Vermont chorus qualifies for international competition

May 1, 2025  |  By Waterbury Roundabout 

The Barre-Tones, Inc., in a 2024 provided file photo

The Barre-Tones women’s barbershop chorus recently returned from a regional chorus and quartet competition in Massachusetts, where it qualified to participate in an international competition later this year. 

The Barre-Tones, based in Montpelier, attended the regional Harmony Inc. competition in Framingham, Massachusetts, placing 5th among 11 choruses from New England and southeastern Canada. 

Its scores met the criteria to qualify for the organization’s International Competition to be held in Hershey, Pennsylvania, in November. Founded in 1959, Harmony, Inc. has more than 65 chapters in the U.S. and Canada with more than 2,000 singers. The Barre-Tones were established in 1969.

The 19 members of the Barre-Tones a cappella chorus who participated in the recent competition are from communities in Washington and Chittenden counties, including Waterbury, Duxbury, Richmond and the Mad River Valley. 

The Barre-Tones invite women from the region to attend their Monday night rehearsals as they begin a new season. Membership in the chorus empowers women through singing, education and friendship, and includes musical education training and professional coaching. 

Carol Hollenbeck, of Colchester, has been directing the chorus for more than 20 years with the support of an active music team and assistant directors.

The chorus meets on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. at the Capital City Grange on Route 12 South in Berlin. Learn more about the chorus online at BarretonesVT.com.