The Hawkseye 

Barbershoppers Swarm To Annual Cookie Festival

Approximately 125-150 barbershoppers from Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois came together on May 11for the annual Cookie Festival hosted by Iowa City's Old Capitol Chorus. The annual event is a chance to get reacquainted with old friends, make new friends, sing some old songs, and of course...eat cookies.

For the past few years the Iowa City Chapter has asked a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society headquarters staff to come and direct those gathered in song. This year Rick Spencer, Director of Music and Education for the Barbershop Harmony Society, was the guest director.

Every year, those gathered learn a new song that is brought by the guest director. This year Rick Spencer brought the "America the Beautiful Overlay." The overlay and  the beautiful arrangement was written by the Society's Joe Liles. 

Spencer taught all four parts to the song within 30 minutes. The song starts out with the usual first verse of "America the Beautiful." It is then followed by the overlay alone then with both being sung at the same time. It is a beautiful song that should be considered by all chapters to be sung on their annual show.

After taking a break to enjoy the refreshments, choruses and quartets capped the evening by taking their turns entertaining the crowd.