About Desert Aires Chorus

Originating in September 1976 with just eight men wanting to sing four-part harmony, the group grew over the years to its present 70 members with the title of Desert Aires Barbershop Chorus.  The chorus joined the 'Barbershop Harmony Society' (formally S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A), receiving its charter in May of 1996, as the Sun Cities Chapter D-101.

Performance

The Chorus has presented annual concerts for thirty consecutive years, and has performed hundreds of times for various groups, as well as donating performances for charitable organizations and the Sun Cities Recreation Centers functions.  They have contributed substantial amounts to local charities each year.

Check out this year's annual show by clicking on this link.

2012 Annual Desert Aires Show

   Under the leadership of their Director, Jerry Roland the Chorus is achieving new heights in performance levels, the Chorus Won Plateau A at the Far Western District Division 5 competition in April 2009 and again in April 2012.  Jerry Roland, in his fourth year as Director has extensive directing experience, and has been a boon to the Chapter.. If you're looking for a unique musical experience to liven up your event, please check out our Hire Us section.

 
Education

In addition to sharing our music with others, another great passion of ours is learning more about the art of acapella singing. Vocal instruction is a regular part of chorus rehearsals, and a very important component of the chorus experience. A couple of times a year, we will get coaching from a visiting master in the art of barbershop, where we learn many fabulous tricks of the trade.

CompetitionIn the spring of every year, Desert Aires Chorus participates in the Divisional chorus competition in Phoenix, AZ. Competitions are a special time for quartets and choruses from our region to come together to sing for each other, and get some constructive feedback from a panel of judges. The winners of the regional competition in both quartet and chorus categories get to travel to District Competition, which is held in the fall in a city selected each year. In 2012, District Competition was held in Mesa, Arizona in October. Click here to learn more.

Quartets

Most choruses have a number of members who form their own vocal quartets in addition to singing with the chorus. The Desert Aires Chorus currently is home to a number of wonderful quartets, and we are very proud of them! Click here to see our quartet section to learn more about them.

Affiliation

Our Chorus is part of the Sun Cities Chapter of Barbershop Harmony Society, a non-profit organization of approximately 26,000 members in choruses and quartets, worldwide. The Headquarters is in Nashville, Tennessee.