Ambassadors of Harmony

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The Ambassadors of Harmony (AoH) is a 160+ member men's barbershop chorus, based in St. Charles, Missouri. The chorus won International Championship gold medals in 2004[1] 2009,[2] and 2012, each time singing two arrangements by David Wright, under the direction of Jim Henry. Their 2009 victory broke a nearly three-decade winning streak by the Vocal Majority.[note 1]

Since 1994, the Ambassadors of Harmony Chorus has won top honors in the chorus competition held each October for the 5-state Central States District of the Barbershop Harmony Society (formerly known as SPEBSQSA, Inc). In this period the AOH acquired four 4th place, five 3rd place, and two 2nd place medals in international chorus competition, as well as the 2004, 2009 and 2012 gold medals.

At the BHS international chorus contest in July 2007, the group tied for first place with the Westminster Chorus. The tie was decided by the singing category score, earning AoH its first silver medal. The group won another silver medal in the July 2008 international contest in Nashville, Tennessee, then won their second gold medal in July 2009 in Anaheim, California. Their third gold medal was won in 2012 in Portland, Oregon.

The Ambassadors of Harmony performed their championship swan song set in 2005

The group was formed in 1963 as the Daniel Boone Chorus with 26 members, and became a member of SPEBSQSA (the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America) the following year. The chorus changed its name to the Ambassadors of Harmony in 1990 following its first international competition. The chorus was directed by noted arranger and mathematician David Wright (now assistant director) from 1981 to 1990 and has been directed since 2001 by Jim Henry, bass singer of the 1993 International Quartet Champion, The Gas House Gang, and the 2009 International Quartet Champion, Crossroads. Further supplementing the group's musical leadership is assistant director Jonny Moroni, baritone of Vocal Spectrum, the BHS 2006 International Quartet Champion & 2004 International College Quartet Champion.

St. Louis Area activity

Municipal Opera performances

St Louis Muny performances include:

  • Oklahoma
  • 50 members in the 2000 cast of White Christmas
  • 25 members in the 2006 cast of White Christmas
  • 25 members in the 1992, 1997 & 2003 casts of South Pacific
  • Quartets supplied for The Music Man and other productions

Other performances

  • Annual Christmas show
  • Annual Spring show
  • Crescendo Concert series
  • Columbia Chordbusters Chorus Christmas show
  • Land of Lincoln Chorus show
  • St. Louis Mayor's prayer breakfast
  • Half Time Show at St. Louis Rams game
  • National anthem at St. Louis Cardinals baseball games

International performances

  • Spring 1999 Ireland
  • March 2004 Germany (BinG! Convention), Netherlands, and Sweden (with The EntertainMen).
  • May 2006 England BABS Convention

Discography

  • All Our Best 1990s [sold out]
  • Sing, Sing, Sing 2000
  • Applause! 2002
  • Holidays in Gold December 2004
  • Oh What a Day! June 2010
  • Welcome Christmas! December 2011
  • Somewhere 2013

Selection of songs list

Some of AOH's more popular songs, and their years in repertoire, are:

Notes

  1. ↑ Winning choruses are required to sit out of competition for two years. The Vocal Majority did not compete in 2004.

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links & sources

Preceded by SPEBSQSA International Chorus Champions
2012		 Succeeded by
Toronto Northern Lights
Preceded by SPEBSQSA International Chorus Champions
2009		 Succeeded by
Westminster Chorus
Preceded by SPEBSQSA International Chorus Champions
2004		 Succeeded by
Masters of Harmony
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