BREMERTON — Fans of a cappella and harmony will not want to miss the Kitsap Chordsmen’s Aug. 10 show, “A Puget Home Companion,” 2 and 7 p.m. in the Bremerton Performing Arts Center.
The headliners are Ringmasters, Sweden’s Fab Four and winners of the Barbershop Harmony Society International Quartet title. The show also features some top local talent: Aspire!, which placed fourth in the Sweet Adelines North Pacific Region 13 competition; The Cleaver Gals, winner of the West Sound A Cappella Festival youth contest; the irascible and irreverent Jaybirds; and Agate Passage, Infourmants, Kitsap Chordsmen, and Vocal Motion.
Tickets start at $15. Call (360) 337-7464 or go to www.singkitsap.org. Proceeds from this show support music scholarships for local high school students, and music outreach programs.
“It’s been a long time since we have had an international champion headliner,” Kitsap Chordsmen President Rob Nitz said. “We are very excited and privileged to have this outstanding quartet headlining our show. We are the only production in the Northwest that will feature them, and the range of their music is just phenomenal.”
Ringmasters surprised the barbershop world by capturing the international championship last summer. They are young but they had the chops to bring it after many years performing together in various genres and, especially in the past seven years, focusing on barbershop style.
They won the International Collegiate Quartet Contest in 2007 and consistently finished high in the overall International Barbershop competition since 2009.
Ringmasters, whose repertoire includes jazz hits like “Can’t Buy You Anything But Love,” will join the Chordsmen, who bring jazz standbys like “Moonglow” and “It Had To Be You,” at the Aug. 10 show.
The Kitsap Chordsmen chorus will sing many of favorite rousing songs and melodious ballads, mixed in with homegrown quartets, including the Jaybirds. Door prizes will be awarded.
“Many lucky audience members at both shows will be awarded door prizes,” said Tony Jones, Chordsmen publicist. “You just need to attend and fill out an information card to be eligible to win.”
There will also be a chance to meet the Ringmasters.
Youth singing workshop
Ringmasters will lead the Youth in Harmony Workshop, for ages 12-22, Aug. 9 at the performing arts center. The workshop, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., is free.
“Being able to introduce young people to a quality group like the Ringmasters really gets to the heart of our mission as an organization and as the Barbershop Harmony Society,” Chordsmen Director Mike Menefee said.
“We were already sponsoring this amazing group to come all the way here from Sweden to headline our show, so it just became a natural addition to sponsor a workshop for youth in the area.”
Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent is expected to drop in the morning of the workshop to personally meet the Swedish quartet and present them with a Key to the City.
“This should be a great opportunity for the young singers to not only learn a lot about the art of singing, but to also meet some top-notch young men from another country and culture,” Menefee said.
“The Ringmasters are all in their early 20s, and I’m sure everyone will have a lot of fun while learning to make great music.”
To register for the Youth in Harmony Workshop, go to www.singkitsap.org.
About the Chordsmen
The Kitsap Chordsmen is a barbershop-style fraternal chorus. The group rehearses from 7-10 p.m. every Wednesday at Olympic Evangelical Free Church, 14861 Silverdale Way, in Poulsbo. Newcomers are welcome.
