Watertown— The Islanders Barbershop Chorus has 12 members and currently looking for more great voices to join their team.
The Islanders, established in 1966, had the most members in 1970 with approximately 70 members. The Islanders Barbershop Chorus is a part of the Barbershop Harmony Society, an international society with chapters all over the world.
“We haven’t competed in a competition in a few years,” said Director of the Islander Barbershop Chorus, Tracy Robertson. Mr. Robertson has been the Director of the Islanders for 30 years and actively singing in the Barbershop Harmony Society for 47 years.
The Islanders were asked to participate in the Martinsburg Historical Society fundraising opportunity on August 10th. The historical society is considering a concert on Martinsburg day and wants the Islanders not only to sing, but help put the music program together. Mr. Robertson and the Islanders are hoping to grow their membership for opportunities such as the fundraiser and enter any future competitions.
According to Robertson, the Barbershop Harmony Society is a competitive organization, as they compete twice a year against other chapters. These competitions are nation wide, breaking up the United States in to 16 districts. The competition is held once in the fall and once in the spring. The winner of the district competition, gets the opportunity to compete on an international level at an international convention.
The Islanders are a part of the Seneca Land District, which takes up most of NYS and part of Pennsylvania. “Hopefully, we can promote ourselves more and gain memberships” said Robertson, “this way we can participate in more events locally and maybe even compete.”
