Harmony Explosion MoCo 2025

A "Harmony Explosion" is a Youth-in-Harmony event designed to preserve the art of barbershop-style singing by encouraging youth to join in the fun. Our most recent Explosion was supported in part by the Association of International Champions and Harmony Foundation International, who funded having the 2022 international gold-medal champs Quorum as mentors for the students

The event started with Friday visits by Quorum to Gaithersburg High School and Seneca Valley High School's choral classes. Quorum sang, introducing students to the best of the barbershop sound. Students learned some tags and had the opportunity to quartet with Quorum. At Seneca Valley, Quorum also coached a student quartet and a choral group that was to perform Saturday.

On Saturday, October 11, 2025, 52 students participated in an all-day workshop, produced by Harmony Express at Rockville's F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre. Quorum mentored students through vocal warmups, multiple whole group rehearsals, and sectionals by voice part. Students also learned new tags from Quorum and sang in quartets, often blending voices of students from both schools who had never met before. During breaks, spontaneous singing would break out as the students joyfully spent the day doing what they love, singing! 
 

At 6 pm, the Harmony Explosion Student Chorus took the stage and wowed the audience with "Who Will Buy" from the 1960 musical, Oliver. Student emcees led us through the evening as a Seneca Valley choral group presented the barbershop version of "Can't Stop that Feeling" and Seneca Valley barbershop quartet Jammed sang a Beach Boys Medley and "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair." 

Next up was local barbershop chorus and host for the day, Harmony Express, singing "Hello, Mary Lou," "Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie," "Coney Island Baby," and "Lift Up My Head." The Glen Echoes, a breakout quartet, sang several songs from their repertoire, including "I Will Go Sailing No More," from Toy Story.

Our mentors for the workshop, the international award-winning quartet, Quorum, treated the audience to a 25-minute set with songs like "Happy/Sad" from Addams Family and "Blue Skies."

While most shows would end with the headliner, this event was all about the students, so the Harmony Explosion Student Chorus returned to the stage to sing Billy Joel's "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)." As a show-closer, all the performers, as well as many audience members, sang "Keep the Whole World Singing," which is a traditional way to end events in the barbershop community.

During the show, the student emcees thanked the Association of International Champions, Harmony Foundation International, Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County, Barbershop Harmony Society, Harmony Express, and event food sponsors Harris Teeter, Wegmans, Trader Joe's, and Costco.

Overall, the event was a success with many positive comments from audience members, Quorum, teachers, and most importantly, the students. Some have even expressed interest in attending our rehearsals and possibly joining Barbershop Harmony Society.

Consider supporting Harmony Foundation International, which makes this opportunity possible to student groups around the country, introducing and encouraging youth to sing in the barbershop style - maybe it will become a hobby that they continue long into their lifetime. 

Support for Harmony Express is always appreciated as well; please mail checks to Harmony Express, PO Box 1794, Germantown, MD 20875. We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, with Tax ID 27-2484935, and a registered charity with the Maryland Secretary of State.