Beehive Statesmen

Press Releases

Our History

CHAPTER FORMATION:

During the summer of 1948, Roger Fruend attended a conference in Wisconsin. While there he spent hours between conference sessions "harmonizing" with a gentleman from Chicago named George Campbell. He poured into Roger's mind the story of O.C. Cash, the Tulsa organizer and founder of the Parent Chapter of Barbershop. He urged Roger to try his hand at organizing a chapter of SPEBSQSA (Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America) in Salt Lake City. It has been said, "as O.C. Cash and others sat around the hotel room and talked about the future society, he wanted the name of the society to be the biggest acronym in the nation, during the time in the United States, when acronyms were being developed wholesale on a daily basis."

One evening Roger was approached by a gentleman who introduced himself as Wilfred LeCavalier. These two gentlemen lunched together the next day, and decided that a chapter should be organized in Salt Lake City. They set the date, place and hour for the first meeting. The evening arrived and the first stranger to come into the Club Room and extended his hand was Joe Kopesec. The second man to come in was Frank Zachrison. Altogether a group of fourteen men assembled that night. A few weeks later there had been some growth. A young man named Munson Hinman played a major role in the organization. He was a four part man and sang well. The Evans Quartet Came in one night. They joined that night and all four were charter members of the Chapter. The Evans Quartet was the first chapter quartet to become International Champions, Gold Medalist, and Turk Evans from the quartet was the first chapter director. Thus the creation of the name SPEBSQSA and the creation of the Beehive Statesmen Chorus. The chorus was formed from a group of men who loved to sing and enjoyed the fellowship. In those days the lead would sing melody and the other three would sing harmony as there was no printed music available. Now the Barbershop Harmony Society, which is the new term for SPEBSQSA, has hundreds of musical arrangements in the barbershop style, perhaps even thousands.

CHAPTER QUARTETS: (Some of their pictures are in OUR QUARTETS)

There were many great quartets who shared the microphone with the chorus over the years. Other than the Evans Quartet names such as: The Salt Flats, One More Time (1985 district champs and the first International Seniors Champions, a competition having started in the last few years) and an up and coming new quartet from the chapter Unita Barbershop having placed as high as 10th place at the district level. Each name of the many quartets not only bring memories to the members of that quartet, but also to those of us who heard them perform many times over the years.

HISTORIANS NOTE:

As the writer of this short history many of these names are only names. In March, 1986, with my arrival upon the barbershop scene, I had the opportunity of singing baritone with both Roger Freund and Max Lloyd, the last two charter members of the Beehive Statesmen Chorus to actively sing with the Chorus! Max did receive his 50 year pin just prior to his death. The only other 50 year pin I remember being given was November 1, 2006, as Jimmy Wheeler, the tenor of the Salt Flats, One More Time and most recently Senior Class Reunion, received this longevity, as well as a lot of work, award. He is the most loyal person I have met over the years in barbershop and has served the chapter in many positions including president. (I have a history about 50 pages long of the Beehive Statesmen Chapter by Max Lloyd if anyone would like to review it.)
"Doc" Glenn Gold

2006 Beehive Statesmen

At the Rocky Mountain District’s Fall 2006 Contest, held in Layton, UT, on October 7, 2006, the Beehive Statesmen Chorus was named as the Most Improved Chorus for 2006. And this with a new director, Ms Beth Bruce (See Our Directors,) who had only been directing our Chorus for 4 months, since June. We also placed 5th among the 9 competing choruses.

WEEKLY PRACTICES:

Every Wednesday evening, for 59 years, we as a chorus have gathered to sing and improve our talents in singing. Our present practice quarters are located at:
Utah Cultural Celebration Center
1355 West 3100 South, West Valley, Utah (Go east from Redwood Road)
Phone/e-mail (801) 965-5100 www.culturalcelebrationcenter.org;
Time: 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM.

Check this website under HIVE HAPPENINGS to check on our current rehearsal schedule.

The chorus presently consists of about 50 men with about 30 plus singing at any one performance. Our new director, since June, 2006, is Beth Bruce. She is a wonderful person with a big heart and smile, with lots of musical skills. Check out OUR DIRECTOR on this website.

FUTURE HISTORY:

The chorus is excited about our immediate future, with Beth Bruce as our director, in developing a higher quality in our musical product. In October, 2006, at the Rocky Mountain District Chorus Contest, held during the Fall 2006 Convention in Layton, Utah; the contest judges determined our performance was the most improved in the District. Thus the award of Most Improved Chorus for 2006, which was our goal!

This fall, at Albuquerque, NM, we will be working hard to move up and be recognized as one of the Top Five Choruses in the District.

Our 2007 Christmas show will be Saturday evening, December 8th, at Taylorsville High School. Follow the links on the HOME PAGE Page for a show Flyer, and ticket information.

Our motto is keep the whole world singing! And we have a lot of fun while we do it.

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