Earlier this year, Cantus decided to program the Barbershop
Harmony Society’s signature song, “Keep America Singing,” as a part of our
touring program, Anthem because
nobody loves singing together as much as barbershoppers. It is very common in
the barbershop community for groups of singers to come together, form impromptu
quartets, and sing “tags:” the end of a popular barbershop tune. Parts are
usually taught by rote, and after four or five goes at it, the singers are
ready to belt it out. New Cantus tenor (and my Minneapolis roommate) Blake
Morgan has a diverse performance background that includes barbershop quartet
singing, which is one of the first things we bonded over.
Coincidentally, Sweden has produced one of the finest
barbershop quartets of the past 5 years, the Ringmasters. Lead singer and
Stockholm local Rasmus Kingstrom is a friend of Blake’s, and invited a few of
us out to have dinner and sing a few tags with him and his friends. After
dining and talking shop, Ringmasters’ baritone Emmanuel suggested we catch the
tail end of St. Jacobs Ungdomskör (Youth Choir) rehearsal at a nearby historic
building. This group made up of singers in their 20s and 30s has a stellar
reputation in Sweden and throughout the world, and their sound did not disappoint!
After a breathtaking rehearsal of Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem, they invited us
out for “Choir Beer,” a weekly tradition of quenching one’s thirst after
rehearsal.
The local tavern enjoys the patronage of Ungdomskör very
much. Just say “Choir Beer” at the bar, and you get a discounted pint. After a
few swigs, everyone was ready to sing again, and sing WE DID! The Swedes
delighted us with a rousing version of a traditional folk song, glasses in the
air, with hearty cheers and laughter following the final chord. Our rebuttal?
Michael McGlynn’s Dúlamán, featuring Paul Rudoi. The bar erupted with applause
after the sudden finish to the exciting, wordy sea chanty. Smiles on every face
lighted the room as we sealed a musical bond with our new friends.
--Sam
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