Thanks for visiting the blog concerning the 33% criterion. A copy of the July/August 2009 edition of The Harmonizer is here.
Although this is not technically a change to the definition of the barbershop style, this criterion has been used for almost 40 years in defining the style that we are treating this change as such. Given that, the process for change is as follows:
- Committee Study & Recommendations
- MUS Board of Review Study and Recommendations
- Category Specialist Approval of Recommendations
- MUS Category Reviews Recommendations and Approves
- SCJC (Society Contest and Judging Committee) Approves
- CEO (Ed Watson) Reviews
- Published in Harmonizer for Society Review
- Final Approval (SBOD or may pass back to CEO/SCJC, depending upon feedback)
As you can see, we are at The Harmonizer level in this change process. Your thoughts are valued on this matter.
All of us value the barbershop seventh as one of the defining hallmarks of the style. C&J believes that this solution adds more weight to defining the importance of the barbershop 7th. It allows for great barbershop material that doesn’t meet the criterion to go unblemished and yet still provides a safeguard for songs that do not appropriately feature the barbershop 7th.
Cheers!
Kevin Keller