members of the Barbershop Harmony Society.

The students then enjoyed a short performance by “Leisure Time”.

Pictured are P.H.S. chorus members (front row) Michael Goyke, Travis Vreeland, Robbie Quance, J.D. Vandenberg, Matt Oxencis, Shaquil Hayes, T.J. Dvorak, C.J. Clarizio (second row) Chris Meier, Sean Koen, Mitch Williams, Chris Goyke, Mitchell Jackson and Hunter Hamilton. Others pictured include members of “Leisure Time” and members of the “Land of Lincoln Barbershop Chorus”.

“Our boys have never had the opportunity to sing barbershop music,” says Andrea Reinwald, chorus director. “I’m thrilled that Jay Davis and the other members of Leisure Time offered us this opportunity. In fact we are already discussing a ‘part 2’ for next year.”

Also pictured are members of “Leisure Time” Gerry Conner - Tenor, Jay Davis - Lead, Roger Fairchild - Bass, Bill Helton - Baritone