The Fireside Quartet answers our questions.

We’re thrilled to welcome back the Fireside Quartet to our December 6 holiday concert.  The quartet was kind enough to sing an invitation, so you should definitely attend! 

We had a few questions for the group:

How did you get together?

Fireside was formed in 2013 when lead David Adams moved to Lowell, MA, to become a professor in the UMass Lowell Dept. of Computer Science.  Tenor Jesse had already been a professor on the UMass faculty there since 1984, and David and Jesse had previously met and sang together at academic conferences.

Jesse approached his friend, bass Daniel Schwartz, about forming a new quartet with David, and Daniel quickly assented and invited his friend, baritone Manoj Padki, to round out the quartet.  Our first get-together was on August 26, 2013, and we’ve been together ever since.  The highlight of our quartetting was taking first place at the 2017 Boston Regional Harmony Sweepstakes.  That victory earned us a trip to California to compete in the national finals.

How did you connect with Mark Latham?

Emily Easterling, the Director of the Clinton (MA) Parks and Recreation Dept., contacted my chorus, The Gentlemen Songsters of Lowell, MA, in 2017, requesting a group to perform on their December  Holiday Pops concert.  The chorus was unavailable, so the chorus manager asked me if Fireside might be available.  We were, and that’s when we met up with Mark, Director of the New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra.

How would you describe barbershop singing?

First and foremost, barbershop is 4-part a cappella singing.  The barbershop style is distinguished by the fact that the lead, which most often sings melody, is the 2nd tenor, not the 1st.  The 1st tenor typically sings above the lead, while the bass provides the foundation to the sound and the baritone fills in the chord structure.

Barbershoppers are always striving to achieve “lock and ring,” which is precise tuning to generate overtones.  This is done by using “just intonation” tuning rather than “equal temperament.”  The latter is the tuning used for a piano (to allow it to play in tune in any key), while the former uses mathematically “pure” intervals that complement each other more precisely and thus generate more overtones.

In addition to precise tuning, barbershoppers strive for a “unit sound” characterized by coordinated entrances, cutoffs, swipes, dynamics, and overall balance.  The sound is brighter than some other choral styles, because the singers use less vibrato and sing more forward than classical vocalists.

This will be your third appearance with us.  What did you think of the previous appearances?

We loved every single one of them! :)  Although we are, by definition, primarily a cappella singers, it is a real treat to sing with an orchestra.  Mark has done a wonderful job adding orchestrations to some of our songs, and we truly enjoy how those orchestrations complement the arrangements that we sing.

What will you be singing for us on December 6? 

Feast of Lights Medley (three Chanukkah songs, with the orchestra)

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas (a fun crowd-pleaser, a cappella)

Better Than I (from Joseph, King of Dreams, a cappella)

Mary, Did You Know? (classic Christmas song, with the orchestra)

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You can find out more about the Fireside Quartet on their website.  Fireside Quartet

Please join us for our Holiday Concert, Saturday December 6 @2pm at MassBay Community College in Wellesley.  Skip past the crowd at the ticket table and buy your tickets in advance at Wellesley Symphony Orchestra    We’re minutes away from great shopping and dining in Wellesley Square.  Parking is free and plentiful at MassBay and tickets are pay-as-you-can.