Robert
J. ElisbergColumnist and screenwriter
Posted: August 27, 2009 11:14 AM
Calling Them Good-Will Ambassadors Isn't
Good Enough
Sometimes you write about something
simply because it's just too gob-smacking wonderful.
This is one of those.
This is one of those, even though
I don't like over-praising things because they can never
live up to one's expectation. Yet even with that admonition,
this is one of those.
It's a video from the 2009 International
Barbershop championship, and these are the winners in
the chorus division, the Ambassadors of Harmony.
Right now, that sound you hear
are people stampeding away from their computers, screaming
in horror. Barbershop singing for many is just one step
above the agony Broadway musicals.
Okay, then, I'm up for a challenge.
I'll now double-down on my bet and ratchet this up a notch:
they are singing a song from a Broadway musical.
And yes, even those people whose
heads are about to explode should watch. Because you will
come away from this amazed by the group's sheer majestic
virtuosity, no matter what you think coming in - and even
going away - of barbershop singing and Broadway musicals.
This is the exception to your rule. Rejoice in the exception.
For anyone who thinks that barbershop
singing is just four guys standing in a line wearing straw
hats and striped jackets, this will turn that perception
on its ear. And then twist it inside-out. And then flip
it in the air with a triple spin. This is the utter joy
of exuberant showmanship.
How good is this? If you turned
the sound off and just watched, you would still not only
likely enjoy it, but might come away thinking, "Oh,
my God." And remember, this is a singing competition.
I suspect that after the performance
every other competitor in their division turned to one
another and said, "Okay, we're fighting for second
place."
And they were. Because what the
Ambassadors of Harmony achieved was something remarkable.
Not only did they win the contest - but they won with
the highest score ever in the competition. But that's
not what was remarkable. You see, they also beat a chorus,
Vocal Majority, which had not lost a contest in 30 years.
Watch the video, and you'll see
why. And see why it's not surprising.
It's possible some of you may
have seen it already, since it was a featured video on
YouTube. That's how good it is. Me, I came across the
video on Mark Evanier's wonderful website, that I've written
about in the past.
A word of advice. Though I suspect
you'll stick with it all the way through, just a heads-up
to be sure to. There's some surprising staging near the
end (I refuse to say more), and the ovation when they
finish and faces on the singers is a joy to see.
(If
your computer is powerful enough, you can click the HD
button on the viewer for a great image. If your system
can't handle it, however, you'll get a herky-jerky image.
Just click the HD off.)
That's
all. Nothing more than that. Just a video to watch. But
sometimes, something is so wonderful that it just deserves
to be seen. Excellence deserves attention, no matter what
the venue, no matter how goofy one's previous perception.
And
the thing is, as much pleasure as viewers might get from
this, what's perhaps most impressive is the deep pleasure
that the performers themselves are clearly getting from
it. And in the end, perhaps that might be the secret to
most excellence. Doing something because you simply love
it. Doing something because if you don't, you feel you
will burst.
And
when we are allowed to witness such joyful excellence,
we ourselves tend to feel uplifted by the effort and therefore
feel a participant in the experience and are better for
it, as well.
And
just for you because you're so nice, here's a bonus of
them in another song. And yes, it's from a Broadway musical,
too. And yes, they have a wonderful time with it, as well.
