Masters of Harmony
Encyclopedia
The Masters of Harmony are a 135-member men's barbershop
chorus
, based in Santa Fe Springs, California
. They are the current SPEBSQSA International Chorus Champions. Founded in 1986 with a few dozen men, they rose to stardom under the tutelage of director Dr. Greg Lyne. Placing 4th in their first international competition in Kansas City
(1989), they won gold the following year in San Francisco (1990). This began a string of eight gold medals, including Calgary
in 1993, Salt Lake City in 1996, Anaheim in 1999, Portland, Oregon
in 2002, Salt Lake City in 2005, Nashville
in 2008, and Kansas City, Missouri
in 2011. Barbershop choruses must sit out for two consecutive years after winning, so the Masters have remained undefeated in competition since 1990. They were directed by Dr. Lyne until 1997, Jeff Oxley (now of Max Q
, at the time of Acoustix
) directed their fourth gold, and the fifth through eighth were under the direction of Mark Hale of Michigan Jake
.
Barbershop music
Barbershop vocal harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era , is a style of a cappella, or unaccompanied vocal music characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture...
chorus
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, based in Santa Fe Springs, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. They are the current SPEBSQSA International Chorus Champions. Founded in 1986 with a few dozen men, they rose to stardom under the tutelage of director Dr. Greg Lyne. Placing 4th in their first international competition in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
(1989), they won gold the following year in San Francisco (1990). This began a string of eight gold medals, including Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
in 1993, Salt Lake City in 1996, Anaheim in 1999, Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
in 2002, Salt Lake City in 2005, Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
in 2008, and Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
in 2011. Barbershop choruses must sit out for two consecutive years after winning, so the Masters have remained undefeated in competition since 1990. They were directed by Dr. Lyne until 1997, Jeff Oxley (now of Max Q
Max Q
In aerospace engineering, the maximum dynamic pressure, often referred to as maximum Q or max Q, is the point at which aerodynamic stress on a vehicle in atmospheric flight is maximized...
, at the time of Acoustix
Acoustix
Acoustix is a Texas-based quartet that won the 1990 International Quartet Championship of SPEBSQSA . They have all, at different times, been members of the Dallas-based Vocal Majority chorus....
) directed their fourth gold, and the fifth through eighth were under the direction of Mark Hale of Michigan Jake
Michigan Jake
Michigan Jake was a barbershop quartet that formed in 1995. The quartet borrowed the name from Michigan J. Frog, the singing frog in the 1955 Merrie Melodies short One Froggy Evening....
.