The Newfangled Four barbershop quartet will be performing live and in-concert at 7 p.m. in the DesertView Performing Arts Center in SaddleBrooke on Saturday, November 21. This concert is hosted by the SaddleBrooke Barbershop Chorus, who will present an opening act before The Newfangled Four takes the stage.
If you think that barbershop music is “just” for old folks (not like us!), think again! Last year, we introduced the barbershop music of the Newfangled Four to my 1.5-year-old grandson by way of their YouTube videos, and he was mesmerized by their harmonies and their online performances. No matter how busy he was (or how fussy), when the music started playing, he stopped what he was doing and watched the entire video without moving. At the end of the video, he would often clap and cheer, and sometimes demand to see another video! Of course, one of his favorites is The Newfangled Four’s “Nursery Rhyme Medley”, which includes his favorite song “The Wheels on the Bus”.
Although the Newfangled Four is known for comedy in their performances, they are classically trained musicians who are also top-notch when singing serious music such as their touching arrangement of “A Cottage for Sale”. Their performance in this year’s Barbershop Harmony Society International Convention Quartet Finals earned them a sixth-place finish. The Newfangled Four has been in the top eight of barbershop quartets in the world for the last four years.
It’s not just our grandson who enjoys The Newfangled Four on YouTube! TNF is a YouTube sensation, with tens of millions of views of their video performances. They are world class entertainers, with programs full of slapstick humor, quirky offbeat comedy, a boatload of energy, and top-notch singing. Yes, the music is in the A Capella barbershop style, but these are modern all-original arrangements of songs you may know, such as parodies of Piano Man, (Joe) Re Mi, The Bare Necessities, and many more. TNF mixes humor, personal interactions, and fantastic harmonies in a way that will have you enjoying every minute of their performance. Over the years, they have developed a reputation not only for their fine singing and showmanship, but also for their work and involvement in the youth movement as clinicians and educators, leading countless workshops for young singers in the US.
Many have called them the most entertaining barbershop group in the world. They are Jackson, Joey, Jake, and Marcus: THE NEWFANGLED FOUR!
Of course, since the SaddleBrooke Barbershop Chorus is hosting the Newfangled Four, our own chorus will take the opportunity to share our musical talents with you also! You will hear our small but enthusiastic chorus blend their voices on such favorites as "Goodbye, My Coney Island Baby " and "My Wild Irish Rose".
Get your tickets at dvpac.net, only $25 per person! For more information about our performance on Saturday, November 21, or if you are interested in more information about the SaddleBrooke Barbershop Chorus, call Bruce Kistler at (520) 306-2113, or visit our website at saddlebrookebarbershopchorus.org.
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