Getting Their Music Together Sharply Dressed Barbershop Singers Create Own Electricity As They Blend Love Of Music, Group Effort At Competition

Sure it’s called barbershop music, but there aren’t any haircuts offered here.

Just the melodious sounds of voices raised in harmony.

“When everybody hits their notes right, it just sends chills up your spine,” says Dan Brown, one of four men who make up the Coeur d’Alene barbershop quartet called Persuasion.

On Saturday, Brown and dozens of barbershop singers from Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Montana put their vocal skills on display - and to the test - at the Division V barbershop competition in Coeur d’Alene.

Taking the stage in quartets and choruses, these all-male groups skillfully belted out their four-part harmony stylings.

Dressed in bow ties and neat suits reminiscent of “the good ol’ days,” their voices formed into one instrument crooning lines like: “Smile my honey dear while I kiss away each tear,” or “No one could be sweeter than my sweetie when I meet her in the morning.”

A panel of judges scored them based on three things: music, presentation and singing.

“It’s like a fire that creates its own wind,” said Dennis Fisher, who sang with the Lake City Harmonizers, a chorus that won second place. “A capella creates its own aftereffects, which are beautiful if done right.”

The a capella-style barbershop music dates back to the 1800s, when it formed out of simple European hymns and African American vocal stylings. It consists of four parts - tenor, lead, baritone and bass.

The music became popular for parlor gatherings and while waiting for haircuts at the neighborhood barbershop. It also became a piece of Americana.

In 1938 an organization was formed to preserve barbershop music. Today it’s called the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America.

Ron Boothe - a North Idaho man whose motto is “If you’re too busy to sing, you’re too busy” - helped start a chapter of that organization in Coeur d’Alene in 1981, the Lake City Harmonizers.

Fisher, current president of the Lake City Harmonizers, was 3 years old when he began his singing career. Born and raised in North Idaho, his father used to take him to Spokane where they performed on street corners.

“My father would hold me up and have me sing songs,” Fisher said.

When he was about 12, Fisher began singing every Sunday for a church radio program. He then spent 20 years in a gospel quartet.

But it wasn’t until about 10 years ago when the retired police officer was truly introduced to barbershop music.

“Now I wonder why I didn’t get involved earlier,” he said with a laugh.

Fisher says he enjoys the way the barbershop singers combine their voices to create chords and layers of crisp beautiful sound - all without the aid of musical instruments.

Boothe agrees.

“The modern music is instrumental oriented - you’re lucky if you can hear the voices,” he said. “Barbershop is all just the sounds you make yourself. You can do it anywhere, you don’t need electricity to plug your amp in.”

Besides, he says with a smile, “You’ll never find finer gentlemen than barbershoppers.”

The Lake City Harmonizers practice every Monday night at Lakes Middle School from 7 to 10 p.m. All are welcome to attend.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: THE WINNERS The top three winners of Saturday’s Division V barbershop chorus and quartet competition will compete this fall in the district competition in Tacoma. Chorus competition winners: 1st: Boise Valley Chordsmen, Boise 2nd: Lake City Harmonizers, Coeur d’Alene 3rd: Pages of Harmony, Spokane Most Improved: Lake City Harmonizers

Quartet competition winners: 1st: Four is Enough, Boise. 2nd: Big Sky Classic Touch, Kalispell, Mont. 3rd: Persuasion, Coeur d’Alene (Jim Peters, Tim Donahue, Bob Thackston and Dan Brown). Most Improved: Four is Enough