Barbershopping in Xenia

The start of an international organization of over 35,000 barbershop singers was put together at 6:30 p.m., on April 11, 1938, at the roof garden of the Alvin Hotel, Tulsa, Oklahoma.  From this start in the waning days of the Great Depression, the Society has withstood a World War and several lesser wars, a couple recessions, a bunch of national and international demigods, a global culture of change, and a number of natural disasters.  All of this supports the notion that a good idea will thrive and outlast its detractors.

Owen Clifton Cash, or O.C. as he was known to his friends, and Rupert I. Hall called a meeting resulting in twenty-six men creating the Society for the Preservation and Propagation of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in the United States.  They changed the name, shortly.  Try to pronounce SPPBSQSUS. Five years later, in 1943, in Dayton, Ohio, the charter issued by the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA) established the Dayton Chapter.

We were in the middle of a global conflict being fought on two fronts.  Just about everything you liked or wanted was rationed.  If you had a car that ran, you probably didn't have ration coupons to purchase gasoline. So, you found things to do close to home.  There was car-pooling before there were yuppies to give it a name. Television had been invented, but was on hold because of WWII.  There were a number of neighborhood based social activities people engaged in, and Barbershopping rapidly became one of those activities.

The Dayton Chapter was the third chapter to be chartered in the Johnny Appleseed District (JAD).  The area of the district, at that time, included all of Ohio and West Virginia, southwestern Pennsylvania and western Maryland. Currently JAD includes all of Ohio, most of West Virginia, and southwestern Pennsylvania.

A few nights after the Blue Jays triumphant return to Xenia they heard about a barbershop group in Dayton.  They went, they saw, they sang with the Dayton Chapter, and formed the Fun-Damentals quartet (Rod Youngman, Hal Reid, Virgil Hartsock, Paul Chenoweth).  The Dayton Chapter was to experience the difficulties of sustained growth, community support, and member commitment necessary for viability.  Remember, autos and televisions were becoming available, social change was moving into high gear.

In 1948, after the Dayton Chapter's show, the members from Xenia (and there were several) decided to try to establish barbershop singing in Xenia. Paul Chenoweth, Ron Daum, Virgil Hartsock, Hal Reid, Larry Shannabrook, Chuck Thomas, Rod Youngman, and about twenty other fellows started holding rehearsals in the YMCA Building on Greene Street.  (The Greene County Building is now on that site.)

In 1954 the Dayton Chapter moved its base of operations to the Alpha Supper Club in Alpha, Ohio, (East of Dayton on U.S. Route 35). The name continued to be Dayton Chapter, only the Tuesday evening location was changed. This new practice site drew singers from the growing suburban areas around Xenia and Dayton, as well as the two towns.

Paul Chenoweth was the Chorus Director, and later served SPEBSQSA as Chapter President, Chapter Secretary, and in 1954 as the Johnny Appleseed District President.

In the late 1950's and early 1960's rehearsals were held in the Xenia YMCA on Greene Street.  Members worked hard to recruit new members for both the chorus and the Y.  It was not unusual to see Barbershoppers painting and repairing the facilities to ‘help pay the rent’.   By 1960, the chapter was known as the Xenia Chapter of the SPEBSQSA.

The chorus moved to the Jaycee Hall in Xenia, in the mid-1960's.  Monday evenings were filled with tags, seventh chords, and harmony in general.  Then one evening in April 1974 an event occurred that changed Xenia forever. The Tornado struck and took with it many of the landmark buildings, a number of homes were leveled, and the lives of the survivors were changed forever in those few, brief, intense moments.

Xenia Hospitality Chorus found a new place to rehearse at 64 South Detroit Street. Hospitality Hall was the assigned name over the door.  It was a great place that the Hospitality Chorus could call its own. Again, members worked making it fit for human habitation and added a few amenities that contributed to the fun of singing in that barbershop style.  It was a second floor walk-up that was sub-leased to a dance studio a couple nights a week.  There was money for the rent and everyone had a good time.  A few years later the dancers went out of business, the cost of energy to heat the older building climbed out of sight, and the search was on for a new rehearsal site.

The chorus moved to Memorial United Presbyterian Church, 343 West Ankeney Mill Road, in 1983.  The ambiance is refreshing, rejoicing, and recreating.  Into the second decade of making joyful sounds on Thursday evenings in this outstanding facility, the members appreciate the generosity given the Hospitality Chorus by our hosts.  The bright and airy space, the privacy, and ample parking lot are noted with appreciation by all.  

Since about 2013, The First Church of Christ, 441 Ledbetter Road, has given us a home each Thursday evening, and we're grateful of their hospitality (ed.).

One of the under-sold features of barbershopping is the number of true friends one acquires over the years.  This is true for the chapter, too.  The Xenia Hospitality Chorus is especially appreciative of our friends in the Dayton Metro, Middletown Razor's Edge, and Springfield Knights of Harmony Chapters. (The Springfield chapter has since folded  .ed.) Singers from these chapters are always ready to lend a voice.  Often, they show up at the right time and provide the critical mass of sound to make an evening of song something to remember.  The MSX chorus has evolved through working together in recent years to present better barbershop shows in the three communities.  The singers and the audiences have responded positively.  The four chapters, singing together, have provided residents of the communities with a respite from the rush of the holiday season through a few moments of favorite carols and a little humor.

SPEBSQSA adopted the Institute of Logopedics as the unified service project in 1964.  In support of the international organization's efforts the Hospitality Chorus made a commitment to contribute one dollar per week per member.  This has been done, sometime with some pain, but the needs were seen as being great.  The Hospitality Chapter has been recognized by SPEBSQSA each year for its efforts and contributions in assisting those with speech and related problems.  The Institute of Logopedics experienced a major change in 1993 when its was renamed Heartspring.  The mission remains the same and we continue to "sing that they shall speak".

It was in 1969, that the chapter added the term Hospitality to its official name.  About this time the leadership of Xenia , the community, launched a campaign to identified the town as the 'Hospitality City’.  This was done because Xenia comes from the Greek word meaning hospitality.  As that commentator says, "Now, you know the rest of the story", and how the name, Xenia Hospitality Chorus / Chapter, came into use.

A major factor contributing to the uniqueness and longevity of the Xenia Hospitality Chorus / Chapter is the position of Musical Director.  A search of the chapter records produced the names of four chorus directors.  Two of the four men directed the chorus for fifteen years or more, and one directed about ten years.  This continuity of musical leadership has made barbershopping in the Xenia Hospitality Chorus fun for a number of people, including the singers.

The first Director of the Xenia Chorus, Paul Chenoweth, served the Chapter, the Johnny Appleseed District and SPEBSQSA in a variety of responsible positions spanning a number of years as well as guiding the chorus.  In the mid-1960's Hal Reid was next to take the helm for about a decade, through 1976.  He also, served the chapter through terms in several different offices.  Bill Weldon led the chorus for one year in 1977.

Don McAdams took charge of the musical life of the Xenia Hospitality Chorus in 1978.  Don joined the chorus in 1974, and had sung bass, bari, lead, and tenor (once) at various times during those four years.  His musical background, love of barbershop, keen sense of humor, general showmanship, and the warmth of his friendship are willingly shared with all.  And, he's a darn good director who knows when to lead, follow or get out of the way.  Don sang bass in Heartbeat, from 1989 - 1997 and also with E-Ticket from 2010-2015 (ed.).  He has performed with several other quartets over the years.  He too, like his predecessors, has served the chapter and barbershopping in a number of different offices and roles.  His commitment to barbershop is global.  He directs the Johnny Appleseed Barbershop Singers (JABS), a group that performs on the international scene in such remote places as Australia, New Zealand, the British Isles, Europe and points in between.  He will travel anywhere, anytime to sing barbershop as long as he has a supply of clean socks.

The political power of barbershopping often goes unnoticed, especially by those who sing it.  Over the years the chorus and quartets from the chapter have been called upon to sing for a variety of political candidates and causes.  On one occasion, back in 1955, the Xenia barbershoppers had a politician perform for them.  The then -Lieutenant Governor of the State of Ohio, John Brown, served as the Master of Ceremonies for the annual show.  What a night!

In retrospect, the Xenia Hospitality Chorus and Chapter of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc., has experienced fifty years in the life of the community because some people cared enough to do the right thing over and over and over again, until they got it!  The list of singers is long, the list of ticket buyers is even longer!  The list of lives touched, if only for a moment is still longer!  If you see yourself as being one who should be listed among these people pause a moment reflect on the good times, and share in the joy that fifty years of successful barbershop music making can bring to the community.