All About the Masters of Harmony
The Masters of Harmony was founded in 1985 and chartered as the Foothill Cities, California Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. In December of 1987 we moved to the City of Santa Fe Springs and commenced a relationship with the city government and the community that has continued to blossom and thrive. Our purpose was, and still is, to pursue musical excellence, with every member expected to be an active participant in the chorus and its related activities.
Starting with a handful of men, the chorus has quickly risen to the upper echelon of a cappella choral music. The Masters now boasts more than 100 singers, several Division and District titles and nine International Chorus Championships -- 1990 (San Francisco); 1993 (Calgary, Alberta, Canada); 1996 (Salt Lake City); 1999 (Anaheim); 2002 (Portland); 2005 (Salt Lake City); 2008 (Nashville); 2011 (Kansas City); and 2017 (Las Vegas). These victories represent the outcome of a competition open to more than 800 choruses from the United States and several foreign countries.
One of the highlights of the 1996 contest in Salt Lake City, Utah was the opportunity the Masters of Harmony had to sing with the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir on Sunday, July 7th. Under the direction of Dr. Greg Lyne, the Masters (in white) combined their voices with the choir to perform the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" at the traditional Sunday morning Interfaith Service. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to perform with such a world-class organization in such a beautiful, historic venue.
In 1999, the Masters of Harmony appeared on the live TV broadcast of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Labor Day Telethon hosted by Jerry Lewis and Ed McMahon. The chorus appeared at the beginning of the second hour of the world-wide broadcast from the studios at CBS Television City in Hollywood.
Besides cyclic competition at divisional, district and international contests, the chorus also performs publicly on the average of once a month. Engagements include barbershop shows, commercial bookings, community concerts, corporate meetings, and other special events.
The Masters of Harmony has recorded eight albums of our music including Showtime, Caroling! Caroling!, Masterpiece, California Gold Rush, Christmas Eve In Our Hometown, The Way We Were, Portrait, and our 2011 release, The Dream Is Carried On.
The chapter changed its name to the Santa Fe Springs, California Chapter in 1998.
Mission Statement
The Masters of Harmony is a male musical ensemble, performing primarily in the barbershop style and dedicated to musical excellence. Our mission is to preserve the uniquely American art form known as barbershop harmony, promote fellowship among our members, encourage music appreciation in schools and the community, contribute to musical causes, and support other singing organizations. (Adopted 11/20/06)
