This is the time of year when barbershop quartets, from novices to perennial international aspirants have a chance to compete, in a variety of venues, for their own personal bests and to show the world what great stuff they've been preparing. The BAC will be there.

Feb. 24th: The Rahway Valley Jerseyaires will be sponsoring the 46th Annual Rahway Valley Novice Quartet Contest at Roosevelt School, 811 St. Georges Ave.(at Stanton), Rahway, NJ at 7:30 PM. Admission is FREE.

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Novice Quartets may have no more than two members that have competed in any quartet that qualified to sing at a District-level contest; only one of those two men may have sung at the International level.

In keeping with a tradition of quartet encouragement the Manhattan Chapter is proud that a new novice quartet has sprung from their ranks and will be representing the chapter at this year's Novice contest. The quartet is called, "The Beer & Roses Battalion". It includes three relatively new barbershoppers. Three of the men in this exciting combination of talent come to Manhattan not only from outside of the Barbershop Harmony Society but also far away from the Empire State.

Kevin Feltes is the quartet's lead. He's a recent transplant to NY from Illinois where he was more active as a brass horn player than as a singer. He has been in Manhattan for just over a year and has also advanced to a key position in the Chorus' reputed dancing front row.

Alexander Koller is the quartet's baritone. Alexander is a new arrival here in New York, from Germany He's doing computer intelligence research work through Columbia University. While, he is not altogether new to quarteting, he is however, a new member of the Barbershop Harmony Society.

Will McCain, the quartet's tenor hails from Louisiana, bringing with him some of that Big Easy charm and a musicality that has already drawn the BAC spotlight to him. After only a few weeks in the chorus he was performing solos with the BAC at the South Street Sea Port.

Neal Siegal, will be debuting as the quartet's bass, after nine years in the tenor section at the Big Apple and as tenor in, "Yes Indeed".

The first quarter of the year abounds with competitions for the more advanced level quartets too.

March 9th : Reveille will be once again strutting their crowd pleasing comic stuff (with Fern Sicilia on tenor) at the spring convention and International Preliminary Competition in Lancaster PA.

The BAC will also have representation in another quartet at Prelims, Round Midnight, whose splendid execution of their own original arrangements are worth the price of admission alone.

The spring convention will be held at the Lancaster Hotel Resort & Conference Center, 2300 Lincoln Highway East (US Rt. 30) Lancaster PA, 17602. For more info go to: Mid Atlantic District website.

April 7th: Will be New York's Regional Harmony Sweeps Competition: This is a preliminary competition sponsored by Primarily A Cappella (purveyors of all a cappella recordings) to qualify groups for the National finals. It is a not a BHS event. It features all forms of a cappella and is adjudicated by a varied panel from the Music industry and the general vocal arts community. The NY regional is held at Symphony Space 2501 Broadway (at 95th St). Winners of the NY regional will win an expense paid trip to compete at the National competition in California in May.

Barbershop Harmony has been well represented at the A Cappella Sweeps including performances by members of Sweet Adelines and the BHS. The Big Apple Chorus has been honored, in New York, to be represented both in the judging panel and on stage, including the 2006 winning quartet, Round Midnight.

May 5-6th the BHS, Mid Atlantic District, holds its Northern Division Contest and on May 18-19th its Atlantic Division Contest for all quartets aspiring to qualify for the fall District Contest and the coveted honor of District Champion. Both contests will be held (on their respective dates) at the Doubletree/Newark Airport Hotel, Elizabeth NJ. The BAC will, no doubt, have representation at the Northern Division (in which our chapter is located) and the District contests. April 4th is the deadline for the Northern Division Contest registration.

The Manhattan Chapter will have at least two relatively new full chapter quartets in the May Division contest. Though these quartets are composed of largely seasoned singers, in their new configurations they bring entirely new possibilities and added vitality, strength and pride to the chapter and chorus.

Competing in the Seniors category, the BAC will be represented by, "Manhattan On The Rocks", with Dick Prestholdt (lead), Gordon Harrison (bass, replacing Rich Gauldi-shown), Tom McQueeny (bari) and Steve Dunie (tenor). "On The Town, " with Mike Copeland (lead), Bob Watkins (bari) Phil Wilcox, (bass), Joe Husstege (bari) is another new Manhattan chapter quartet, who will be making its contest debut at the Spring Division.

Family Affair, with BACman, Neil Dingle will also be competing at the Mid Division.

And finally talking about new quartets with representatives from the Manhattan Chapter: not to be confused with the afore mentioned quartet, is, "Our Town" with Manhattan's Scott Brannon, singing lead Larry Tully (bari), Terry Clarke (bass), Jamie Carbone (tenor). This new configuration and august cadre of past Barbershop Society Champions are not slated at this time for any contests that we know of, so all the rest of us who like to compete can sleep at night, for now. But are one heck of fine and exciting performing musical group (which seems to be their raison deter, and a good one at that).

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