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Palm Harbor Main Devotes Life To Barbershop Singing

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By Cheryl  Bentley | The Suncoast News

Published: May 17, 2008

At 82, Jack Rickert's life is full of music. And he would it have no other way.

He has been singing in barbershop harmony groups for 55 years.

"It's kind of a way of life," he said.

Rickert is director of the Palm Harbor Crystal-Aires, a 22-member male barbershop harmony group that performs at area venues. It meets weekly so that members can both practice and share their love of barbershop harmony.

The group keeps Rickert on his musical toes. He records his own voice singing first tenor, baritone, bass and second tenor, or lead, the voice that traditionally carries the melody in the barbershop style. He does this for every new song to help members learn them.

Rickert also designs musical arrangements and directs the group at its weekly practice sessions.

Many members have sung barbershop style for decades. Rickert, for instance, has been performing it for 55 years.

Barbershop harmony is four-part a cappella singing. The parts are made up of the lead, who sings the melody, tenor, baritone and bass.

The nonprofit Palm Harbor group is one of the 800 chapters of the 30,000-member Barbershop Harmony Society. The Nashville-based society was established in the 1930s to preserve the vocal form.

"It's a true American art form," said Wes Branch, president of the Palm Harbor chapter.

According to the society, the singing's close harmony derives from European hymn singing and African-American and American styles of music. African-American quartets in the 1870s first began singing barbershop style.

The four-part harmony spread to barbershops. According to the society, James Weldon Johnson, the Jacksonville-born early 20th century African-American author and songwriter wrote, "Every barbershop seemed to have its own quartet."

At 50, Larry Larsen is the baby of the Palm Harbor group. Larsen has been singing with the Crystal-Aires since 1991.

The men are trying to attract younger fans to ensure the music continues and are always looking for new members. The only requirement, said Branch, is to have a good ear. Reading music is not necessary.

For more information call 727-784-8052.

Cheryl Bentley can be reached at 727-815-1069 cbentley@suncoastnews.com.

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