Come Sing with Us!
Like to Sing or just Listen?
Welcome! The Louisiana Showboat Chorus invites all friends and visitors to our rehearsals. We rehearse each Tuesday evening, 7-9 p.m., in the Julian C. Miller Hall on the LSU campus, directly across from the Parker Coliseum parking lot. Come and experience the joys of barbershop harmony, one of the few musical forms that originated in the United States. For those of you who may be interested in joining our group, we offer the following information.
An International Society
The
“Society” is the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of
Barbershop Quartet Singing in America, Inc.
(or
S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A.,
the title being tongue-in-cheek in
the middle of F.D.R.’s alphabet soup of governmental organizations), founded
in Tulsa in 1939 to preserve a uniquely American art form, the barbershop
quartet. The Showboat Chorus is one of over 800 chapters in a Society with a
current membership in excess of 34,000 in the United States and Canada. Over
the years, barbershop singing has expanded into many other countries,
including Great Britain, Sweden, Germany, New Zealand, Russia, and even China.
Showboat Chorus History
The Showboat Chorus began in 1992 and was admitted as a “Society” chapter in 1994. Since then, the chorus’ performances include the Governor’s inaugural ball, appearances with the Baton Rouge Symphony, and division-level Society contests, at which the chorus has been a consistent winner.
The chorus was founded with the vision of a group that produces first class entertainment and allows the enjoyment of making great music together.
Chorus Competitions
Twice a year, the Louisiana Showboat Chorus competes against other like society choruses at the Southeast Division and then Southwestern District Conventions. The Louisiana Showboat Chorus has won its plateau in the last six division contests and two of the last three district contests. This ranks the Showboat Chorus as the best in Louisiana and at the top of choruses of its size in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
Quartets
Quartet organization and participation is one of the major purposes of the Society. The Showboat Chorus has produced a recent international quartet competitor, and all members are invited to try their hand at quartetting, either for competition or for fun. Quartets are formed and re-formed throughout the year by mutual agreement. In addition, weekly “afterglows” encourage pick-up quartets to make a little bit of good music together.
Auditions
We train singers in the barbershop style, and as a first step you will be placed into the correct singing part (out of four) according to your vocal range and given the opportunity to sing with us. After at least three rehearsals within a two-month period and deciding that joining our chorus is of interest, you should request an audition from the director. The audition is designed to determine in which ways your individual talents may best be used within the chorus and to learn if you have been properly “voice-placed”.
Membership
Those who obtain an adequate level of proficiency as determined by the music committee are invited to become performing members of our organization. Commitments of time (attendance of weekly rehearsals) and money (annual dues total approximately $106 for membership in the Society, with new member and student discounts) are expected of each chorus member. Dues include subscriptions to the District newsletter and the Society magazine.
Questions
We hope that nothing has been forgotten, but if you have any concerns or questions, just ask any chorus member and he will either give you an answer or find someone that can. If during the week you need to get in touch with us, please call Arbie Goings at (225) 665-4427.