16th Annual Buckeye Invitational

Buckeye XVI

August 19-22, 2004

An International A Cappella Extravaganza Held in Columbus, Ohio

From information provided by Donna Knapp and from the Singing Buckeye web site:

You may ask, why is your editor induding an article on an event that is over? Simply because I feel it. is worthy of note and perhaps some of you may decide to attend the 17th "Buckeye." By way of introduction, let me start with a brief history lifted from the Singing Buckeye web site.

"In 1985, on the way home from yet another 2nd place finish in the JAD District Contest, Polly Renner, wife of Mike Renner, tried to console him. She remarked that it was a shame that a group as great as the Singing Buckeyes never got to go to an "International" type contest. This set Mike to thinking (a frightening scenario). What if there were such an event that those bridesmaids groups could go to? Would it be feasible to invite quartets and choruses to Columbus to display their talents in a show package format? Could it be self-sustaining? If we built it, would they come??

Today, the answers are very evident. The Buckeye Invitational has become the largest barbershop event outside of the Intemational Contests and the largest on-going project, operated by a single chapter, in the history of barbershopping.

Over this period of time, many innovations and refinements have been made to the event including: The first national contest with an entertainment package format for all competitors. The first National Comedy Quartet Contest, the first head to head competition of LABBS, BABS, SNOBS, DABS and BinG choruses and quartets with their US counterparts. The first competition of opposite gender singers, against each other. A National Mixed Quartet Contest and a National Small Chorus Contest for SPEBSQSA choruses are two other recent innovations that have been enthusiastically received and have become mainstays in the BI schedule.

As you can see, the Buckeye is unique. The Buckeye is innovative. The Buckeye is fun. If you can only make one barbershop "excursion" this year, come to the Buckeye. You will be glad you did.

The 16th Buckeye included three shows in addition to the contest competition. Championship quartets included; Power Play, The Gas House Gang, Max Q, Bluegrass Student Union and Brava (SAl). Choruses included The Pride of Baltimore (SAl) and, of course, The Singing Buckeyes. A special treat, not to be missed, were the Harmony Camp Choruses, the product of a 4-day High School Harmony Camp (see the separate column on Harmony Camp by Jay Garber.)

The quartet, comedy quartet and chorus competition included female (SAl and Harmony, Inc.) and male (BHS). They came from as far as California and Alaska, plus a female quartet from Germany and a male quartet from Russia. So, men and women competed against each other.

The only time men and women competed together was in the Mixed Quartet Contest. Here is where we get to a "hometown" Greater Pittsburgh connection. Competing in the Mixed Quartet Contest was Generation Gap which consists of Donna Knapp (wife of Gordon Knapp), Jennifer Fogle (daughter of former member Cy Fox), and Jennifer's son's Chip Fogle and Brad Fogle. Some of you may recall that Chip sang with the Three Rivers Chorus when he was about 11 & 12 years old.

In the "mixed" contest, Generation Gap had to do a 12 minute package and all the songs did not have to be barbershop. They elected to sing 5 songs of which two were in the barbershop style. To try to gain entertainment points, Jennifer had son Brad do some of his juggling and magic act during the singing of Razzle Dazzle.

Please see Donna's separate column, "Generation Gap Places Fifth at Buckeye."

An interesting note about the competition judging is they have a judging panel from BHS, SAl and Harmony, Inc. However, the entertainment scores in all contests are given by the audience. If you want to be an audience judge, you just volunteer.

So, looking for a fun weekend? Maybe you should plan on going to the 17th Buckeye in 2005.