Barbershop conductor, chorus join Cornell choirs for concert

Cornell College’s choirs will soon host their third major musical artist-in-residence this academic year, culminating in a joint concert April 27 with The Ambassadors of Harmony, a five-time international champion men’s barbershop chorus from St. Charles, Missouri. 

The 90-minute barbershop concert will showcase Cornell’s choirs, followed by The Ambassadors of Harmony, and close with all the singers joining for a barbershop rendition of “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

Jim Henry, who has traveled the world as a conductor, coach, and lecturer, will rehearse the Concert and Chamber choirs before 75–100 members of his chorus arrive for the public concert. The Saturday, April 27, performance is at 6:30 p.m. at Anamosa High School Ellen Kennedy Performing Arts Center. Admission is free but tickets are required and may be ordered online (limit of four).

In addition to co-directing The Ambassadors, Henry is director of choral activities at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He is a two-time Barbershop Harmony Society International quartet champion bass, and a four-time international chorus champion director. 

Henry will be on campus for three days prior to the concert to prepare Cornell’s choirs to sing barbershop, a style of a cappella vocal music where singers join in close four-part harmony. He is an expert on choral intonation.

“While we consider intonation a strength of ours, we want to continue to improve our intonation in any way. Dr. Henry will show us a new approach to fine-tuning our intonation through the singing of barbershop music,” said Cornell Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities Christopher Nakielski. “The barbershop timbre/tone color is very bright, and oftentimes void of vibrato, and lends itself to good intonation and clarity.” 

The Cornell choirs will sing traditional barbershop pieces such as “Sitting On Top of the World” and “Yes Indeed.” They will also perform popular songs such as Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and The Beatles’ “And I Love Her” in barbershop style. 

The concert will be livestreamed.