Ontario District Spring Convention

April 11 & 12, 2025 – Belleville, ON

Belleville, Ontario will host hundreds of barbershop singers from around the province for the annual spring convention of the Ontario District of the Barbershop Harmony Society. More than just a weekend of singing four-part a cappella barbershop harmony, it is a weekend of serious competition for quartets and choruses from across Ontario under the watchful eyes and ears of a panel of judges from across North America. Qualifying quartets from the weekend will advance to the Barbershop Harmony Society International Quartet Competition in Denver, CO in July 2025. Top scoring eligible choruses win their respective Ontario District titles for 2025. 

Host Chapters

TNL, Barrie and Ottawa

Convention Theme:

Sing Into Spring

Headquarters Hotel:

Fairfield by Marriott, Belleville
407 North Front St., Belleville
613-962-9211
 

Contest Venue:

Centennial Secondary School
160 Palmer Road
Belleville

Registration

All attendees must register for the convention, regardless of whether they are competing or not. Competitors may require additional entry steps depending on which competitions they are competing in.

For more information about convention registration, contact the Convention Registrar, Hayley Sziklasi – registrar@ontariosings.com

Full Registration

Full registrations are available by following the link in the sidebar or by clicking one of the links below.

The price for full registrations is as follows:

  • Adults: $80/person ($70 early bird registration)
  • Students (19+): $40/person ($35 early bird registration)
  • Youth (18 and under): Free
Register Online Download Word form Download PDF form

Partial Registrations​

Partial registrations for a single session will be sold for all 3 contest sessions at the convention registration desk. Friday night partial registrations for a single session will be available starting at 5:00 Friday evening. Saturday afternoon and evening single-session partial registrations will be available starting at 10:00 Saturday morning. Saturday evening partial registrations will also be available at 5:00 Saturday evening.

The price for partial registrations is as follows:
  • Adults: $35/person/session
  • Students (19+): $17/person/session
  • Youth (18 and under): Free

Hotels

Headquarters Hotel:
Fairfield by Marriott, Belleville
407 North Front St., Belleville
613-962-9211
 
Convention Room Rate: $159 + tax, valid until 11 March or until our block is sold out
 
Direct Registration

Secondary Hotel:
Comfort Inn
200 N. Park St., Belleville
613-966-7703

Convention Rate: $149 + tax, valid until 20 March or until our block is sold out

Competitors

The ONT Spring 2025 Quartet Session is now open and accepting entries.

Don’t delay. Enter early and often because the contest entry deadline is: 3/14/2025

To enter, go to the Member Center , Manage my SCs, click the name of your chorus or quartet, and then click on Enter A Contest/Festival on the left side of the screen. FAQs, Walkthroughs, and How-To Videos can be found in Member Center.

If you have questions after reviewing the resources above, please don’t hesitate to reach out to customerservice@barbershop.org and we’ll respond ASAP.

Competitor Entry

If your chorus is competing in the chorus contest or performing for score only, your chapter secretary must enter your chorus for the competition, and your individual chapter, district, and society dues must be up-to-date. For more information or clarification talk to your chapter secretary.

If you are competing in the quartet contest, your quartet must enter through the BHS Member Center.

Chorus Rehearsal Space

Rehearsal space will be available for performing choruses on Saturday morning before the chorus session. Choruses may choose to use this space for a fee of $125, or they may arrange their own rehearsal location at their own cost and convenience. Payment for District-arranged rehearsal space can be sent at any time via eTransfer to treasurer@ontariosings.com. If payment is not received before the convention, the chorus will be invoiced afterward.

Quartet Order of Appearance

  1. Onyx
  2. Fruit Punch
  3. Quadratics
  4. The ‘Loo-Wops
  5. In Season
  6. Lady and the Tramps
  7. The Six/Four
  8. Empire
  9. Ringtime
  10. Gummee Boyz
  11. Centreline
  12. NSF
  13. Chromatic Aberration
  14. Oxford Comma
  15. Constructive Criticism
  16. Detour
  17. Sapphire
  18. Whiplash
  19. Northern Pursuit

Chorus Order of Appearance

  1. Dukes of Harmony
  2. Men of Accord
  3. County Chordsmen
  4. Gentlemen of Harmony
  5. Northern Stars Chorus
  6. Bela Voca Chorus
  7. Liftlock City Aces of Harmony
  8. Voices Unlimited

Judging Panel

PC/ADM: Porter, Rensi
MUS: Campbell, Hasib
PER: Caetano, Lovick
SNG: Gordon, Mendez

Competitions This Spring

District Title • The Nighthawks Trophy is awarded to the highest scoring Ontario District quartet in the Ontario District International Preliminary Quartet Contest.

International Qualification • Quartets scoring an average of 78.0 across two rounds of competition qualify for the International Quartet Contest this summer. In addition, other quartets with a sufficiently high score may qualify for a wildcard spot for the competition.

District Title • The Déjà Vu Trophy and the title of Seniors Quartet Champion are awarded to the highest scoring Seniors Quartet in the Spring District Seniors Quartet Contest. All members of the quartet must be at least 55 years of age as of the contest and the sum total of their ages must be at least 240. Past District Seniors Champion Quartets are ineligible for this award.

District Title • The title of Youth Quartet Champion is awarded to the highest scoring Youth Quartet in the Spring District Quartet Contest. All members of the quartet must be 25 years of age or younger as of the contest.

District Title • The Woodstock Chapter trophy and the title of District Novice Quartet Champion is awarded to the highest scoring novice quartet in the semifinal round of contest (Friday night). A novice quartet is any quartet that has at least two members who have never competed previously in a District (BHS or MBHA), Region (SAI) or Area (HI) contest, unless it was exclusively at the youth or collegiate level. Any quartet placing 1st or 2nd in the main competition is ineligible for this award.

District Title • The East York Chapter Trophy and title of District Chorus Champion is awarded to the highest scoring chorus in the Spring District Chorus Contest.

District Title • The Syd Pyper Plateau Awards are awarded to the choruses achieving the highest score in each plateau, the contest winner is eligible, plateaus are assigned based on chorus’ score in their last competition, any chorus not competing in last 6 contests or competing for first time is assigned plateau 1

  • Plateau 1 — less than 661 in their last contest,
  • Plateau 2 — greater than 660 and less than 781,
  • Plateau 3 — greater than 780 and less than 901,
  • Plateau 4 — greater than 900 in last contest

District Title • The London Chapter Trophy is awarded to the chorus with the highest score in the competition, subject to eligibility rules. A chorus placing first or second in the current contest is ineligible. Also, any chorus placing first or second in the previous ten contests is ineligible as is any chorus that has won this award in the previous six contests.

District Title • The Jack Haughie Trophy is awarded to the chorus with the greatest improvement in score over the last time they competed based on raw scores. The winning chorus and any chorus not having competed in the last six contests are ineligible.

Schedule of Events

Updated Oct 27, 2024. All times are tentative and subject to change.

Friday, April 11, 2025

Time Event Venue
3:00 – 8:30 pm Registration Desk Foyer – Centennial Secondary School
6:30 pm
Quartet Semi-finals
Presenter: TBA
 Centennial Secondary School
After the contest Quartet Evaluations Judges Rooms – Fairfield Inn & Suites
After the contest Hospitality Room

Churchill Room at Fairfield Inn & Suites – hosted by Harmony Ranch

Saturday, April 12, 2025

Time Event Venue
9:00 am – 1:30 pm Registration Desk opens Foyer – Centennial Secondary School
9:30 am All-Chapter Chorus Rehearsal Centennial Secondary School
11:00 am
Chorus Competition
Presenter: TBA
 Centennial Secondary School
After the contest Chorus Evaluations Centennial Secondary School
5:00 – 6:30 pm Registration Desk opens Foyer – Centennial Secondary School
6:00 pm
Quartet Finals Contest & Show of Champions
Presenter: TBA
Presentation of Awards
Quartet Results Announced
Intermission
Parade of Champions Show
“Keep the Whole World Singing”
 Centennial Secondary School
After the show Quartet Evaluations Judges Rooms – Fairfield Inn & Suites
After the show Hospitality / Afterglow Room Churchill Room at Fairfield Inn & Suites – host TBA

All-Chapter Chorus

The All-Chapter Chorus is open to any barbershopper attending convention who wishes to sing in it. The chorus meets at 9:30 on Saturday morning of convention to rehearse, and then serves as the mic tester at the chorus contest later that morning. Please bring your registration nametag or another nametag to rehearsal.

Repertoire: “Teach Everybody to Sing” and “Sweet Roses of Morn”

Learning materials for “Teach Everybody to Sing” are available on the Members Only page. For “Sweet Roses of Morn”, check your own Chapter’s Polecat resources.  For assistance, email Bill Hawken (hawkenw@hotmail.com).

Director: Andrew Carolan

Andrew has been deeply involved in the barbershop community for 15 years as a director, singer, coach, and arranger.

He has directed Toronto Northern Lights since 2020, including leading the chorus at BHS International in 2024. He sings with Detour, the 2022 Ontario District quartet champion.

Andrew is a certified Musicality Judge, and has served on faculty at Harmony University.

He is passionate about leading others to personal growth through music, having seen firsthand the positive impact the barbershop artform can have on our lives and communities.

Advertise in the Convention Program!

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