Mark Handzel
PebbleCreek residents Ken Hammer and Randi Handzel competed for the Southwest Vocal Alliance (SVA) in the 2025 Barbershop Harmony Society’s Far Western District Arizona Division Barbershop Choir Competition on May 3 at the Madison Center for the Performing Arts in Phoenix. The group performed “I See The Light” from Disney’s Tangled motion picture and “Somebody to Love” from Queen, both in a traditional barbershop format. The group placed first out of the six choirs competing and qualified to compete at the Far Western District competition in October.
The SVA is Arizona’s premiere award-winning mixed barbershop chorus. They are a fun-loving a cappella chorus that sings and performs a wide variety of songs and styles, including barbershop, pop, rock, country, and doo-wop. SVA is part of the Far Western District of the Barbershop Harmony Society.
Barbershop harmony is a style of unaccompanied vocal music characterized by
consonant four-part chords for every melody note. The melody is consistently sung by the lead (second tenor), with the tenor (first tenor) harmonizing above the melody, the bass singing the lowest harmonizing notes, and the baritone completing the chord. Occasional brief passages may be sung by fewer than four voice parts. Barbershop music features songs with understandable lyrics and easily singable melodies sung by singers who traditionally do not hold sheet music. The musical and visual delivery is from the heart, believable, and sensitive to the song and its arrangement throughout.
The Barbershop Harmony Society also held a Quartet Competition at this event. Seventeen quartets competed, each singing two songs. Ken Hammer participated in two quartets that competed. Both groups qualified to compete at the Far Western District competition in October.
If any PebbleCreek residents are interested in joining SVA, visit their website at svabhs.com for more information and contact Ken or Randi.
Photo Caption: PebbleCreek residents Ken Hammer and Randi Handzel with the First place Plaques and Trophy from 2025 Barbershop Harmony Society’s Far Western District Arizona Division Barbershop Choir Competition