Mobile hotspots in the parks?

[WEDFan]

S ome
P eople
E specially
B aritones
S hould
Q uit
S inging
A ltogther

ok, now I'm trying to remember what it really stands for...

Society for the Preservation and Enjoyment of Baber Shop Quartet Singing, and, ummm, somehting with an A???? Bugs me when when I get CRS. Now I'll have to look it up. :D:

[Goofyernmost]

ok, now I'm trying to remember what it really stands for...

Society for the Preservation and Enjoyment of Baber Shop Quartet Singing, and, ummm, somehting with an A???? Bugs me when when I get CRS. Now I'll have to look it up. :D:

S ociety for the
P reservation and
E ncouragement of
B arber
S hop
Q uartet
S inging in
A merica

It wasn't as universal as it is today. We also used to end every show or competition with a song called "Keep America Singing". That has all changed now, I think.

[BRWombat]

S ociety for the
P reservation and
E ncouragement of
B arber
S hop
Q uartet
S inging in
A merica

It wasn't as universal as it is today. We also used to end every show or competition with a song called "Keep America Singing". That has all changed now, I think.

Some changes, yes. The society is still legally SPEBSQSA, Inc., but in '03 (I think) adopted the name of "Barbershop Harmony Society" in all its public dealings. The original name was meant to be convoluted on purpose, a humorous jab at all the "alphabet agencies" the government was creating around the time of the society's founding. In modern times I think they got tired of explaining the joke and find they get more and better press with the new d/b/a name.

As for the song, some time after the society went international, the lyrics were slightly modified, and the song is now "Keep the Whole World Singing." We don't sing it on our shows, but we still do at the end of every regular weekly rehearsal, and also at conventions.

[felinefan]

What's wrong with baritones? Okay, I'm not a terribly musical person, but I'm not tone-deaf either. Basses, tenors and baritones all have something to bring to the music, it's just like making something like spaghetti or pizza. You have a base--the pasta or pizza dough--then you add tomato sauce, cheese, meat, onions, spices, garlic, etc.. Of course, some ingredients have to be handled with care--nobody likes spaghetti with a cup of oregano, for example--but just a teaspoon brings out the flavor. Granted, you'll probably never hear of a group called The Three Basses or The Three Baritones, but most people are aware of The Three Tenors--sadly, minus one.

[Big Wallaby]

Us baritones are DEFINITELY the cheese. :D:

[Goofyernmost]

What's wrong with baritones? Okay, I'm not a terribly musical person, but I'm not tone-deaf either. Basses, tenors and baritones all have something to bring to the music, it's just like making something like spaghetti or pizza. You have a base--the pasta or pizza dough--then you add tomato sauce, cheese, meat, onions, spices, garlic, etc.. Of course, some ingredients have to be handled with care--nobody likes spaghetti with a cup of oregano, for example--but just a teaspoon brings out the flavor. Granted, you'll probably never hear of a group called The Three Basses or The Three Baritones, but most people are aware of The Three Tenors--sadly, minus one.

Nothing really, it was just an attempt at humor directed at the least prominent member of a quartet. As a joke it could just as easily been Bases.

[BRWombat]

Nothing really, it was just an attempt at humor directed at the least prominent member of a quartet. As a joke it could just as easily been Bases.

Poking fun of baritones is a long and storied tradition in barbershopping. I remember meeting a barbershopper thirty years ago, when I was still in high school, and he told a baritone joke then:

[INDENT]A guy goes into a butcher shop and sees that in the display case there is one tray labeled "Tenor brains, $1/lb," one labeled "Lead brains, $2/lb," another labeled "Bass brains, $3/lb," and finally a fourth tray labeled "Baritone brains, $100/lb." The man asked the butcher why baritone brains were so expensive, and got this reply: "Do you know how many baritones it takes to get a pound of brains???" :D: [/INDENT]

As a baritone myself, though, I suspect it's just jealousy. In reality, baris have to be pretty sharp. Done right, singing baritone can be the most challenging part to sing, vocally and intellectually. Not only do you get the "leftover" notes of the chord, which can make for a difficult line to sing, you have to have a wide range, almost from tenor to bass. You're sometimes above the melody, sometimes below, and you have to adjust the timbre of your voice to best complement the melody accordingly. And you are always fine-tuning the pitch in relationship to the other parts. It can be exhausting, but the result of doing it well is incredible!

[Goofyernmost]

Poking fun of baritones is a long and storied tradition in barbershopping. I remember meeting a barbershopper thirty years ago, when I was still in high school, and he told a baritone joke then:

[INDENT]A guy goes into a butcher shop and sees that in the display case there is one tray labeled "Tenor brains, $1/lb," one labeled "Lead brains, $2/lb," another labeled "Bass brains, $3/lb," and finally a fourth tray labeled "Baritone brains, $100/lb." The man asked the butcher why baritone brains were so expensive, and got this reply: "Do you know how many baritones it takes to get a pound of brains???" :D: [/INDENT]

As a baritone myself, though, I suspect it's just jealousy. In reality, baris have to be pretty sharp. Done right, singing baritone can be the most challenging part to sing, vocally and intellectually. Not only do you get the "leftover" notes of the chord, which can make for a difficult line to sing, you have to have a wide range, almost from tenor to bass. You're sometimes above the melody, sometimes below, and you have to adjust the timbre of your voice to best complement the melody accordingly. And you are always fine-tuning the pitch in relationship to the other parts. It can be exhausting, but the result of doing it well is incredible!

If you were to attempt to pick out a baritone part from most selections, it is difficult. You can hear and follow the tenor. You can do the same with the lead and base, but trying to pick out that 4th note that ultimately creates the 5th in the rafters is a chore. I agree...not an easy thing to sing, but it is rewarding.

[Zazu]

Poking fun of baritones is a long and storied tradition in barbershopping.

Yup. Trombone players have the same reputation in orchestras... as well as pretty much the same range assigned.

And yeah, I did. Four years. Marching band.