Who
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The second annual rally of the Mixed Harmony Brigade of New England is planned to be held from 17-19 March 2023, at a location near Boston.
WHO
This is a mixed event for experienced quartet singers of any gender. When you submit your application, we will try to check that your quartet singing experience is sufficient to enable you to participate fully and successfully. Once you are accepted, you will be responsible to learn the set of twelve arrangements thoroughly and fully to performance standard before the start of the event.
WHERE
Watch this space for the location of the Rally.
WHEN
The event opens officially on Friday at 3 p.m. March 17, 2023 and ends after breakfast on Sunday March 19th. A number of people will arrive on Thursday, and there will be opportunities to sing with each other informally on Thursday evening and Friday during the day.
WHAT
The standard Harmony Brigade package (price: see Apply page) includes accommodation in a shared room for two nights, breakfast and dinner, a music pack including high-quality learning tracks, and use of the designated singing spaces in the hotel's conference centre.
The main event is random quartet singing. You'll receive a name tag and colored lanyard that indicate voice part, allowing you easily to find three others and start singing. Mix 'n Match until the wee hours! You will receive a "dance card" so you can mark off who you have sung with. After dinner on Friday, a random draw will determine quartet members and a song they'll have to sing in the quartet competition; the quartets each choose a name and go away for a short rehearsal period, then perform in front of a judging panel (as well as the other brigaders). The top-ranked quartets will go on to compete in a final round on Saturday (with a new random song), and a champion will be named. After glory for four and disappointment for the rest, we get on with the fun stuff: more singing.
For those available on Friday morning, there may be an opportunity to go out in the community and perform at several of venues that have agreed to welcome a quartet (schools and care facilities usually feature in this activity).
On Saturday, more random quartet singing, a Brigade meeting, and the formation of the group into a chorus to run through the repertoire songs. Quartet competition finals take place. In the evening, a Brigade show is open to the public at which the winning quartet(s) will perform as well as the Brigade chorus, invited musical acts, and possibly auditioned acts from within the rally participants.
This year for the second time, we are joined by quartet-in-residence Double Date, world champion mixed quartet in 2014 and 2016, who will not only be the headline act on our Saturday show, but will act as the judging panel for our quartet competition. And most importantly, you may get to sing with them!
After the show, it's singing until dawn, probably interrupted for some pizza. Sunday breakfast may drag on; some need to leave early, others may not have been to bed yet. There may be awards for people who have managed to sing with the most people.
