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American Harmony | |
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Directed by | Aengus James |
Written by | Aengus James |
Produced by | Aengus James Colin Miller |
Starring | Max Q, OC Times, Vocal Spectrum, Reveille, Joe Connelly |
Edited by | Kate Amend |
Distributed by | Abramorama (Theatrical), Breaking Glass Pictures (DVD/VOD) |
Release date |
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Running time | 86 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
American Harmony is a 2009 documentary film directed and produced by Aengus James, produced by Colin Miller, and edited by Kate Amend.
American Harmony, the documentary, was initially screened at the Barbershop Harmony Society’s 2008 International Convention in Nashville. The film is a tribute to the human musical spirit as practiced in the barbershop genre. It was in production for more than three years and was edited by Kate Amend, the editor of two Oscar-winning documentaries.
American Harmony was filmed by James and his camera crews during the Society’s 2005, 2006 and 2007 International conventions and is interspersed with footage and other graphic elements provided by the Barbershop Harmony Society.
American Harmony provides an in-depth look at the amazingly rich subculture of a true American art form. It follows the lives of some of the biggest names to emerge from international competition in the Society’s history, as well as providing interviews with many rank-and-file members, referred to as “Joe Barbershoppers.” The film features four prominent Barbershop Society quartets: OC Times, Max Q, Vocal Spectrum, and Reveille – over a span of years, on stage and at home, in their personal quests for international recognition.
"The film is a mixture of obsession, singing, zany comedy and nail-biting competition", according to writer/director, Aengus James.
The film was theatrically released in April 2009, and eventually made its way to 30 markets during 2009/2010. There is a Google pin map showing the markets where the film had a theatrical release.
The DVD was made available in June 2010 through Abramorama, and re-released in September 2011 through Breaking Glass Pictures.
The Barbershop Harmony Society, legally and historically named the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. (SPEBSQSA), is the first of several organizations to promote and preserve barbershop music as an art form. Founded by Owen C. Cash and Rupert I. Hall in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1938, the organization quickly grew, promoting barbershop harmony among men of all ages. As of 2014, just under 23,000 men in the United States and Canada were members of this organization whose focus is on a cappella music. The international headquarters was in Kenosha, Wisconsin for fifty years before moving to Nashville, Tennessee in 2007. In June 2018, the society announced it would allow women to join as full members.
Sweet Adelines International is a worldwide organization of women singers, established in 1945, committed to advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education and performances. This independent, nonprofit music education association is one of the world's largest singing organizations for women. "Harmonize the World" is the organization's motto. It has a current membership of 23,000 and holds an annual international singing competition.
Vocal Majority (VM) is a Dallas, Texas-based men's chorus of over 150 singers, who bill themselves with the tagline "Pure Harmony." The VM got its start when founder and first Marketing Director, Bob Arnold, gathered together 12 singers in December of 1971; it has since grown to over 150 members. VM is the performing chorus of the Dallas Metro chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS). Vocal Majority has won thirteen International Chorus Championships, a Barbershop Harmony Society record. The first eleven gold medals were earned under the direction of Jim Clancy, who retired from International competition after 2010. The most recent championships, in 2014 and 2018, came under the direction of Jim's son Greg Clancy, the current Musical Director of VM.
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Vocal Spectrum is a barbershop quartet from St. Charles, Missouri. In 2004, Vocal Spectrum won the Barbershop Harmony Society's International Collegiate Quartet Contest, and on July 8, 2006, they became International Champions, winning the society's International Quartet Contest. A distinctive feature of the quartet is tenor Tim Waurick's ability to sustain notes for upwards of 30 seconds, and the tenor's and lead's incredibly high vocal range, featured in many of the group's recordings and live shows.
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OC Times is a male barbershop quartet affiliated with the Barbershop Harmony Society. They earned second place silver medals at the International Barbershop Quartet Contest at Denver's Pepsi Center on July 7, 2007, and won the International Quartet Championship on July 5, 2008, in Nashville, Tennessee. The quartet combines traditional barbershop harmonies with contemporary music styles. The music of OC Times is inspired by artists like Michael Buble, Sinatra, and Elvis.
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Musical Island Boys is the barbershop quartet that won the International Quartet Championship for 2014 at the Barbershop Harmony Society's annual international convention, in Las Vegas, Nevada. From Wellington, New Zealand, the quartet began in 2002 at Tawa College, and competed in its first international barbershop contest in 2004. They won the international collegiate contest in 2006 at Indianapolis, and won second-place silver medals in 2011, 2012, and 2013 international contests. Other awards include the New Zealand and Pan-Pacific Open Gold Medals at the 4th Pan Pacific Barbershop Convention in 2004, and second place in the International Open Barbershop Championships in 2011.
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