The Vocal Majority: A Musical
Experience
Saturday, April 27, 2024
7:30
Imagine a group of 100+ men volunteering
from all walks of life with varying degrees of
musical talent and experience, with hearts full
of joy, excitement and passion for singing. Call
them The Vocal Majority(R), then be prepared
for an extraordinary musical experience that has
touched millions of people around the world.
Our tagline says it best: we're "pure harmony."
Over the years, the Vocal Majority has released
more than two-dozen recordings that feature
their diverse musical repertoire that spans from
sacred and inspirational, patriotic, time-honored
barbershop, jazz, Broadway, pops, and
Christmas.
Officially known as the Dallas Metropolitan
Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society,
The Vocal Majority was formed by 12 men who
gathered on December 2, 1971. Their vision
was to create a chapter that would become the
finest singing group in the world. The Chorus
was born and Ray Anthony became the first
director in April of 1972. Three men are listed
on our Articles of Incorporation as
Incorporators: Robert L. Arnold, Larry C.
Roseborough, and William B. Vandivort II. Our
Articles of Incorporation also list ten men who
constituted the original Board of Directors: Bob
Arnold, Jim Clancy, Harrold Gorgan, Art
Haynes, Burton Jones, Al Kvanli, Charles
Lyman, Larry C. Roseborough, Bill Thornton,
and Bill Vandivort. A copy of the original 1972
Charter, Board of Directors, and Charter
Members can be viewed here.
With the burning desire to compete, Vocal
Majority won its first Southwestern District
Chorus Championship in the fall of 1973.
During the summer of 1974, VM entered its
first international competition with seventy-
three men who brought home a third place
finish. Director Ray Anthony persuaded VM
member Jim Clancy to take over the role of
director in August of 1974. In 1975, when
Vocal Majority returned to international
competition in Indianapolis, they brought home
their first gold medal. Regrettably, the chorus
was financially unable to attend the 1976
international swan song performance. In 1977
during the Houston Southwestern District
Chorus competition, VM was awarded their
third championship. In their quest to win in
Cincinnati in the summer of 1978, the chorus
endured a heart-breaking 10 point loss to the
Louisville Thoroughbreds. As Clancy
recalls...”That one loss was the best thing that
ever happened to us, because learning to
overcome that loss helped us develop heart and
character. It (the loss) is when the real heart and
soul of the Vocal Majority began.”
Vocal Majority has medaled in every
international competition in which it has
competed. The medal count includes thirteen
gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze
medal. The men of the VM are honored to have
earned an unprecedented ten gold medals in a
row from 1979 to 2006, with our most recent
Gold Medal won in 2018. Society rules only
allow choruses to win gold once every three
years.
The VM Chorus, vintage 1974
In its 40-year history, the VM has been known
for its a cappella music, but the chorus has also
enthralled new audiences by singing with many
symphony orchestras including the Dallas
Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony
Orchestra, Texas Wind Symphony, Las Colinas
Symphony, Mid-Cities Orchestra, Richardson
Symphony, Irving Symphony, San Angelo
Symphony, Utah State Symphony and the
Constitution Symphony Orchestra. The Chorus
was also featured on national television along
with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in a 1986
broadcast for the CBS Masterworks project
titled Voices In Harmony. However, it is the
1998 performance with The Atlanta Symphony
in Olympic Centennial Park that stands out as
the Vocal Majority’s largest audience with over
135,000 people in attendance.
The chorus has also performed at home in many
of our United States, as well as abroad in
England, Scotland, Wales, and Canada. In
addition, the VM has sung in front of U.S.
Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W.
Bush and have been privileged to share the
stage with The Four Freshmen, The Lettermen,
The Oak Ridge Boys, The Suntones, the Texas
Boys Choir, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir,
Glen Campbell, Jimmy Dean, Bob Flanagan,
John Gary, Lee Greenwood, Jack Jones and
Johnny Mann.
Video
–
"pure harmony!"
All concerts are held in the
Greenville Municipal Auditorium
Downtown Greenville
2821 Washington St Greenville,
TX
Greenville Entertainment
Series