Louisville Times

The Louisville Times were a barbershop chorus in the Louisville Metro area, founded in 1992. The chapter folded in 2005.

History

David Harrington, lead of the 1989 International Champions Second Edition, founded the Louisville Times as a breakoff from the 7-time International Champion Thoroughbreds. It was not until Mark Hale began directing that the chorus made it to International. They competed internationally for the first time in 1995, placing 8th. In both 1997 and 1998, the Times placed 6th, just missing out on a medal. The next year, they placed 8th again. Hale moved to California shortly after, and the chorus went on hiatus. In 2003, the chorus saw a resurgence under the direction of Aaron Dale. They went on to place 3rd in the Cardinal District in 2004, but folded not long after. Later, Dale would go on to direct the Kentucky Vocal Union.

Style

The Louisville Times were a small chorus compared to the other top choruses in the Barbershop Harmony Society, but they had a young and relaxed sound that revolutionized the Barbershop style. They were an audience favorite of their time, and they had a level of success that no other small chorus had had.

Legacy

While the Louisville Times were in their prime, so too was a quartet from within the chapter, Michigan Jake, who, like the Times, sang modern arrangements and had a high and light sound. The quartet went on to win the 2001 Quartet Championship and is considered to be one of the greatest quartets of its era.

The Times also had an impact on choruses that would go after it. They proved that a small chorus could be successful, and another chorus who went after them, the Northern Lights, would go on to be perennial medalists, never exceeding sixty men on stage. The Times' youthful sound also influenced the Westminster Chorus, a chorus of all young men who won the International Championship in 2007 and 2010. Since then, more small and young choruses have come onto the scene and had success, such as the Northwest Vocal Project, zero8, and the Aaron Dale-directed Kentucky Vocal Union.

External Links

• Barbershop Music Database - contest history