It was April, 1966 and The Manhattan Chapter of SPEBSQSA at that time was sponsoring a Barbershop Quartet show at Carnegie Hall. Having never actually heard a live quartet, I wanted to go, but $3.50 was a lot of money to spend on an unknown quantity. What if they were terrible?

(Continued from Page 1) Well, my curiosity won out. Surprisingly, I got the last available seat. It was in the end box in the second tier. I was pretty high up, looking straight down on stage right. Peter Lind Hayes was the Master of Ceremonies for the evening and his wife Mary Healy was on hand for a special treat.

I waited, not knowing what to expect. First, THE FOUR STATESMEN, the 1965 Fifth Place International Barbershop Quartet Medalists came out. I reasoned that a fifth place group couldn't possibly be very good. I was in for the shock of my life. They were the most INCREDIBLE singing group I had ever heard. They sounded like one voice with lots of different vocal timbres. I couldn't believe that what I was hearing was completely created by only four voices. And since I could only see the tops of their heads from where I was sitting, it was even more of a mystery. They sang for 30 minutes, and each song was better than the one before it.

Next, THE FOUR RENEGADES came out. They were the current (1965) International Barbershop Quartet Champions. I was convinced that nothing could possibly be any better than what I had just heard. I was mistaken. Not only was this group more precise and more polished, but they were FUNNY at the same time. They did vaudeville routines and didn't miss a beat while singing. They could speed up and slow down, all at exactly the same time. I actually slid off my chair from laughing so hard at one of their routines. Their timing was fabulous.

Then came intermission, and the most AMAZING THING happened. Men from the audience were standing in the lobby and in the aisles in groups of four. ALL SINGING. And each foursome was as good as the two quartets I had just heard. Also, everyone in the audience seemed to know each other. That is, everyone except for me, of course. I knew no one. Who were these people? Were they ALL professional singers? I felt like Alice in Wonderland.

After intermission, THE BUFFALO BILLS sang. They were the quartet who had been in the original Broadway Production of THE MUSIC MAN and also the 1950 International Barbershop Quartet Champions. As part of their set, they sang Lida Rose with Mary Healy. Finally there was a performance by THE DAPPER DANS OF HARMONY, a chorus of 90+ men from Livingston, NJ. They were the 1965 Fourth Place International Barbershop Chorus Medalists. Needless to say, this second act was unbelievable.

As I left the theatre, people were yelling, "See you at the next convention". What convention? What were they talking about? I had no clue. But I did know one thing. From that moment on, nothing would be the same. I had found my calling, and whatever it took, I would fill my life with Barbershop Music and the people connected with it.

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