St. Charles' Ambassadors Have Top Voices
Jason Lee
Of the Suburban Journals
updated: 07/10/2004 02:01 PM


Members of The Ambassadors of Harmony perform at the Barbershop Harmony Society's 2004 International Championship on July 3 in Louisville, Ky. (Suburban Journals)

St. Charles' own The Ambassadors of Harmony, a chorus group consisting of about 160 men, brought home the first place trophy and gold medal from the Barbershop Harmony Society's 2004 International Championship, which took place July 3 in Louisville, Ky.

The competition involved 22 chorus groups from around the world, each performing a barbershop-style chorus with no music, otherwise known as a cappella.

The Ambassadors were formed in 1963 by 26 men in St. Charles and in 1964 became affiliated with the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America Inc. (SPEBSQSA Inc).

David Wright, associate director of the group, said the first place prize was a longtime coming for The Ambassadors. Wright served as director of the group from 1981 to 1990 before handing the position to James Henry, the current director. Henry is also the choral director at Lindenwood University.

"I spent a decade where we weren't even good enough to go to the championship," Wright said.

In order to qualify for the International Championship, each chorus must first win their district championship. In fall 2003, The Ambassadors qualified by winning the annual Central State District Chorus Championship for the 11th consecutive year. This was the first year they won first prize in the International Championship.

Wright said the group has dedicated itself to excellence over the years as more members have joined the group. Each week the group practices at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays at Memorial Hall in Blanchette Park. He said the group was practicing two times each week during the month leading up to the championship.

"With 160 members, the music direction is a very slow process," he said. "It's hard to organize, but it allows for a bigger sound."

The Ambassadors were the sixth group to perform in the championship, so the members were forced to wait five hours before the awards were announced.

Wright said the group "felt good" about their chances for victory after their performance.

"Everything just fell into place," he said. "There was two other groups that we thought might have a chance of winning, but everybody said we were way better than them."

When the awards were announced for third and second place, The Ambassadors knew they had won.

"It was pandemonium," he said. "We were all sitting in the nosebleed section and it just erupted."

Hal Maples, a member of the chorus since 2001, said he had imagined what it would be like to win more than 1,000 times.

"When they started announcing the awards, I'm starting to clench my fists," Maples said. "When they announced that we had won, it was 10 times better."

Now that The Ambassadors are champions, the rules state that they must take two years off from competing in the International Championship, he said. The group will still perform at next year's championship in Salt Lake City, but won't be allowed to compete.

"It will be good for us to lay out for two years," Wright said. "That way we can continue to focus on enhancing the organization."