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The Barbershop Harmony Society, legally and historically named the '''Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc.''' (SPEBSQSA), was the first of several organizations to promote and preserve Barbershop Music as an art form. Founded by Owen C. Cash in 1938 , the organization quickly grew, promoting barbershop harmony among men of all ages. As of 2004, more than 30,000 men in the United States and Canada are members of this organization whose focus is on '' A Cappella '' music. The international headquarters has been in Kenosha, Wisconsin since 1957 and are to move to Nashville, Tennessee in 2007. A parallel women's singing organization, Sweet Adelines International , was founded in 1945. A second women's barbershop harmony organization, Harmony, Inc. , was formed in 1959. Several international affiliate organizations, in countries around the world, add their own flavor to the signature sound of barbershop harmony. See Barbershop Music for more on these organizations. SPEBSQSA NAME The original intention of the name SPEBSQSA was a lampoon on the New Deal Alphabet Agencies .1 For decades, SPEBSQSA was ''the'' official name, while the ''Barbershop Harmony Society'' was an officially recognized and sanctioned alternative name. There was even encouragement to use the alternate name, because it was often felt that the official name was a sort of in-joke that did not resonate outside the Society. In mid-2004, faced with declining membership, the Society adopted a marketing plan that calls for using "Barbershop Harmony Society" consistently and retaining the old name for certain legal purposes. The old official name of the organization spelled "barber shop" as two words, whereas ''barbershop'' is generally used elsewhere. Unofficially, SPEBSQSA is pronounced /'spEb skw@/ in Kirshenbaum , as if the third ''S'' were a ''U'' (Officially, the Society has said "attempts to pronounce the name are discouraged"). 2 The society's headquarters can be contacted via their website, listed below, or by telephoning +1-800-876-SING. RECENT EVENTS In 2003, in preparation for a new headquarters location, the Society sold both Harmony Hall, a historic lakefront mansion" Remembering historic Harmony Hall ". Barbershop Harmony Society. November 28 2006 . Retrieved on May 19 2007 ., and its nearby facility (known as Harmony Hall West) located in a strip mall which the Society purchased in 1976 and renovated. HHW had housed finance, merchandising, IT and membership. Operations and staff from both buildings were consolidated into a remodeled HHW, leased back from its new owner until a new headquarters location could be found. In late 2004, the Society established Barbershop Harmony Society as its new "brand name," with an accompanying logo and identity program released in 2005. Although the legal name remained SPEBSQSA, Inc., the decision was not without controversy, as many members felt that the new, modern name did not reflect a mission of preservation and encouragement of the style. Many members viewed with concern that the term "quartet" had been dropped, fearing the Society was moving in the direction of choral singing and downplaying quartet singing. In 2006, the Society announced plans to move its headquarters to 2006 . Retrieved on May 19 2007 . In August 2007, the Society effected this relocation, taking up residence at 110 7th Ave N., Nashville, TN. Pix at http://www.barbershop.org/barbershopHQ . Noah Funderburg took office as international president of the Barbershop Harmony Society (SPEBSQSA) in January 2007." List of Society Presidents ". Barbershop Harmony Society. October 14 2006 . Retrieved on May 19 2007 . CONTESTS To promote and improve barbershop singing, the society annually runs international and district level contests for Choruses and Quartets . The 2007 International Contest and Convention was held in Denver from July 4 to 7 with fifty quartets and thirty choruses contending. The Quartet Quarter Finals, Quartet Semi-Finals, Association of International Champions (AIC) Show, Chorus Contest, The Bank of America Collegiate Contest, and the Quartet Finals were all webcast live. Quartet Champions (for a complete list of international champions, see List Of Quartet Champions By Year )
Chorus Champions (for a complete list of international champions, see List Of Chorus Champions By Year )
DISTRICTS OF BHS For purposes of administration (particularly of local schools and contests) the society is organized into geographical districts as illustrated.
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