The River City Chorus is a member chorus of The Barbershop Harmony Society, a society that has been in existence since April 11, 1938. The River City Chorus was founded on March 18, 1952 and is currently made up of over 70 members of all ages.
Purpose: The River City Chorus exists to advance the skills of the individual singer, to provide fellowship and entertainment to men of all ages, and to promote the pastime of singing in our community and world. We strive to be more than “just a bunch of guys who sing” by providing the individual singer with direction and instruction through our chorus rehearsals and opportunities for small group participation and audience performance. We know the only way to make our chorus better is to make the individual better, and that is our goal. Our directors are skilled individuals who care a lot about quality and showmanship and strive to constantly make the chorus better.
Rehearsals: The chorus rehearses every Monday night at the Music Man Square in Mason City, IA from 7:30 to 10pm. We do warm-ups, singing technique exercises, and work on current repertoire, usually in preparation for a show or contest. We also have craft sessions to teach about the barbershop style and singing techniques. We hold a business meeting during each rehearsal to discuss chapter business and a break time for members and guests to socialize, have some snacks, and catch up. We encourage hanging around after rehearsal to help clean up and sing a few tags or songs with fellow men.
Performances: The annual Spring Show is held at the NIACC Auditorium and features the chorus, its quartets, and a special guest champion-level quartet. Two Saturday shows and a casual Afterglow show make for a weekend of great fun in the spring. Every 2nd year we participate as an act in the NIACC Christmas Extravaganza which features Christmas carols and other seasonal songs brought to the audience by the RCC, the North Iowa Choral Society, and the NIACC choirs.
Contest: As a member chapter of the Central States District, we participate each fall in the annual Fall Contest. This contest pits choruses and quartets against each other to test their skills in singing and performance. Each chorus is rated in three categories: Singing, Music, and Performance. Winners are declared and they advance to the International competition each year. It is a great weekend of fun and fellowship with other barbershoppers in the Midwest and is a great culmination of hard work and dedication to great singing in the barbershop style.
Singing Valentines: Each February 14th, quartets of men from the River City Chorus canvass the area and surprise people with a Singing Valentine. For a small price, you can order a quartet of tuxedo-clad men, equipped with roses and a box of candy, to arrive at the location of your sweetheart, whether it be at their workplace, home, or office. We will sing just about anywhere! Imagine the surprise that they will get when they are serenaded in the sweet harmony of such classics as, “Heart of My Heart”.
Church Sing-Outs: Each summer we spread our harmony to area churches in the form of Performances. These free performances during church services allow us to give something back to the community as well as celebrate harmony in worship.