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Page 1 of 2 Nashville, Tenn. (June 11, 2008) --- If reality shows were based on four-part harmony, these guys would be the champs.
A new music documentary, American Harmony, will debut July 2 at 9 a.m. at the Sommet Center, during the Barbershop Harmony Society’s 70th Annual International Convention and vocal competitions. The screening is free and open to the public.
The film, which is a tribute to the human musical spirit, is more than three years in the making and was edited by Kate Amend, the editor of two Oscar-winning documentaries.
The movie is an in-depth look at the amazingly rich subculture of a true American art form. The camera follows the lives of some of the biggest names to emerge from international competition in the Society’s history, as well as interviews with rank-and-file members, called “Joe Barbershoppers.” The film features four prominent Society quartets – Reveille, OC Times, Max Q, and Vocal Spectrum – over a span of years, on stage and at home, in their personal quests for international recognition as they experience the thrill of victory, and the agony of not realizing a goal. American Harmony received an enthusiastic reception from film distributors and other non-Society audiences.
“The film is a mixture of obsession, singing, zany comedy and nail-biting competition,” says director Aengus James. “This is the story of several dreamers who journey from their ‘ordinary’ lives to the world stage in the hopes of winning the gold.
“Push aside your straw hats and striped vests, because this is not your grandparents’ barbershop quartet!”
Filmed during the Society’s last three international conventions, the candid footage and other elements combine to tell a compelling and entertaining story. A portion of the budget was subsidized by the Society and the Harmony Foundation, both 501 (c) (3) nonprofits.
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