CULTURE

In perfect harmony

By Evgenia Ivanova

Staff Writer

If you saw the recent Hollywood hit “The Break-Up,” you’ll remember that the brother of Jennifer Aniston’s heroine was an aficionado of acappella music.

“Words fail me in describing the magic of singing voices joining in complete harmony — this is something unreal!” he exclaims.

Well-liked in America, this musical genre — known as barbershop — is beginning to gain in popularity in Russia.

Starting Saturday, there is a chance to learn more about unaccompanied singing at St. Petersburg’s Seventh International Festival of Barbershop Harmony.

“A wonderful variety of sounds from Russian folk songs, American pop songs from the ’60s, Russian liturgical music, American songs from Broadway and Hollywood with a common denominator of four-part harmonies for men,” Carrol Peterson, one of the festival’s participants, said, describing the barbershop music performed at the festival last year.

The wide-ranging eclectisism of sounds to be found perhaps explains the range of venues hosting the festival.

The event runs through Wednesday with the St. Petersburg Cappella hosting the opening (Saturday, 7 p.m.) and the Pink Pavilion in Pavlovsk staging a gala (Sunday, 2 p.m.).

Other performances will also take place at the Cappella (The Open Stage, Sunday, 5 p.m.), the Conservatory (Glazunov Hall, Aug. Monday, 7 p.m.) and the Peter and Paul Cathedral (Tuesday, 7 p.m.). St. Petersburg’s Music Hall will be home for the finale on Wednesay, at 7 p.m.

According to the U.S.-based Barbershop Harmony Society, one of the festival’s organizers, barbershop, like jazz, is a uniquely American art form with its roots in African-American musics, European hymn-singing culture and the American tradition of recreational music, which, some argue, began life in the country’s barbershops.

With melodies in the vocal and skill range of average singers and lyrics emphasizing simple, heartfelt emotions of love and friendship, the barbershop musical tradition has many followers, including professional musicians as well as amateurs.

“Singing barbershop harmony is about creating a unique sound without the need for instrumentation. If it is performed properly, the barbershop chord ‘rings’ with an overtone that generates excitement,” Julie Siepler of the Barbershop Harmony Society said.

“It is fun to sing, and offers a means for people to continue singing throughout their lifetimes. The unique sound and presentation of barbershop harmony inspires those who sing it to share it with others,” Siepler added, explaining why the tradition has not only survived from its hayday a century ago, but has also attracted many new fans around the world.

Barbershop Harmony, the only barbershop festival in Russia, is a good example of a creative exchange.

The event is largely a Russian-American gathering. It features celebrated U.S. choirs and quartets, including the Celebration Chorus (Nevada–Florida), The Virginians (Virginia),Vocal Spectrum (Missouri) and Moonlight (Virginia).

Russia will be represented by eight ensembles including The Magnitka Nightingales Quintet (Magnitogorsk), described by the organizers as dedicated fans of the style.

Only men participated in the festival in its earlier incarnations but now womens’ groups are invited to perform.

To sample female singing, look out for Wildfire (a quartet from Nevada), the St. Petersburg-based Anima and Phoenix, the Lady Mix quartet from Perm or the newest addition to the festival, “Sweet Singers,” a 30-member amateur choir, made up of girls who attended masterclasses at last year’s festival.

A series of masterclasses, taking place in the St. Petersburg Conservatory from Monday to Wednesday is being held this year.

For information: Tel: 314 4495.

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