AboutOfficial Site: http://vocalmajority.sectorlink.org/2002/index.aspPull together a group of 150+ men volunteering from all walks of life with varying degrees of musical talent and experience, ask them to sing, and the listener may hear something that resembles beautiful music. But call that group The Vocal Majority Chorus and stand Jim or Greg Clancy before them in the role of director, and one is in store for an extraordinary musical experience from a group that has touched literally tens of thousands of listeners around the world. The Vocal Majority Chorus’ repertoire is as diverse as its membership, with music including barbershop favorites, classics to jazz, patriotic to sacred, rounded out with standards and Broadway pops. Officially, The Vocal Majority Chorus is the Dallas Metropolitan Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society (formerly known as the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. (SPEBSQSA). Not one of the 12 men who gathered on that first cold night of December 2, 1971, could have imagined the success of the VM. They wanted to form a chapter that would become the finest singing ensemble in the world. So, under the guidance of founder, first president, and marketing director Bob Arnold, the Chorus was born, and Ray Anthony consented to be the first director in April of 1972. Born to compete, The Vocal Majority would win its first Southwestern District Chorus Championship in the fall of 1973. In the summer of 1974, seventy-three men mounted the risers as the VM entered its first International competition. After a disappointing third place finish, Ray Anthony convinced VM member Jim Clancy to take the role of director in August of 1974. The Vocal Majority returned to International competition in 1975 in Indianapolis. This yielded the VM’s first Gold Medal. There was great disappointment the following year, however, when a return to the next year’s International swan song performance in the summer of 1976 was financially impossible. 1977 would offer the VM its third Southwestern District Chorus Championship in Houston, and the men of The Vocal Majority hoped to win their second Gold in Cincinnati in the summer of 1978. The chorus lost the Championship by only 10 points in a heart-breaking loss to the Louisville Thoroughbreds. Clancy would later say, "That one loss was the best thing that ever happened to us, because learning to overcome that loss helped us develop heart and character. It (the loss) is when the real heart and soul of The Vocal Majority began." It was to be the last Gold Medal lost in International competition. In July of 1979, the chorus returned to the winner’s circle with a second Gold Medal, this time in Minneapolis. With its winning tradition recaptured, The Vocal Majority would capture each successive International Gold for which it qualified. The third Gold Medal was won in the International Chorus Championship held in Pittsburgh in 1982, followed by a fourth in the 1985 Minneapolis C As the SPEBSQSA celebrated its 50th anniversary, the men of The Vocal Majority were back on stage. Having already earned four Gold Medals in International Competition, the VM competed in its home state of Texas in San Antonio and took home its fifth Gold Medal. The sixth championship would be won three years later in 1991 as the Chorus returned to competition in Louisville. Anticipation mounted as the VM approached the 1994 Competition held in Pittsburgh. Only the Louisville Thoroughbreds had attained seven Gold Medals, and in this competition the VM tied the Thoroughbreds’ record, winning its seventh Gold Medal. The winning streak continued in 1997 in Indianapolis. The Vocal Majority broke the old record and flew home to Texas with an eighth Gold Medal, a precedent-setting event. In July of 2000 the men of The Vocal Majority Chorus returned to International Competition in Kansas City, Missouri. Singing arrangements of "Mardi Gras March/Rampart Street Parade" and "Sweetheart of Sigma Chi," they were met again with a rousing success. VM returned home with its ninth Gold Medal. The accolades continued as the Chorus was named to the Southwestern District Hall of Fame in Little Rock in October of 2000, the first Chorus so honored by this large district. The Spring of 2001 took the Chorus on a tour to Scotland with two standing room only concerts in Glasgow. The highlight of this trip was an incredible event at Glasgow Cathedral. Summer 2001 performances found the Chorus in Nashville, Tennessee for the SPEBSQSA International Convention followed by a series of shows in Toronto. In July of 2003 the men of The Vocal Majority Chorus returned to International Competition in Montreal, Canada. Singing arrangements of "You Don't Know Me" and "Puttin' On The Ritz," the Vocal Majority members scored another record-breaking success. The VM came back to Dallas with its tenth Gold Medal! The Vocal Majority tradition extends well beyond the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. In its 28-year history, the VM has sung for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. The Chorus has performed with numerous ensembles during these years including The Four Freshmen, The Lettermen, the Oak Ridge Boys, the Suntones, and the Texas Boys Choir. They have also joined many solo performers in concert including Glen Campbell, Jimmy Dean, Bob Flanigan, John Gary, Lee Greenwood, Jack Jones, and Johnny Mann. While the VM is known for its a cappella music, it has sung with symphony orchestras and other music groups. The 1998 performance with The Atlanta Symphony in Olympic Centennial Park stands out as the VM’s largest audience with over 135,000 people in attendance. The Chorus has performed with the Dallas Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Texas Wind Symphony, Las Colinas Symphony, Mid-Cities Orchestra, Richardson Symphony, Utah State Symphony, and the Constitution Symphony Orchestra. The Chorus counts tens of thousands in its list of VM fans. Relationships with other performers and supporters have been remarkable, but undoubtedly there are two relationships that have stood above the others. Traveling to the 1980 competition in Salt Lake City, the men arranged a concert at the famed Mormon Tabernacle. That led to a return invitation to sing a concert with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in 1986. During that visit, the VM joined the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in recording the CBS Masterworks release, VOICES IN HARMONY. The Choir would later reciprocate with a visit to Dallas and join the VM in two sell-out concerts at Dallas’ Reunion Arena. In 1997 the Chorus also performed as guests of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on their worldwide broadcast, “The Spoken Word.” The second relationship is the wonderful bond between The Vocal Majority® and Dallas radio personality Ron Chapman. Since 1975, he has tirelessly promoted the music of The Vocal Majority® on the air in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Now on Oldies Radio KLUV 98.7, Chapman is the Executive Producer of THE VOCAL MAJORITY WITH STRINGS-VOLUMES I and II, two recordings with the VM and local orchestral musicians. No chorus could have a better friend than Ron Chapman. The Chorus’ most recent recordings are YOU RAISE ME UP, 12 inspirational songs and a sequel to our popular HOW SWEET THE SOUND, full of inspiring harmony and words of comfort, released in September of 2005; THE VOCAL MAJORITY WITH STRINGS-VOLUME II, 12 oldies, with orchestra, from the 60s and 70s; VM X, a compilation of all 10 Gold Medal Contest performances, LOVE SONGS BY REQUEST, a collection of favorite love songs; and FREEDOM’S SONG, a America’s favorite patriotic music. VM also offers a DVD, A VOCAL MAJORITY CHRISTMAS, recorded live in December of 2002. All of Vocal Majority’s recordings are available on our website at www.VocalMajority.com or in the lobby before the performance, during intermission and after the performance. The history of The Vocal Majority® is still being written. There will be other competitions (July 2006 in Indianapolis, IN) and, hopefully, many more Gold Medals. The Vocal Majority’s performers continue to delight audiences with their magnificent harmonies. Perhaps their 1996 release says it best: THE MUSIC NEVER ENDS. |
Flash Player 8 Required
The Vocal Majority
|
|
|
The Vocal Majority Newsletter |
|
The Vocal Majority Discography (1title)
|
