Far Western District is a geographical district of the Barbershop Harmony Society

Barbershop Harmony Society

The Barbershop Harmony Society, legally and historically named the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. , is the first of several organizations to promote and preserve barbershop music as an art form. Founded by Owen C...

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First organized in 1946, FWD (BHS)

FWD

FWD may refer to:* Front-wheel drive, a common method of vehicle propulsion.* FWD Campaign from USAID* Free World Dialup , a non-commercial Voice over IP network....

 encompasses the far western US states including all of California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, Nevada

Nevada

Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

, Arizona

Arizona

Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

, Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

, and St. George

St. George, Utah

St. George is a city located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Utah, and the county seat of Washington County, Utah. It is the principal city of and is included in the St. George, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is 119 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and 303 miles ...

, Utah

Utah

Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...

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Chapters

FWD is home to the two-time BHS

BHS

BHS may refer to:* Baggage handling system, a type of conveyor system installed in airports* Barbershop Harmony Society, the first of several organizations to promote and preserve barbershop music as an art form* Beck Hopelessness Scale, a psychological test...

 Championship Gold medalist Westminster Chorus

Westminster Chorus

The Westminster Chorus is a men's a cappella chorus based in Westminster, California. International Chorus Champions of the Barbershop Harmony Society in 2007 and 2010, they are composed almost entirely of men under the age of 30.-History:The town of Westminster, in Orange County, CA has supported...

, who won in 2007 and 2010, and the eight-time Gold winner Masters of Harmony

Masters of Harmony

The Masters of Harmony are a 135-member men's barbershop chorus, based in Santa Fe Springs, California. They are the current SPEBSQSA International Chorus Champions. Founded in 1986 with a few dozen men, they rose to stardom under the tutelage of director Dr. Greg Lyne...

 Chorus, who won the BHS international competitions in 1990, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, and 2011.

The 2002 district champions Garden City Chorus competed 54 years before winning a shot at international level competition.

The Phoenix Saguaro chapter was founded in 1943. Today called the Greater Phoenix

Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...

 Chapter, their Spirit of Phoenix Chorus have been the international gold medalist three times (in 1972, 1976, and 1983) competing as the Phabulous Phoenicians Chorus and medalled eleven more.

Championship Quartets

Past district champion quartets become members of the Association of Far Western District Champions

Association of Far Western District Champions

The Association of Far Western District Champions , is an affiliate organization of the Far Western District Association of Chapters of SPEBSQSA, one of the districts of the Barbershop Harmony Society. Founded in 1983, its members are the champions from the district's annual quartet contest, from...

. Several have gone on to medal or win at BHS international conventions, notably the 2004 international champions Gotcha! and 1996's Nightlife

Nightlife (quartet)

Nightlife are a barbershop quartet that won the BHS International Quartet competition in 1996.-Members:Tenor: Rob Menaker Lead: John Sasine Bari: Jeff Baker Bass: Brett Littlefield...

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The 2007 district champions OC Times

OC Times

OC Times is a barbershop quartet affiliated with the Barbershop Harmony Society; they received second place silver medals at the International Barbershop Quartet Contest at Denver's Pepsi Center on July 7, 2007, and won the International Quartet Championship on July 5, 2008 in Nashville, Tennessee...

 were thought to be contenders for the 2007 international quartet title, but couldn't quite match the scores of the returning silver medalists Max Q

Max Q (quartet)

Max Q is the barbershop quartet that won the gold medal Barbershop Harmony Society International Barbershop Quartet Contest at Denver's Pepsi Center July 7, 2007.The quartet's run for the title is featured in the 2009 feature documentary American Harmony....

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