I believe that with some exposure to our heritage and folklore we might be able understand what (in our past) has brought us to the point we are today.

We have all studied to some degree our American History. But I hope in some way to incorporate the American art forms into this web site.

Having been a barbershop singer myself, I am hoping to have S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A. (Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America), Harmony Inc., and the Sweet Adelines to join me in this endeavor.

Sit back now and enjoy the sounds of the Alexandria Harmonizers of Alexandria Va. (our 1986, 1989, 1995, and 1998 International Chorus Champions) as they perform "Danny Boy".

The following is a segment of SPEBSQSA'S history I copied from a text compiled by David Stevens, for those who may be interested in the birth of SPEBSQSA.

"Birth of SPEBSQSA: The dream of O.C. Cash and Rupert Hall."

While travelling to Kansas City on business, Tulsa tax attorney O. C. Cash happened to meet fellow Tulsan Rupert Hall in the lobby of the Muehlebach Hotel. The men fell to talking and discovered they shared a mutual love of vocal harmony. Together they bemoaned the decline of that all-American institution, the barbershop quartet, and decided to stem that decline.

Signing their names as "Rupert Hall, Royal Keeper of the Minor Keys, and O. C. Cash, Third Temporary Assistant Vice Chairman," of the "Society for the Preservation and Propagation of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in the United States" [sic], the two invited their to songfest on the roof garden of the Tulsa Club, on April 11, 1938.

Twenty-six men attended that first meeting, and returned the following week with more friends. About 150 men attended the third meeting, and the grand sounds of harmony they raised on the rooftop created quite a stir. A traffic jam formed outside the hotel.

While police tried to straighten out the problem, a reporter of the local newspaper heard the singing, sensed a great story, and joined the meeting.

O. C. Cash bluffed his way through the interview, saying his organization was national in scope, with branches in St. Louis, Kansas City and elsewhere. He simply neglected to mention was that these "branches" were just a few scattered friends who enjoyed harmonizing, but knew nothing of Cash's new club.

Cash's flair for publicity, combined with the unusual name (the ridiculous initials poked fun at the alphabet soup of New Deal programs), made an irresistable story for the news wire services, which spread it coast-to-coast. Cash's "branches" started receiving puzzling calls from men interested in joining the barbershop society. Soon, groups were meeting throughout North America to sing barbershop harmony".