On May 5, 2006, my quartet, 'Round Midnight, flew to San Francisco to compete at the Harmony Sweepstakes National Finals. We didn't win, but we were really happy with how we sang, and we had an awesome time the entire weekend. We made a lot of new friends in the a cappella world and hope for another shot at the title two years from now (when we're eligible to compete again).

A few months earlier, we were fortunate enough to win the NY Regional Harmony Sweeps Competition. The grand prize was a trip to compete in San Francisco. Primarily A Cappella, the organization that sponsors the Sweeps, paid for our airfare and hotel rooms.

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On the evening we arrived, there was a meet-and-greet at the hotel bar. We met with singers in some of the other groups like Clockwork (a super-talented four-part vocal jazz ensemble from the Bay Area with a bass like none other), Regency (an entertaining doo-wop group from DC), and Traces (a gospel group from Boston whom we had met before at the NY Regional).

We taught tags (little snippets of a song –usually the ending climax, that are easy and fun to harmonize) to those interested, and soon, four other singers overheard us and said, "Hey, that sounds like barbershop to us!" These were the gents from Hi-Fidelity (2006 LA Regional Champs, erstwhile Far Western District Champs, and perennial BHS international competitors), the group that would eventually win the whole competition. As barbershoppers inevitably do, we stayed out later than anyone else at the party, singing polecats, tags, and other songs that we knew.

At the Saturday evening competition, 'Round Midnight drew the first spot. We were happy about this because it allowed us to see the whole show. We opened with "Tonight, Tonight;" from West Side Story, a non-contestable barbershop tune with a killer tag. It locked into place from start-to-finish and the audience, many of whom were unfamiliar with our hobby's special brand of harmony, was floored. We had never heard a reaction like that before (Of course, this was due in part to the fact that there were 2000 people in the sold-out Marin Center!). We followed up with "Tin Roof Blues," where Wayne Grimmer (Baritone) and TJ Carollo (lead) switch voice parts, and closed with Wayne's first ever arrangement, "Take the A Train." We left the stage feeling real good about how we sang and then took our seats in the audience.

Hi-Fidelity closed the first half of the competition. They were really something. They did a full Addams Family routine that had the audience laughing hysterically. Their tenor is absolutely spectacular. What a showman and what a voice! Hi-Fidelity also sang a parody of "Bye Bye Blackbird" that had 24 key changes. It was arranged by Tom Gentry; it's one of the most clever arrangements I've ever heard. Once Hi-Fidelity left the stage, it was pretty clear who the 2006 Harmony Sweeps Champs were going to be. It would have taken the Three Tenors to top that package. When the awards were being announced, Hi-Fidelity won over the judges in addition to the audience favorite award. Regency got second place, Clockwork took third, and our quartet, Round Midnight, fourth.

As we were leaving, hundreds of people came up to us to tell us how much they enjoyed our set, and hoped to see us again at the Marin Center in a few years. That was enough for us!

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