Based in La Jolla, Pacific Coast Harmony is the chorus of the La Jolla Chapter of the Barbershop
Harmony Society, for whom Kim Hulbert is the musical director. Their barbershop repertoire is flavored with doo-wop, C&W, patriotic, gospel, swing, and Broadway.
“Although we are competition oriented,” says the group, “we also support the preservation and encouragement of barbershop quartet singing in America and throughout the world. We have a very active Youth In Harmony program, dedicated to the goal of attracting more young men to choir, and to give them an incentive to stay in school and work diligently.”
Randy Clemens, a writer of cook books and the publicist from the Stone Brewing Company in Escondido, says “Singing barbershop music is something I never imagined I could do outside of the safe confines of my car or shower, but I’ve gotten a lot of guidance and gained a great deal of experience since joining Pacific Coast Harmony.”
The La Jolla based group sings competitions and Christmas shows, and does church gigs and the like. In quartet form, they deliver singing Valentine messages to loved ones with a significant other under deployment as a member of the armed forces.
“We were doing a singing Valentine once,” says Pacific Coast member Dale Vaughn, “and the family’s dog was penned up out in the garage.” But apparently, it was not out of hearing range. “When we got to a certain spot in the song, the dog hit the note the tenor was supposed to sing.”
They made the final elimination round at the 2012 Barbershop Harmony Society International Convention, held July 4 in Portland. Finalists were narrowed down from 800 barbershop groups around the world.