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The Berkshire Hillsmen celebrate golden anniversary
By Dan Burkhard
Founded in 1957, The Berkshire Hillsmen is a barbershop chorus based in Pittsfield whose members come from all over the Berkshires and from Columbia County, New York. Celebrating its golden anniversary, the Hillsmen is one of 800 local chapters organized under the umbrella of the national Barbershop Harmony Society.
The art of singing barbershop music originated with quartets singing four distinct parts, tenor, lead, baritone, and bass. The Hillsmen have enjoyed the presence of many quartets in its midst over the past 50 years. Currently, Page Four, Summer Edition, and the Chord Sharks are active in the Hillsmen organization. These groups are featured at many of the Hillsmen’s performances. The Hillsmen has always enjoyed great success as a barbershop chorus, winning many awards at division and district contests. Most recently, they captured the small chorus trophy at the Mountain Division held in April in Schenectady, NY.
A favorite event is the Berkshire Hillsmen Barbershop Annual Harmony Show, which this year for the golden anniversary will be held at Pittsfield’s Colonial Theater on Sunday, September 16 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $7.50 to $20 and are available at the theater box office, 111 South Street, Pittsfield; by phone, 997-4444, or through the website http://www.thecolonialtheatre.org. We hope to see you at this celebration of a truly American art form.
New singers are always welcome, and rehearsals are every Monday evening at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Pittsfield. For more information, contact the Berkshire Hillsmen Marketing Director John Rusk at 442-7293 or jjrusk@aol.com.
Dan Burkhard is president of the Berkshire Hillsmen.