The Vocal Majority Chorus
The Vocal Majority® Chorus (VM) is a Dallas, Texas-based men's chorus of over 150 singers, billed as "America's Premier Pops Chorus." The VM is part of the Dallas Metro chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. The Vocal Majorty holds the distinction of most chorus championships; under the direction of Jim Clancy, they won eleven International Chorus Championships, and under the direction of Greg Clancy they have won two more, 2014 and 2018.
Several members of the Vocal Majority have also won the International Quartet Championship with the quartets Max Q, Acoustix, Side Street Ramblers, Dealer's Choice, Rural Route 4, and The Rapscallions.
History
Pull together a group of 100+ men volunteering from all walks of life with varying degrees of musical talent and experience, ask them to sing, and the listener may hear something that resembles beautiful music. But call that group The Vocal Majority® Chorus and stand Jim Clancy before them in the role of director, and one is in store for an extraordinary musical experience from a group that has touched literally tens of thousands of listeners around the world. The Vocal Majority® Chorus’ diverse repertoire encompasses music from barbershop favorites, classics to jazz, patriotic to sacred, rounded out with standards and Broadway pops.
Officially, The Vocal Majority® Chorus is the Dallas Metropolitan Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. Not one of the 12 men who gathered on that first cold night of December 2, 1971, could have imagined the success of the VM. They wanted to form a chapter that would become the finest singing ensemble in the world. So, under the guidance of founder, first president, and marketing director Bob Arnold, the Chorus was born, and Ray Anthony consented to be the first director in April of 1972.
Vocal Majority® has performed in England, Scotland, and Canada. In its 30-year history, the VM has sung for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.
Contest Placement
International
Thirteen gold medals, a Society record. Ineligible for the two years following each gold medal.
| 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd | 1st | 2nd | 1st | ||||||
| 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 |
| 1st | 1st | 1st | |||||||
| 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 |
| 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | ||||||
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| 1st | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | ||||||
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| 1st | 2nd | 1st | |||||||
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |||||||
District (SWD)
- District Champions: 1973, 74, 77, 78, 81, 84, 87, 90, 93, 96, 99, 2002, 05, 08, 09
Recordings
The Vocal Majority has released over twenty recordings, including:
- Standing Room Only - 1976[1]
- Champs Back To Back (split album with Thoroughbreds - 1976[2]
- With a Song in Our Hearts - 1979[3]
- Here's to the Winners - 1980[4]
- From Texas With Love - 1981[5]
- Voice In Harmony (album with The Mormon Tabernacle Choir)[6]
- A Decade of Gold - 1983
- All The Best - 1983
- The Secret of Christmas - 1985[7]
- For God, Country and You - 1988
- I'll Be Seeing You - 1990
- Alleluia - 1992
- The Music Never Ends - 1996
- How Sweet the Sound - 1997
- The Vocal Majority with Strings - 1998
External Links
- Official Website
- Barbershop Music Database: contest history
- Wikipedia article
References
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Vocal-Majority-The-Standing-Room-Only/master/801073
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Louisville-Thoroughbreds-Dallas-Vocal-Majority-Champs-Back-To-Back/release/6728325
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Vocal-Majority-With-A-Song-In-Our-Hearts/release/6527848
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Vocal-Majority-Heres-To-The-Winners/release/6527806
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Vocal-Majority-The-From-Texas-With-Love/release/6001432
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Mormon-Tabernacle-Choir-The-And-Vocal-Majority-The-Voices-In-Harmony/release/6736890
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Vocal-Majority-The-The-Secret-Of-Christmas/master/801071