BHS Intl Chorus Contest 1953

From Barbershop Wiki Project
Jump to navigation Jump to search

BHS Intl Chorus Contest 1953

  • Detroit, Michigan
  • date, 1953


1953 Dec Harmonizer- Chorus Contest At Washington page 9

Why The 1953 International Chorus Contest was not the 'first'.

"Chorus Contest At Washington- Last June at Detroit the winning chorus (Great Lakes Chorus of Grand Rapids, Mich. Chapter) was crowned Convention Chorus Champion. This title was decided upon because not all the Society's Districts were represented and not all the competing choruses had won the honor of competing by first winning a contest in their own District. This year at Washington, D.C. will be different. Each District has the privilege of entering two choruses, BUT they must be chosen by an intra-District Contest. In that way, the twenty-eight choruses competing at Washington, D.C. will be as nearly as possible the best the entire Society has to offer. Then, it will be justifiable to crown the winning chorus-SPEBSQSA International Chorus Champions."


1953 March Harmonizer- Update Of Upcoming First International Convention Chorus Contest, page 7

There's been some debate as to 'when' the decision was made to distinguish the 1953 International winning Chorus (Grand Rapids Great Lakes Chorus) from all those to follow. Here is a quote from the rules 'before' the contest was held and is even quoted in an earlier Dec 1952 issue.

"Title- The title bestowed on the winning Chorus will be 1953 International 'Convention' Championship Chorus, not International Champion Chorus"

The reasons are stated in the 1953 Dec Harmonizer but some are also hinted here in this March issue that it was an 'invitational' with choruses chosen by their District President and not necessarily by District contest.

"Eligibility-Not more than two Choruses from each District will be eligible to compete. These may, or may not, include the current District Champions, according to the decision of the District President."


Because of these distinction the 1953 International Chorus Contest was considered a onetime separate competition of those since 1954. For this reason the winning Chorus had the annotation "Convention" added to their title International 'Convention' Championship Chorus by the SPEBSQSA (now the Barbershop Harmony Society) to distinguish that contest from future ones. Therefore in 1953 the Grand Rapids Michigan Chapter Great Lakes Chorus was recognized as the first 'and only' winner of the International 'Convention' Chorus Championship while in 1954 the Washington DC Singing Capital Chorus was recognized as the first winner of the still running International Chorus Championship, and titled International Champion Chorus. Because of these subtleties the 1953 victory's place in history has been confusing. They're considered winners of 'a' BHS International Chorus Championship Contest but not 'the' BHS International Chorus Championship Contest. Although their name is engraved on both the original and replacement Chorus Championship Trophies used in the 'the' International Chorus Championship Contests since 1954, they did not receive their Gold Medal pins and the BHS Barbershop Harmony Society's history officially recognizes the following year's 1954 International Champion Chorus as the first. One update, in 2010 on behalf of the BHS the surviving members of the 1953 Great Lakes Chorus were presented with their Gold Medal pins, 57 years later, and also made available posthumously to the rest of the 1953 members' families.


Medalists

Place Chorus District Score Singers
1 Great Lakes Chorus MICH 2340 = 86.7
2 "Q" Suburban Chorus ILL 2247 = 83.2
3 East York Barbershoppers ONT 2246 = 83.2
4 Cascade Chorus EVG 2238 = 82.8
5 Spencer Chorus CSD 2125 = 78.7


Finalists/Competitors

Place Chorus District Score Singers
6 Canton Chorus JAD 2198 = 81.4
7 London Chorus ONT 2177 = 80.6
8 Terre Haute Chorus IND-KY 2144 = 79.4
9 Precisionaires MICH 2129 = 78.9
10 Wichitones CSD 2126 = 78.7
11 Middletown Chorus JAD 2115 = 78.3
12 Muncie Chorus IND-KY 2144 = 79.4
13 Sheboygan Chorus LOL 2102 = 77.9
14 Gowanda Chorus SLD 1949 = 72.2
15 Alexandria Harmonizers MAD 1858 = 68.8
16 Franklin Oil City Chorus SLD 1791 = 66.3


See Also


External Links


Barbershop Harmony Society - International Chorus Competition
1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972
1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022