Westminster Chorus
The Westminster Chorus is an American men's a cappella chorus based in Westminster, California. Founded in 2002, the group has won five Barbershop Harmony Society International Chorus Championships and won the 2009 "Choir of the World" title at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales.
History
Founding and early years (2002–2006)
The Westminster Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society had existed for decades, but by the early 2000s had dwindled to just eight aging members and had not competed in a decade. In 2002, five young barbershop singers from the Masters of Harmony approached the Westminster chapter, seeking to rebuild a youth chorus under its charter. The chapter agreed, and within weeks the newly formed Westminster Chorus had 15 members and began rehearsals.The group made its competition debut at the 2002 SoCal West divisional contest and advanced to the Far Western District competition that fall. Though Westminster unofficially won the district contest, it was disqualified due to an ineligible member. The following year, the chorus returned and officially won the district championship, qualifying for the 2004 International Chorus Contest, where it placed 9th in its debut.
In 2006, under director Royce Ferguson, the chorus returned to the BHS International Stage and won a silver medal, becoming the youngest chorus ever to place that high in the contest.Image:WestminsterGym.jpg|thumb|left|300px|The Westminster Chorus, 2006
First championship and Llangollen victory (2007–2009)
In July 2007, the chorus won its first BHS International Chorus Championship, tying with the Ambassadors of Harmony and winning on a singing category tiebreaker. With an average age in the mid-20s, Westminster became the youngest chorus ever to win the international title.In 2009, the chorus traveled to Wales to compete in the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. There, it won the Barbershop Chorus and Folk Song Choir categories, placed second in the Male Choir competition, and advanced to the finals. Performing classical repertoire, Westminster became the first barbershop chorus to win the prestigious "Choir of the World" Pavarotti Trophy.
Continued growth and record scores (2010–2019)
In 2010, under new director Justin Miller, the chorus won its second BHS International Championship in Philadelphia, scoring 97.7% – the highest chorus score in Barbershop Harmony Society history at the time. In 2013, the chorus placed second at the BHS International Contest in Toronto, missing the gold medal by just two points to Toronto Northern Lights.In 2015, Westminster earned its third gold medal in Pittsburgh, scoring 97.5%, at the time the third-highest score in contest history. In 2019, Westminster returned with 100 singers and won the gold medal in Salt Lake City with a record-breaking score of 97.9%, performing arrangements from The Greatest Showman and The Wild Party.