Each year, the Rahway, New Jersey Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society conducts a "Festival of Harmony", (FOH) an event that is designed to encourage young people to sing high quality a cappella harmony. The Festival is open to individuals, quartets, ensembles and mixed groups from local intermediate schools and high schools and is conducted at no charge to either the participating students or their organizations. The festival began in 2001 as an offshoot of the Young Men in Harmony program by the Princeton, NJ Chapter, a year in which it had an attendance of about 25 students.

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Currently hosted by the Rahway, New Jersey Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, the Festival is sponsored by that chapter and Sweet Adelines International. Funding for the festival is provided by the New Jersey Council on the Arts - Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, through a grant administered by the Union County, N.J. Division of Cultural Affairs.

A Festival Committee, which oversees the functioning of the program, is comprised of several music educators and/or choral directors from area school music programs, plus BHS and SAI Chorus Directors and members. This committee meets throughout the year to compile and update the "festival plan" as individual committee members take on specific responsibilities for selected strategies in the plan.

This year, the Festival was held at the Rahway Middle School in Rahway, N.J. Participation was at the highest level ever as students from organizations throughout New York and New Jersey participated. The group was divided about equally between girls and boys, many being members of existing a cappella groups, such as Saint Frances Prep in Queens, New York with 24 students, a group taught by Fern Sicilia - the tenor of Reveille. "The Retro Men, an all boys choral group from James Caldwell High School in West Caldwell, N.J., under the direction of Michael D'Andrea, Music VP of The Montclair, N.J. Chapter of the BHS. Also, there was a large girls choral group that participated.

The stated purpose of the Festival is teaching vocal skills to young singers and to help perpetuate a cappella singing among young people. The festival consumes an entire Saturday and has the dual objectives of teaching a cappella songs and providing instruction in singing techniques. The educators work to impart a variety of vocal skills and to provide other learning opportunities to the participants. It is a full day workshop that consists of instruction by experienced, medallist quartets. The boys were instructed throughout the day by "Reveille", the girls by "Quest", all instruction being in accordance with the "Festival Plan" previously compiled by The FOH Committee.

Attendees learn two or more popular songs in four-part a cappella harmony. The instructional agenda for the day includes vocal warm-ups, sectional and ensemble rehearsals, break-out sessions for each of the voice parts and riser rehearsals. The day culminates in an evening show, wherein the various quartets, female and male ensembles, and a combined mass chorus demonstrate not only their talent but also the results of the day's learning experiences.

The boys utilized "Sitting on Top of The World" and "Love Me and the World is Mine" as their learning vehicles during the day and performed the songs on the evening show.

PHOTO - Reveille in their "teaching mode"

"Reveille"(left to right)John Ward, LeadFern Sicilia, TenorMark Paul, BassJoe Hunter Jr, Baritonefrom BHS Manhattan, NY Chapter

The girls learned were "Mr. Sandman" and "Beauty and the Beast" and demonstrated their prowess in these songs during the evening show.

PHOTO - Quest demonstrates a song for the girls.

"Quest" (Left to right) Harriett Walters, Baritone Katie Pinto, Lead Carolyn Burroughs, Bass Stephanie Brictson, Tenor- from Sweet Adelines International- headquartered in New Jersey.

The grand finale of the evening show, in which a combined chorus of all participants performed the "Lida Rose/Will You Ever Tell Me" duet from the Music Man, was open to the public at no charge. Taking advantage of such a bargain, the house was full.

The contribution of the teaching quartets cannot be overemphasized. They designed and implemented the "learning package". They picked the songs to be learned and sent the music to the participants, accompanied by a learning CD. They introduced the day by performing for their class. They spent the day teaching the music, holding sectional rehearsals and teaching the appropriate choreography. Their contribution of this day demonstrates their desire to help develop young singers. Of course, this contribution of their time was in addition to meeting the demands on them from other performing, coaching and judging responsibilities, not to mention their career work obligations.

Reveille and Quest have been the instructing quartets at the festival for a number of years and it is expected they will participate in the future as well. By imparting their knowledge of singing and performance techniques to these young people, many of the youngsters may well adopt singing in general, and barbershop harmony in particular, as being worthy avocations, if not careers. The festival was initially provided "seed money" by Harmony Foundation and concentrated more on "performance" and less to the singing and vocal skills instruction that predominate in current sessions..

The Rahway Valley Chapter looks forward to the 2008 Festival, planning for which has already begun, with the hope that an even larger participation will be evident.

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