Area high school and middle school students can hone their harmonic skills at a free choir workshop in Keizer on Saturday, Nov. 8.
The Oregon Senate-Aires Barbershop Chorus will host the workshop, which will be at Dayspring Fellowship Church, 1755 Lockhaven Drive N.E., from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
At the workshop, instructors will teach students songs and vocal arrangements, culminating in a live performance at 4 p.m.
“We have reached out to all of the Salem schools…and invited them into a youth workshop where they can learn some vocal skills and some history about the Barbershop Harmony Society,” said Bob Cox, president of the SenateAires.
The chorus is the Salem chapter of the society, a national organization dedicated to preserving the barbershop style of singing.
The style is typically performed in a quartet with four specific voice parts of lead, tenor, baritone, and bass.
Students will learn song and vocal tags – harmonies at the end of a quartet – at the workshop. Lunch will be provided for free.
“The performance will highlight classic barbershop style, with song selections honoring America’s veterans for Veterans Day 2025, as well as music to celebrate the approaching Christmas holiday,” Cox said.
Instructors will come from Eugene, Corvallis, and other neighboring cities. The lead instructor will be Will Fox, director of the Oregon SenateAires Chorus.
“He is an 18-time state champion choir director at the high school level,” Cox said.
During the live performance, students will sing alongside a local quartet called Timeless, which placed second at a recent Evergreen District contest. The competition included groups from Washington, Idaho, Montana, and parts of Canada.
The concert will include music of the Senate-Aires, the group Soli Deo Gloria from Westside Christian High School, and other award-winning performers.
The doors for the performance open at 3:30 p.m., and tickets will cost $20 a person. Tickets can be purchased in person or online at www.senateaires.org. Marion-Polk Food Share will have barrels on site for non-perishable food donations.
Two years ago, the same workshop was put on in Salem.“It was very successful. We had about 45 students attend. And this year, we’re looking at 65 to 70,” Cox said.
News tip? Contact reporter Riley Ellis: [email protected]
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL NEWS SERVICE: Get around-the-clock access to news about Keizer with a digital subscription to the Keizertimes. It’s secure, is available at $10 a month, and takes just a moment when you go HERE. Your support for local journalism is vital.
