Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-02-09
Continued from preceding page

The Buffalo Bills themselves find Il an hard to
believe. Alto al Shea, lately traffic cop in
Buffalo, says, They told me New York would
be tough. don't get It. It's like getting paid to
eat ice cream" Bill SpaneenbeTg, bass, who drove
a truck in Buffalo, wags his long head. I'm
walkin' eight feet high"
Vem Reed and Scotty Ward, both machinery
statesmen in Buffalo, are equally pleased with
show business. I'VE all got leave Of absence from
our job" says Vern, land a lot Of folks laughed
and said we'd be back in BuffaIo.in couple Of
weeks, but don't know.
Success Of the Buffalo Bills on Broadway and
their TV and record contracts are bound to give
q healthy boost to close harmony in America
Not that it is sorely in need Of boost. The
S.P.E. B.S.Q S. A. Society for the Preservation
and Encouragement Of Barber Shop Quartet Sing
ing in America) IS fast-erOwing organization.
A Woodsl,ed Session
Anyway, don't be surprised if you attend party
soon and see four gentlemen sneak of to the
kitchen for BIT Of Notwithstanding" Wood
shedding means foCling around with part har-
mony, trying to work out an ananeement) If
the woodshed session IS successful, the quartet
win undoubtedly favor the party with q rousine
chorus Of Gee, But I'd Give The World To See
That Old Gang Of Miner
We use the word 'faVOr'' advisedIy. For in
barbershopping you can be pretty awful and still
sound pretty good. Of course, you can't expect
to sound anything like the Buffalo Bills; they
have carried barbershopping to the threshold Of
fine art. They are four fellows with fine voices,
perfectly blended, who for years have spent most
Of their evenings woodworking. Mrs. Al Shea
reports: ssMy friends warned me I'd have prob
lens Il married q policeman, but nobody ever
warned ne about barbershOp singing"
Barhershop music is q very old convention.
Centuries ago, men played musical instruments
at the BARRIERS while waiting for shave. Musi-
colOgist Sigmund Spaeth asserts that both Shake
speare and Milton speak Of the custom in their
works. But barbershop singing is as American as
burberry pie. And as such, Il fits right into the
story Of THE Music Man." Meredith Wilson,
who doubles as author and composer Of the muSi-
CAL has had his eye on the Buffalo Bills ever since
1851, when they won the national championship
Of S. p. e. B. S. Q. S. A.
Catch A Tenor
How do you go about making up a barbershop
quartet? Well, first you catch tenor. Men with
good voices in the higher range are scarce. and
once you have one, make sure he dresses warmly
and doesn't cross against traffic. The other three
voices are less Of problem Scotty Ward laughs,
''Baritones carry the suitcases."
The technique Of "barbershoppine can't really
be taught It's just something you hit on after
good deal Of woodworking. "You fool around
with chords until finally you Get the ring says
Vem Read. The ring" can only be described in
the words Of an old barbershOp contest judge,
who used to say, Il don't claim to know music,
but whena quartet can raise up the hair on the
back Of my neck, know they got the ring"
Anyone who gets swept away by barbershOp-
ping can join S. p. e. b. S. O. S. A. choral group
and work at part harmony until he feels ready to