2023 Fall Convention!

September 21-23, Ogden, Utah

Our first Fall Convention on the Wasatch Front in several years!
Fun for ALL singers: Harmony Platoon, Tag Singing, Polecat Room, Massed Sing– and Quartet and Chorus contests!

Dates: Thursday, September 21 through Saturday, September 23, 2023

Location: Ogden/Eccles Conference Center, Ogden, Utah

Fun: The fall convention is so much more than a contest. Read below for information about the Massed Sing, Harmony Platoon, Tag Spot, and Polecat Room. Come see your friends and make new ones! We can’t wait to see you again!

Click here for the detailed schedule with rooms/locations

Rooms!

Update! As of August 10, the Hampton Inn is very nearly sold out. If you have problems reserving a room there, please use this link to reserve a room at the Hilton Garden Inn

Hampton Inn – Convention HQ:

  • Book now to reserve your on-site hotel room– free hot breakfast, free parking, free wifi!
  • The not-your-average Hampton Inn & Suites is directly connected to the Ogden/Eccles Convention Center, so just steps from all of the convention happenings!
  • Rooms are, of course, limited, so reserve early to guarantee your spot.

You can book three ways:

  1. Use this Booking Link
  2. Call the hotel’s central reservations Number: (800) 560-7753
  3. Call the hotel directly: (801) 394-9400

Please note: If you book by phone, mention the event name: “Barbershop Harmony – Fall Contest” to get the event rate.

–> Last date to book at this rate is August 22, 2023, so make your reservations now <–

 

Hilton Garden Inn – Alternate Hotel

We now have additional rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn, 2201 S. Washington Blvd, Ogden (two blocks down Washington Blvd from the Hampton Inn). This room block, at the same price ($139/night), will be available through August 31. Please use this link to reserve rooms!

Registration!

Convention registration is live! Please use this link to register via Eventbrite.

  • Super Early Bird registration ($89) ends 8/24
  • Early Bird registration ($99) is effective from 8/24 to 9/14
  • Regular registration ($119) will be effective after 9/14

For friends and family, single session tickets will be available at the door at the following prices:

  • Quartet Semifinals $30
  • Chorus Finals $25
  • Quartet Finals and Show of Champions $35 (includes Afterglow)

Please note: As always, all contestants must purchase a full registration. Competing quartets must also enter the contest through the BHS Member Center, under “Manage my Singing Communities”.

Convention Activities

The most fun that can be crammed into four days!

– Golf Scramble – Thursday 9/21 late morning – tickets available on Eventbrite

Put together your own quartet or get assigned to one. Golfers of all skill levels welcome. Play each shot from the location of the best of your team’s previous shots. Sing some polecats. Prizes for the winning team.

– North Front Sound: Buckled & Swashed, featuring Newfangled Four – Thursday 9/21 7:30 PM – buy tickets here

Buckled and Swashed

The Golden Spike chapter will present a highly energetic and entertaining show on the stage of Peery’s Egyptian Theater at the convention center, headlined by international sensation, Newfangled Four!

– Polecat Scavenger Hunt – All weekend

Pick up a scorecard at the registration desk, then sing as many polecats on as many voice parts with as many different people as possible to fill up your card before the quartet finals begins on Saturday night. Fantastical prizes for those who score highest.

– Polecat Room – Multiple times Friday & Saturday

Stop by to learn, practice, or find people to sing with for the Polecat Scavenger Hunt.

– Community Service Singout – Friday afternoon

Do some good and spread the love. All are invited to come sing for the residents of the Legacy House of Ogden, a short drive from the convention site. We’ll sing polecats and standards like Irish Blessing and Keep the Whole World Singing. Any quartets who come may also sing a song or two

– Rocky Mountain Harmony College Classes – Friday afternoon

A variety of topics taught by some of the best and brightest in the society. Class offerings to include a master class with Newfangled Four, Director’s Roundtable, and Chapter Leadership Roundtable, with more offerings to be announced!


– Harmony Platoon – Friday & Saturday afternoons

Sign up in advance to get sheet music and learning tracks for five songs. Champs invited to sing Saturday night after the quartet finals (more details below)

– Everyperson Chorus – Friday afternoon, Saturday morning

Come rehearse “Sweet and Lovely” and “From the First Hello” with esteemed director and district president, Tony Sparks, then perform as the mic tester chorus to open the chorus contest Saturday morning. Sheet music will be posted here shortly.

– Quartet Semifinals – Friday evening

Hear some of the best barbershoppers in the district compete for the district quartet championship and to qualify to sing at International

– Chorus Contest – Saturday morning

RMD choruses compete for plateau championships, bragging rights, and International qualification

– Ice Cream Social & Tag Sing – Saturday before Quartet Finals

Join us outside for some world-famous Farr’s Ice Cream and sing a few together

– Quartet Finals & Show of Champions – Saturday evening

Round two with the top quartets from the Friday night semifinals, Mischief swan song, chorus champs

– Afterglow – Saturday night

Great food, cash bar, featuring a show set from Newfangled 4, and anyone can sign up to sing

– Game & Tag Room – Saturday night

Board games, card games, snacks, and tag singing

– Sacred Sing – Sunday morning

Before you hit the road, come sing some Sunday songs. Any chorus or quartet is welcome, and we’ll also sing a few all together

Contests

There will be an open quartet contest as well as an open chorus contest– no qualification required for either, and no gender restrictions for quartets or choruses. All members of competing ensembles do need to be members of the Barbershop Harmony Society.

The quartet contest first round will be late Friday afternoon into the evening (exact times depend on how many entries are received by the cutoff date). The quartet contest finals will be the top 10 quartets plus a mic-tester (11th place), and will be held Saturday evening. Evaluations and feedback for the quartets not qualifying for the finals will be Friday night; evals for the finalist will be Saturday night.

The chorus contest will be held Saturday morning, with evaluations/feedback after lunch.

Contest Grids/Patterns:

Facebook Livestream!

Each contest session will be streamed live on Facebook. Visit https://www.facebook.com/RMDSING.org for the details!

Harmony Platoon

Learn five songs in advance and be randomly assigned into quartets with other passionate barbershoppers for a competition. An extra fee applies in order to cover the cost of the music and learning tracks, which will be supplied after registration. If you previously paid to participate in Harmony Platoon in 2023 at RMHC, watch for an email with a code to register again for free. Here are the great arrangements that will be included:

  • A Little Street Where Old Friends Meet (Sam Breedon)
  • Who Told You (Lou Perry)
  • Bye Bye Love (Tom Gentry)
  • So Much In Love (David Harrington)
  • If I Had My Way (David Harrington)

Contact Bear Schacht at schacht.bear@gmail.com with any questions about Harmony Platoon.

We hope you’ll come join us in Utah in September. We can’t wait to see you again!