The Simcoe Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society proudly hosted an exceptional series of youth outreach workshops on November 10th, featuring the internationally acclaimed barbershop quartet, ‘Round Midnight. These workshops, part of the chapter’s annual showcase events, were held at Pauline Johnson Collegiate in Brantford, Simcoe Composite School in Simcoe, and Paris District High School in Paris.
Approximately 80 students had the unique opportunity to learn from ‘Round Midnight in an engaging one-hour workshop. The workshop included an introduction to Barbershop Harmony, and hands-on learning of a tag and a song, taught entirely without the use of music or tracks. The transformation of the students’ initial hesitation to overwhelming excitement and enthusiasm was a sight to behold, highlighting the magical ability of ‘Round Midnight to engage and inspire young minds in the art of barbershop singing.
One participating student shared their exhilarating experience: “Today was the best one I’ve had in weeks! I got to sing in front of a LOT of amazing people in Simcoe with the amazing quartet, Round Midnight. We met during a workshop in vocal class at school. They mentioned this ‘Gentlemen of Harmony’ thing at the end of the workshop and said that we could sing with them if we showed up. In the end, my best friend May and I were the only ones that showed up. Too bad the others couldn’t or didn’t want to come and sing, it was really exciting and terrifying but, as an actor and vocalist would say, ‘Break a Leg’ – and we sure did.”
While all students were invited to perform alongside ‘Round Midnight at the chapter’s showcase, only two students, including the one who provided the testimonial, accepted the offer. These students experienced the thrill of performing in front of an audience of over 500 people, joining ‘Round Midnight on stage for the show’s grand finale.
The showcase, featuring performances by Round Midnight and The Aristocrats, was hailed as one of the best ever by the Simcoe Chapter. The entertainment value and the sheer talent of The Aristocrats were well complemented by Round Midnight’s exceptional outreach and performance skills.
The Simcoe Chapter highly recommends other Ontario Chapters to consider engaging ‘Round Midnight for both youth outreach and show presentations. Their role as ambassadors of barbershop harmony extends from educational outreach to captivating show performances and even learning about local traditions like curling!
The success of the youth workshops and the showcase has left an indelible mark on the community, with memories that will be cherished for years to come.