Jim Henry (singer)

Last updated
Jim Henry
Born (1964-05-16) May 16, 1964 (age 60)[ citation needed ]
Genres Barbershop, a cappella
Occupation(s)Singer, coach, professor
Instrument(s) Voice

James Earl Henry (born 1964),[ citation needed ] most commonly referred to as "Jim Henry", is a vocal music professor, barbershop bass singer, and co-director of the Ambassadors of Harmony (AOH). He is a multiple international award-winning quartet member, whose quartets have appeared nationally on the NBC, PBS, and Fox television networks. Henry is the current director of choral studies at the University of Missouri–St. Louis and a contributing author of widely used musical reference works. [1] [2]

Contents

Early life

Henry grew up in St. Charles, Missouri and currently lives in St. Peters. He was 11 years old when he wrote a letter to the Daniel Boone Chorus begging to join. Henry soon became its youngest member. [3] [4] In 1981, notable arranger David Wright joined the chorus as director and set the chorus on a path to excellence. About that same time, Henry met a transformative choir teacher and chose to make vocal music his life's work. [5] He graduated in 1986 from Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau, Missouri [6] [7] and then completed his doctorate in music composition from Washington University [8] in St. Louis in 2000.

Career

Henry is the Director of Choral Studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL), [9] [10] where he conducts Vocal Point and the University Singers. [11] [12] He teaches choral methods, choral arranging, and choral conducting. From 2013 to 2016, Henry was the chair of the music department at the university. He is the clinician for the Acappellooza Fall field trips and Acappellooza Summer music camps, both partnerships between UMSL and AOH. [13] [14] [15] [16] He was previously head of the choral music department at Lindenwood University [17] [18] [19] for nine years, during which time the University Chorus quintupled in size under his leadership. He also formed Voices Only, [20] an a cappella ensemble that performed at the 2004 Missouri Music Educators Association conference, toured Germany, Holland and Sweden, and produced a recording. [21] While at Lindenwood, he also taught and mentored 2004 Collegiate BHS Champions Vocal Spectrum (who went on to be 2006 Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) International champions). [22] [23]

Barbershop harmony

The Ambassadors of Harmony in Nashville performing their 2016 BHS Gold Medal-winning set Ambassadors of Harmony 2016.jpg
The Ambassadors of Harmony in Nashville performing their 2016 BHS Gold Medal-winning set

Henry is the musical and artistic co-director of the five-time BHS international champion chorus, the Ambassadors of Harmony, a 130-voice men's a cappella ensemble. He took over the reins of direction of the chorus from David Wright in 1990, [24] [25] and since 2013 has co-directed with Jonny Moroni. He currently sings bass with and arranges for Crossroads, 2009 BHS International Quartet Champions. Crossroads has performed worldwide, has appeared in television and radio broadcasts, and has produced three albums. Henry was previously the bass of the Gas House Gang, 1993 International Quartet Champions. The Gas House Gang produced five albums, performed in all fifty states and fifteen countries. [12] [26] [27] Their television appearances and radio broadcasts include NBC's Today Show, NPR's Present at the Creation, [28] and PBS specials. [29] Henry, along with Brandon Guyton, Mike Slamka, and Fred Farrell formed Crossroads in 2007 as a traditional barbershop harmony quartet, a cappella music styles. Crossroads performs worldwide, [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] and has also appeared on national TV programs such as Fox & Friends Weekend. [9]

Henry travels worldwide as a guest conductor, coach, and lecturer. [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] His doctoral thesis was on the origins of barbershop harmony. [45] He is a contributing author for the Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music and the Grove Dictionary of American Music. Henry also served as bass section leader for the Saint Louis Symphony Chorus.

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbershop Harmony Society</span> Barbershop music promotional organization

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbershop music</span> Type of vocal harmony

Barbershop vocal harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era (1930s–present), is a style of a cappella close harmony, or unaccompanied vocal music, characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a primarily homorhythmic texture. Each of the four parts has its own role: generally, the lead sings the melody, the tenor harmonizes above the melody, the bass sings the lowest harmonizing notes, and the baritone completes the chord, usually below the lead. The melody is not usually sung by the tenor or baritone, except for an infrequent note or two to avoid awkward voice leading, in tags or codas, or when some appropriate embellishment can be created. One characteristic feature of barbershop harmony is the use of what is known as "snakes" and "swipes". This is when a chord is altered by a change in one or more non-melodic voices. Occasional passages may be sung by fewer than four voice parts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vocal Majority</span> American mens chorus based in Dallas, Texas

Vocal Majority (VM) is a Dallas, Texas-based men's chorus of over 150 singers, who bill themselves with the tagline "Pure Harmony." 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.

Founded in 1985 with just a few dozen men, the Masters of Harmony is a 110-member men's chorus, based in Greater Los Angeles, California. Winner of eight consecutive gold medals (1990–2011) in international barbershop chorus competitions, the group possesses a diverse repertoire encompassing not only barbershop music but also classical, jazz, patriotic, sacred, standards and Broadway pops, and sings for various groups and organizations throughout the greater Los Angeles, California metropolitan area. The chorus won another barbershop international competition in 2017, bringing their total gold medal count to nine.

Gas House Gang was a barbershop quartet that won the 1993 SPEBSQSA International Quartet Competition. They started singing as a group in 1987 in St. Louis Missouri. After winning the 1988 Central States District Competition in their first attempt, they began a steady climb up the International Competition ladder which culminated in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where they were awarded the 1993 International Quartet Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambassadors of Harmony</span> U.S. barbershop chorus from Missouri

The Ambassadors of Harmony (AOH) is a 120+ member men's barbershop chorus, based in St. Charles, Missouri. The chorus won International Championship gold medals in 2004, 2009, and 2012 – each time singing two arrangements by David Wright, under the direction of Dr. Jim Henry – and then again in 2016 and 2023, under the co-direction of Jonny Moroni and Dr. Henry. Their 2009 victory broke a nearly three-decade winning streak by the Vocal Majority.

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.

Dr. Greg Lyne was an American choral director, arranger, composer and vocal educator. Lyne worked full-time as a coach for choruses and quartets and as a clinician for musical ensembles of all types. He conducted over 300 Festival and All-State Choirs throughout the US, including Alaska and Hawaii, and in Canada, England, Scotland and Russia. In Russia, he presented master classes at the St. Petersburg Conservatory of Music to European musicians. Lyne is the only American listed in the Russian version of Who's Who. He also served as a guest conductor of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.

The Chorus of the Chesapeake is a men's a cappella chorus, based in Dundalk, Maryland. Chartered in 1957 as the Dundalk chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, the chorus is rich in both history and accomplishment.

Joe Connelly is a barbershop quartet lead singer, competition judge, chorus director, and full-time coach for various barbershop quartets. Connelly is the first man ever to have become a Barbershop Harmony Society International Championship gold medalist four times, first with Interstate Rivals in 1987 at the age of 22, then with Keepsake in 1992, with Platinum in 2000, and with Old School in 2011. In 2000, he had already become the first person to win the gold medal three times. Quartet-mate Tony DeRosa joined Connelly as a four-time gold medalist in 2017. A few other singers have achieved the honor of being three-time champions, including quartet-mate Kipp Buckner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heralds of Harmony</span> Florida-based mens acappella chorus

The Heralds of Harmony is a Tampa, Florida-based men's a cappella chorus that has been entertaining Florida audiences in the barbershop style continuously since 1945, and is currently ranked among the nation's best male vocal ensembles. The Heralds are affiliated with the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) and are multiple-time Sunshine District barbershop chorus champions. They consistently represent the district at the BHS international chorus contest, where they ranked 2nd in the world in July 2024, at a percent higher than their 2023 3rd-place score.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-Atlantic District (BHS)</span>

The Mid-Atlantic District is one of 17 districts of the Barbershop Harmony Society. The district, with three regional divisions, has approximately 90 chapters in the following states: VA, MD, PA, NJ, DE, DC, WV, NY.

Crossroads is the barbershop quartet that won the International Quartet Championship for 2009 at the Barbershop Harmony Society's annual international convention, in Anaheim, California. Bass singer Jim Henry also directed the Ambassadors of Harmony chorus to their international championship at the same event with the highest chorus score ever obtained.

Voices of Gotham (VoG) is a competitive and performing chorus composed of approximately 60 singers from New York City and surrounding areas. VoG represents the 'Hell's Kitchen, New York' chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society and is the 2013 Mid-Atlantic District Chorus Champion. VoG was designated the 10th best barbershop chorus in the world in the 2017 Barbershop Harmony Society International Chorus Competition in Las Vegas, Nevada. Voices of Gotham was founded by 12 charter members on January 8, 2008, and holds weekly auditions for prospective singers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcsmen</span> American mens a cappella group

The Marcsmen are a premier men's a cappella group based in San Antonio, Texas. Chartered by the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) in 2008, the chorus has qualified for International Chorus competitions of the BHS 6 times, most recently for the 2020 competition in Los Angeles, California. They won their first Southwestern District championship in 2012 and won back-to-back championships in 2018 and 2019.

Tim Waurick is a barbershop tenor singer and coach for various barbershop choruses and quartets. Waurick creates learning tracks – recordings in which one part is dominant and the others are sung softly in the background – for the Barbershop Harmony Society, Sweet Adelines International, and various other quartets and choruses around the world. His learning track company is named TimTracks. Waurick is one of the few barbershop enthusiasts who has managed to turn his hobby into a profession. He is known for his unusually wide vocal range and his ability to hold notes for long periods of time.

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.

Main Street is a barbershop quartet that started singing as a group on March 20, 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Wright (arranger)</span> American mathematician and singer

David Lee Wright is a mathematics professor, barbershop arranger, and Associate Director of the Ambassadors of Harmony (AOH). He is a noted a cappella historian and arranger, especially in the barbershop style where in 12 of 18 years from 1999 to 2016, his arrangements resulted in chorus gold medals at the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) International Contest. Wright travels the world as a barbershop historian, coach, and mathematics lecturer.

After Hours is an American barbershop quartet that won the 2018 Barbershop Harmony Society International Quartet Championship held in Orlando, Florida. They were founded in 2007 and originally based in Illinois. Their current members are based in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Florida.

References

  1. ↑ Williams, Adam (September 11, 2003). "For Ambassadors, Harmony Is Sweet, Discipline Is Strict". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. SC1. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  2. ↑ Rhoades, Sheila Frayne (May 20, 2014). "Ambassadors of Harmony make beautiful music internationally". MidRivers Newsmagazine. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  3. ↑ Armour, Amy (Summer 2017). "The Ambassadors Of Harmony: Keeping It In The Family". Streetscape Magazine. pp. 91–92. Archived from the original on 2017-05-28. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  4. ↑ Henry, Jim (November–December 2007). "Gold Medal Moments" (PDF). The Harmonizer. pp. 16–25. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 26, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  5. ↑ Heinz, Ryan (Spring 2011). "Two-part harmony". UMSL Magazine. p. 11. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Sweet Adelines Perform First Public Show, Sing Favorites". The Southeast Missourian. September 27, 1984. p. 9. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Sweet Adelines Harmonizing in Cape Girardeau". The Southeast Missourian. January 25, 1987. p. 3c. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  8. ↑ Jefferson, Robin Seaton (Summer 2009). "Ambassadors of Harmony: Note Perfect". Streetscape Magazine. pp. 60–61. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  9. 1 2 Webb, Rachel (April 10, 2015). "UMSL Choral Studies Director Jim Henry Performs On National Television". UMSL Daily. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  10. ↑ Currier, Joel (August 6, 2004). "Open Wide And Say "A-O-H" – Barbershop Chorus Finds That Winning Is As Sweet As Adeline". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. SC1. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  11. ↑ Hockett, Tom (September 26, 2012). "Eye on UMSL: Vocal Point practice". UMSL Daily. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  12. 1 2 3 Heinz, Ryan (April 12, 2011). "Choral Director Leads Groups Of All Sizes". UMSL Daily. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  13. ↑ Patterson, Leslie (May 12, 2013). "Summer Camp To Immerse Students In Singing". UMSL Daily. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  14. ↑ Krueger, Bonnie (January 25, 2017). "Ambassadors Of Harmony Creates Foundation To Bring Music To Kids". West Newsmagazine. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  15. ↑ Heinz, Ryan (July 14, 2014). "Eye on UMSL: Acappellooza". UMSL Daily. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  16. ↑ "Summer 2016 A Busy Season Of Harmony, Applause For UMSL's Jim Henry And Local Singers Young And Old". UMSL Daily. July 21, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Ambassadors Of Harmony Win A District Competition". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. October 19, 2001. p. SC1. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  18. ↑ Fallstrom, Bob (March 7, 2003). "Barbershoppers To Feature Gas House Gang". Herald and Review (Decatur, Illinois). p. 11. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  19. ↑ Sonderegger, John (December 15, 2004). "Ambassadors Bring Magic Touch To Holidays". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. SC2. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Voices only alumni to perform reunion concert". Lindenwood University. September 15, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  21. ↑ "Ambassadors Spread Barbershop Harmony On A Tour Of Sweden, Holland, Germany" (PDF). The Harmonizer. May–June 2004. p. 9. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Successful Barbershoppers Have Lindenwood Roots; Still Visit Campus" (PDF). Connection. Spring 2011. p. 7. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  23. ↑ LaPoint, Roger (February 1, 2015). "Vocal Spectrum quartet to perform in Oshkosh". Oshkosh Northwestern. p. B6. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  24. ↑ Currier, Joel; Kunz, Michael (May–June 2010). "Jim Henry: The Biggest Man In Barbershop Today" (PDF). The Harmonizer. pp. 18–24. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 26, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  25. ↑ Kunz, Michael (November–December 2004). "Hearts Of Gold" (PDF). The Harmonizer. pp. 11–15. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  26. ↑ Sullivan, Amy (February 15, 2002). "Humor & Harmony". Salina Journal. p. D1 – via Access Newspaper Archive.
  27. ↑ Lode-Gerke, Von Martina (March 8, 2004). "Blendender Barbershop und gehaltvolle Shows". Kultur in Dortmund. Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung. p. WDO 05.
  28. ↑ Wildman, Jim (March 18, 2002). "Barbershop Quartets, Present at the Creation". NPR: Morning Edition. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  29. ↑ Fenning, Esther Talbot (February 1, 2001). "Gas House Gang Barbershoppers Set To Harmonize At Community College". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. SC3. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  30. ↑ Oerding, Henrik (March 3, 2016). "A-capella-Musik: In feuchten Tüchern". Süddeutsche Zeitung. ISSN   0174-4917.
  31. ↑ Richards, Kevin (February 7, 2012). "Crossroads headlines festival". BYU-Idaho Scroll. Archived from the original on July 11, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  32. ↑ "Crossroads quartet Folle journée 2014". dailymotion. February 2, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  33. ↑ Leroy, D.; LeMee, D.; Magdeleine, M.; Georgelin, M-C. (February 1, 2014). "Le Barbershop ou "musique chez le coiffeur" séduit la Folle journée". Culturebox. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  34. ↑ "la folle journee de Varsovie". Szalone Dni Muzyki America. September 27, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  35. ↑ "A Cuatro Voces". Fundacion Juan March. February 26, 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  36. ↑ Askelund, Bitte (March 2016). "Sointujen suurlähettiläitä". Sulasol. p. 54. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  37. ↑ Lynch, Brian (August 26, 2016). "Jim Henry To Lead Chorus Of Music Educators At NAfME's Major Annual Conference". Barbershop Harmony Society Blog. Archived from the original on May 26, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  38. ↑ Garnett, Liz (June 8, 2011). "Masterclass with Jim Henry". Helping You Harmonise. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  39. ↑ Garnett, Liz (June 4, 2014). "Jim Henry and the Cottontown Chorus". Helping You Harmonise. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  40. ↑ "All-Ohio Choral Day & Crossroads Concert". Ohio Northern University. October 30, 2015. Archived from the original on July 14, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  41. ↑ Lawson, Tom (June 22, 2017). "The Big Man Came to Town in June, not Santa, Jim". Barbershop Harmony Australia. Archived from the original on July 11, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  42. ↑ Long, Kasy (October 26, 2015). "All-Ohio Choral Day & Crossroads Concert". Northern Review. Archived from the original on August 26, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  43. ↑ Webb, Rachel (December 12, 2013). "UMSL conductor goes from Carnegie to Candlelight Concert with Bach Society". UMSL Daily. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  44. ↑ Lawson, Cheri (July 2, 2012). "The Olympics Of Choral Music Come To Cincinnati". NPR: All Things Considered. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  45. ↑ Henry, James (2000). "The origins of barbershop harmony : a study of barbershop's musical link to other African American musics as evidenced through recordings and arrangements of early black and white quartets" (PDF). WorldCat. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  46. ↑ "Hall of Fame Class of 2019: Dr. Jim Henry" (PDF). 2019 International Convention Program. Barbershop Harmony Society. July 6, 2019. pp. 48, 70. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  47. ↑ Krull, Ryan (May 23, 2016). "UMSL's Jim Henry wins national music award". UMSL Daily. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  48. ↑ "Joe Liles Lifetime Achievement Award". Barbershop Harmony Society. Archived from the original on April 26, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  49. ↑ Hoffman, Julia (April 5, 2012). "2012 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Winners". The Contemporary A Cappella Society (CASA). Archived from the original on May 23, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  50. ↑ Johnson, Kevin C. (July 11, 2012). "Ambassadors Of Harmony Take Another First Place Prize". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  51. ↑ "Four UM Faculty Receive Governor's Award for Excellence in Education". University of Missouri System. Archived from the original on April 26, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  52. ↑ Miller, Sarah Bryan (July 26, 2009). "St. Charles Barbershop Quartet Wins International Competition". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. E4. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  53. 1 2 Heinz, Ryan (August 5, 2009). "Choral Studies Director Grabs Gold, Twice". UMSL Daily. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  54. ↑ Miller, Sarah Bryan (July 7, 2009). "Ambassadors Of Harmony Win Barbershop Gold". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  55. ↑ "Ambassadors of Harmony Wins 2nd Gold Metal In 2009 Int'l Barbershop Chorus Competition". Broadway World. July 6, 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2009.
  56. ↑ "History of Barbershop – Our Heroes". Barbershop Harmony Society. Archived from the original on April 26, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  57. ↑ "Outstanding Director Archive". Missouri American Choral Directors Association. Archived from the original on April 26, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  58. 1 2 "Hall of Fame". Central States Distrist. Archived from the original on 2015-08-29. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  59. ↑ Sieloff, Alison (December 5, 2007). "Living in Harmony". Riverfront Times. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  60. ↑ "2001 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Winners". The Contemporary A Cappella Society (CASA). Archived from the original on May 25, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  61. ↑ "1997 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Winners". The Contemporary A Cappella Society (CASA). Archived from the original on April 27, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
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