Get to Know Kern River Chorus
Kern River Chorus is a membership organization of singers, who meet regularly to practice, perform, socialize, and have fun. We currently have men & women singers of all ages, all walks of life, and all parts of the Kern River Valley, California and surrounding areas.
Each year the chorus performs for many valley organizations and participates in many events. We are always on hand President's Day weekend at Whiskey Flat Days in beautiful Kernville selling our hot pulled pork sandwiches. Look for us at Christmastime, singing traditional carols and contemporary favorites for your club or organization, as well as at the hospital and nursing homes around the Kern River Valley.
Don't forget to send your loved ones a "Singing Christmas Card." These musical, holiday greetings are delivered over the phone in December. A great way to wish a Merry Christmas to special people who live far away! In February we offer "Singing Valentine Cards." We deliver your personalized singing Valentine (and candy or flowers) right to the doorstep of your loved one. What a fun way to wish your sweetheart a Happy Valentine's Day!
Barbershop Harmony & Choral Music
What is barbershop singing?
Barbershop singing is unaccompanied, four-part acappella harmony. Although barbershop-style music is usually built on simple melodies and is relatively easy to sing, the acappella style and the ear training necessary for independent part singing make it one of the most challenging and rewarding accomplishments of a vocal ensemble. Deke Sharon, musical director of The Sing-Off and the Pitch Perfect movies, calls barbershop singing the "blackbelt" of all acappella forms. When the music is sung accurately and with good breath support and vocal techniques, barbershop harmony produces overtone vibrations that create a resonant ring unique to this form of music.
Men & women of all skill levels can join in the chorus and their abilities are as varied as they are. It’s the synergy of these unique voices, talents and experiences that creates the space for an exciting ensemble.
In simple terms, barbershop singing is vocal harmony produced by four parts: lead, tenor, baritone and bass. Finding the right part for your voice is the initial step. This is accomplished at your first visit to Kern River Chorus. Anyone of average singing ability, with or without vocal training, will find a part that fits his or her range.
We also sing traditional choral music, usually with accompaniment, in the soprano, alto, tenor and bass format.
Basically we like to sing anything and everything!
Performance
The main purpose of Kern Valley Chorus is to get out and perform. We sing at annual shows and a number of community events. We also deliver live Singing Telegrams around the Kern River Valley area at Valentines Day and live Singing Christmas Phone Cards anywhere in the world! We are available to sing at your next function or event. 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 singing. Vocal instruction is a regular part of chorus rehearsals, and a very important component of the chorus experience.
Quartets
Quartets and double quartets are some of the fun ensembles offered to practice performance skills and even mic work and choreography.
YOU!
We hope to see you soon at one of our rehearsals so you can experience the fun and cameraderie of singing too!
