Contest Chorus

GNU is inviting guests to join us for a competitive contest chorus to perform October 11th.

The GNU is a member of the Land o’ Lakes District of the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS)

Join GNU’s contest chorus

for the Land o’ Lakes district competition and convention October 10-11, 2025

We’re looking for singers who strive for excellence in singing and want to sing some exciting a capella music in front of an enthusiastic audience and some of the top judges from the Barbershop Harmony society.

How to participate?

  • If you have not sung with GNU since 2020, you will need to audition.

  • We will send you two passages from the two songs we’re singing and you’ll need to sing them for our director either in person or on Zoom.

  • You will have two months to memorize both songs. We have professional learning tracks to help with this.

  • Download these demo learning tracks to see what fun you’ll have singing with us!

Attendance

  • You must attend at least 4 rehearsals from the time you join to the district contest.

  • We rehearse every Thursday from 7 to 9 PM at 6345 Xerxes Avenue, Richfield, MN 55423.

  • You must attend at least one of the two rehearsals prior to the contest: October 2 or October 9.

  • We will be performing in the morning on October 11th.

  • There will be an optional judging feedback session in the afteroon. This is a time when selected judges tell us what was good and what we could do to improve.

Cost

  • $70 for the district competition sign up..

  • $50 for temporary membership in the Barbershop Harmony Society + GNU

  • We can help those for whom cost is a concern.

Request more information or an audition here

Why Do We Compete?

Every fall Land o’ Lakes hosts a contest where choruses and quartets from the upper Midwest and parts of western Canada get together to perform in front of each other and a group of specially trained BHS judges.

Because barbershop harmony requires a sensitive ear and vocal control, competition helps us become better singers. After singing we get good feedback from judges telling us how we did musically, vocally, as performers.

The top two scoring choruses from district are offered a chance to go to the international competition the next summer. We do not anticipate this outcome, but we aim to perform at the highest level we can.