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Association of eXtreme Quartetting Harmony Brigades
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History of the eXtreme Quartetting Harmony Brigades
Charles Rose, Founder
In January of 1993, the North Carolina Harmony Brigade held its first rally in Pinehurst, North Carolina. It was the vision of Charles Rose, a member of the CHB now known as the Southern Harmony Brigade. Charles’ idea for the NCHB was a weekend rally based on the CHB concept that would attract good quartet men from North Carolina interested in learning more difficult and interesting arrangements and provide two days of unlimited quartetting opportunities.
For the first few years, NCHB membership was limited to North Carolina chapter members. In 1996, the first of a few “outsiders” (brothers Alan & Neal Siegal, from New York) managed to garner invitations to the NCHB. Eventually other outsiders included Duane Henry and Terry Silke from Indiana. The secret was now out of the bag! These men quickly realized the value of such a quartet program and envisioned developing a Brigade in their home states. After a few years of “apprenticing” under the NCHB leadership the dream of the Indiana Harmony Brigade became a reality in October of 2003 in Indianapolis, Indiana, followed by the Atlantic Harmony Brigade in August of 2006 in Wilmington, Delaware.
With the advent of two additional Brigades, word suddenly began to spread. Men from 23 states, Canada, Germany, and Sweden have attended one or more of these three Brigades. This participation, along with the exposure received at the 2006 International Convention, where a chorus made up of the three Brigades performed as mic-testers for the chorus competition and performed on World Harmony Jamboree, plus articles in the Harmonizer, led to a groundswell of interest in starting other eXtreme Harmony Brigades.
In June of 2010 the Great Lakes Harmony Brigade held its inaugural rally under the leadership of Mike O’Donnell; 2011 the High Sierra Harmony Brigade under the leadership of David Queen and Tony Kruk; and in 2012 the New England Harmony Brigade would hold their inaugural rallies under the leadership of Lee Daum; Northern Pines Harmony Brigade with David Speidel leading the way, and the Lone Star Brigade under the leadership of John Loucks and Rick Yarto, quickly followed with their inaugural Brigades.
Alexander Koller from Germany, a frequent Brigader who had worked for many years in the US, took the Brigade concept back to Europe and began the European Harmony Brigade in Germany in 2015. Lindley Gram and Martyn Lapworth started the UK Harmony Brigade in 2016. Both of these Brigades are mixed events with both men and women in attendance.
in 2018, the first mixed voice (male and female) eXtreme Quartet Harmony Brigade in the United States was created with its inaugural Rally to be held in Massachusetts in March 2019. Under the leadership of Lee Daum, Richard Cook, Calvin Schnure, Carol and Fred Kingsbury, Tamara Hitchcock, Lauren O'Sullivan, Lindley Gram and others put the Mixed Harmony Brigade of New England together in response to demand and the BHS Everyone in Harmony movement. The Brigade movement continues to grow.
Mission and Purpose of the AXQHB
The Association is organized and exists pursuant to 55A-2-02 of the general statutes of North Carolina as a not-for-profit charitable corporation effective January 26, 2010 and is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
The purpose of the Association shall be to:
The Association activities shall be conducted in support of member Brigade activities which include new Brigade formations, operational and administrative support and coordination and assistance with music and operational materials.
The purpose of the Association shall be to:
- Perpetuate barbershop quartetting
- Encourage and to promote vocal harmony among its members
- Encourage and promote the education of its member Brigades
- Facilitate the public’s appreciation of barbershop harmony
- Promote and encourage interest and participation of its various Brigade members in the affairs of the Barbershop Harmony Society (SPEBSQSA, INC)
The Association activities shall be conducted in support of member Brigade activities which include new Brigade formations, operational and administrative support and coordination and assistance with music and operational materials.
Activities shall include:
- to encourage and support the formation and operation of eXtreme Quartetting Harmony Brigades in order that the joys and benefits from eXtreme Quartetting become known, valued and available everywhere;
- to provide guidance and service in issues common among Member Brigades;
- to own the eXtreme Quartetting [XQ] brand, to define its character, and to establish, maintain and protect its reputation;
- to act as the public face for Member Brigades collectively.
- Maintenance of a public access for XQ Brigade information and related opportunities including promotional XQ Brigade literature, an XQ Brigades calendar, a listing of FAQ answers, and links to individual Brigades, the Barbershop Harmony Society and other suitable associates
- XQ brand descriptions and ownership, related Trademark, Service Mark and Copyright protections and governance in XQ brand usages
- Determination of qualifications and classes of membership for Association Member Brigades
- Association growth, sustainability and brand consistency through marketing, through education, training and tools for Brigade starters and Brigade leaders, and through other strategies that maintain and enhance the value, quality and reputation of XQ Brigades
- Storehouse of centralized knowledge, administrative records, historical data and archival music arrangements and learning recordings
- Inter-Brigade central communication clearing house for disseminating information on issues of common interest to Member Brigades and their members and other constituencies
- Preservation and encouragement of Barbershop quartetting in concordance with Barbershop Harmony Society tenets
Subsidiaries of the Barbershop Harmony Society
Each Brigade is a 501(c)3 charitable organization with a relationship with the Barbershop Harmony Society or a BHS affiliate. The AXQHB is an organization comprised of members from each of the sanctioned Brigades, The AXQHB supports the Brigades, and the freelance quartetting of high quality arrangements made famous by medalist-level quartets. They coordinate music choices Brigade-to-Brigade so that Brigaders from anywhere have a large common repertoire with other Brigaders while gathering at annual Brigade Rallies to pursue eXtreme Quartetting. They commit to and fulfill the preparation this activity requires.
How to Start a Harmony Brigade
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