2023 Hall of Fame to honor Renee Craig and Vocal Spectrum
By recommendation of the Hall of Fame committee, the Barbershop Harmony Society Board of Directors has voted to induct two honorees as the class of 2023. The awards will be presented at the International Convention in Louisville this summer.
Vocal Spectrum
left-right: Tim Waurick, tenor; Eric Dalbey, lead; Chris Hallam, bass;Jonny Moroni, bari
2004 Collegiate Barbershop Quartet Contest champion
2006 BHS International Quartet Champion
There are currently 12 quartets in the BHS Hall of Fame, 10 of which are gold medalist champions. As one examines the traits of these 11 gold medalist quartets, all of them had substantial impact after they won.
Vocal Spectrum won the college contest in 2004 with the highest score to date and two years later won the International Gold in 2006. They instantly became in demand as a high profile show quartet and that continues through to 2023.
Because of their youth as well as musical excellence, they have influenced countless young people in introducing them to the barbershop style and our Society, and continue to do so even today.
Tim Waurick, Eric Dalbey, Jonny Moroni and Chris Hallam continue to raise the bar with improving their vocal excellence and challenge all quartets to those high standards. They have made the impossible possible and thus have grown the barbershop artform. Individually, they also give back to the BHS community. Jonny is a gold medalist co-director of the Ambassadors of Harmony and frequent coach. Eric is a coach as well as a BHS Certified Singing Judge. As a learning track producer, Tim forever changed the landscape of how barbershoppers learn music and was inducted into the 2022 BHS Hall of Fame for his significant contributions. All four give back their time to District schools as coaches.
Even though the quartet is still active, they are already one of the most influential quartets in BHS history. The Hall of Fame Committee is proud to endorse Vocal Spectrum for induction into the BHS Hall of Fame.
Renee Craig
The Cracker Jills, 1957 quartet champion, Sweet Adelines International
Ramapo Valley Chorus, three-time champion director, Sweet Adelines International
Inaugural recipient, President’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Sweet Adelines International
Influential arranger, teacher, coach
The nomination of Renne Craig for induction into the Barbershop Harmony Society Hall of Fame is unusual in two regards. First, the person was not a member of BHS, in fact, would have been ineligible for membership. Secondly, this person, now deceased, was a woman. Nevertheless, the BHS Hall of Fame Committee recommended Renee Craig on the strength of her lasting impact on the entire barbershop world.
Renee’s primary contributions were made as a member of our friends in harmony Sweet Adelines International. She did make contributions that directly benefited the Society as several of her contest arrangements made their way into our ranks and in fact helped win gold medals, including “May I Never Love Again,” “Ring Out the Bells In Dixieland” (the latter her original composition), and a number of other arrangements were picked up by quartets and choruses, including “Everybody Loves A Lover,” “Country Roads,” “Back in the Old Routine,” “Tumble Down Shack in Athlone,” and “My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose.” Moreover a number of her arrangements were the prototypes of arrangements made by prominent Society arrangers, such as “Lover Come Back,” “What’ll I Do,” I Have Dreamed,” and “Royal Garden Blues.” She also coached men’s ensembles and served as director for the Westchester Chorus in the Society.
However, her contributions within Sweet Adelines were so notable, distinguished, and towering that it influenced the culture of barbershop worldwide and as such her impact bled into all the barbershop organizations, including BHS. She was the lead singer in the landmark quartet Cracker Jills, which was admired and emulated by all barbershoppers at the time.
Her incredible innovation as an arranger, composer, and director was highlighted by her directorship of the Ramapo Valley Chorus and the Coronet Club Chorus (composed of International Quartet Champions in Sweet Adelines, and founded by her), in which her stage personality and charisma was a model of performance. In this way she had a huge impact and influence on many of our arrangers and performers, who emulated her innovative style.
About the Barbershop Harmony Society Hall of Fame
The Barbershop Harmony Society Hall of Fame was established as a means of bestowing Society recognition and honor to members and quartets — living or in memoriam — for exceptional contributions that have enhanced the barbershop experience for the Society.
Any living or deceased Society member, Society staff member, or quartet, with the exception of the current Society President or any current Hall of Fame committee member, is eligible for nomination.
Honorees are selected by a majority vote of the committee, and there is no maximum or minimum limit on the number of inductees in a given year.
The award criteria used by the committee fall into general categories of music and administration/leadership. In music, judging, arranging, composing, chorus directing, coaching and singing are important. In administration/leadership, service as an officer, advisor, and in planning, writing or editing are considered.