Sound of the Rockies
Encyclopedia
The Sound of the Rockies (SOR) is an a cappella
men's chorus
based in greater Denver, Colorado
. They are currently the 4th place International Bronze Medalist Chorus for the Barbershop Harmony Society
. In 2007, they successfully co-hosted the International Convention in Denver, Colorado
with the Denver Mountainaires. The chorus comprises between 110-120 voices currently.
.
The chorus put on a successful charter show in the spring of 2000 that consisted of Broadway
tunes, and competed in their first Rocky Mountain District contest in the fall of 2000 in Rapid City, South Dakota
, placing second and missing a wild card invitation to International by a mere 5 points.
In the fall of 2001 the SOR competed in their second District contest, again placing second, but this time earning a wildcard to compete at the International Chorus Finals in Portland, Oregon
. They traveled to their first International in July 2002 and shocked the barbershop world by placing 8th. They won their first Rocky Mountain District championship in the fall of 2002 and once again traveled to International in July 2003, placing 7th in the Montreal
contest. The year 2004 brought them to Louisville, Kentucky
where they continued their climb, placing 6th and missing a medal by only a few points. In Salt Lake City, Utah
in 2005 they placed 7th with a comedic package. They again placed 6th at the 2006 Chorus contest in Indianapolis, Indiana
. The chorus was the host for the 2007 International contests and convention, held in Denver, Colorado
. On July 6, 2007, The Sound of the Rockies placed 3rd at the International contest, finally giving them a long sought-after medal. At the 2008 International contest, held in Nashville, TN, the chorus maintained top 5 standing, placing 4th in what is commonly held to be the most competitive barbershop chorus contest in history.
The chorus went on to win the fall 2008 Rocky Mountain District contest, and went on to compete in their 9th International contest on July 3, 2009 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. They again placed 4th, earning their third consecutive medal with the highest score the chorus had achieved to date, averaging a 91.5%.
After winning an 8th consecutive district championship in Cheyenne, Wyoming
in October 2009, the chorus qualified for the 2010 International chorus contest in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. In July 2010, they competed in the contest and maintained their 4th place ranking, with a record-high score of 92.3%.
introduced a new International Youth Chorus Festival, to be held at the 2008 Midwinter Convention. In August 2008, the group was assembled, and the name 52Eighty was agreed upon. SOR assistant directors Chris Vaughn and Matt Swann were appointed to co-direct the young group. They attended the second annual Youth Chorus Festival in January 2009 in Pasadena, CA and came away with the plateau AA championship and second place overall, averaging a 76.1%. In January 2010, they attended the 3rd annual contest in Tampa, FL and walked away as Grand Champions, with a record-breaking 83.5% average score.
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
men's 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 greater Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. They are currently the 4th place International Bronze Medalist Chorus for the Barbershop Harmony Society
Barbershop Harmony Society
The Barbershop Harmony Society, legally and historically named the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. , is the first of several organizations to promote and preserve barbershop music as an art form. Founded by Owen C...
. In 2007, they successfully co-hosted the International Convention in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
with the Denver Mountainaires. The chorus comprises between 110-120 voices currently.
History
In the 1990s, there were two major chapters in the Denver area, the older Mile High Chorus and the Denver Tech chapter, chartered in the 1980s. In 1999, the two chapters began to discuss the idea of merging, which is very rarely successful for large choruses. It was put to a vote by the members of each chapter, and a merger was approved on January 1, 2000. The chorus drafted a young, untried director for their initial leadership in Darin Drown, who had recently moved to Denver from NebraskaNebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
.
The chorus put on a successful charter show in the spring of 2000 that consisted of Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
tunes, and competed in their first Rocky Mountain District contest in the fall of 2000 in Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid...
, placing second and missing a wild card invitation to International by a mere 5 points.
In the fall of 2001 the SOR competed in their second District contest, again placing second, but this time earning a wildcard to compete at the International Chorus Finals in 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...
. They traveled to their first International in July 2002 and shocked the barbershop world by placing 8th. They won their first Rocky Mountain District championship in the fall of 2002 and once again traveled to International in July 2003, placing 7th in the Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
contest. The year 2004 brought them to Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
where they continued their climb, placing 6th and missing a medal by only a few points. In Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
in 2005 they placed 7th with a comedic package. They again placed 6th at the 2006 Chorus contest in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. The chorus was the host for the 2007 International contests and convention, held in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. On July 6, 2007, The Sound of the Rockies placed 3rd at the International contest, finally giving them a long sought-after medal. At the 2008 International contest, held in Nashville, TN, the chorus maintained top 5 standing, placing 4th in what is commonly held to be the most competitive barbershop chorus contest in history.
The chorus went on to win the fall 2008 Rocky Mountain District contest, and went on to compete in their 9th International contest on July 3, 2009 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. They again placed 4th, earning their third consecutive medal with the highest score the chorus had achieved to date, averaging a 91.5%.
After winning an 8th consecutive district championship in Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
in October 2009, the chorus qualified for the 2010 International chorus contest in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. In July 2010, they competed in the contest and maintained their 4th place ranking, with a record-high score of 92.3%.
Youth Chorus
In early 2006, the chapter began discussing the idea of creating a young men's chorus within the ranks. This idea took off when the Barbershop Harmony SocietyBarbershop Harmony Society
The Barbershop Harmony Society, legally and historically named the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. , is the first of several organizations to promote and preserve barbershop music as an art form. Founded by Owen C...
introduced a new International Youth Chorus Festival, to be held at the 2008 Midwinter Convention. In August 2008, the group was assembled, and the name 52Eighty was agreed upon. SOR assistant directors Chris Vaughn and Matt Swann were appointed to co-direct the young group. They attended the second annual Youth Chorus Festival in January 2009 in Pasadena, CA and came away with the plateau AA championship and second place overall, averaging a 76.1%. In January 2010, they attended the 3rd annual contest in Tampa, FL and walked away as Grand Champions, with a record-breaking 83.5% average score.