4 Rent Quartet introduced spiritual songs in the barbershop style in St. Paul’s Church and Eastern Pasila Congregation on Sunday, 28 March, 2010. This may have been the first time barbershop songs were used at church services in Helsinki. The quartet’s contribution was appreciated and applauded, and public thanks were received both from a senior member of the congregation and pastor Tuula Paasivirta.

The contributions to the services were planned with cantor Seppo Välimäki.

Through these performances knowledge of barbershop was spread to new audiences. Ed Watson, Executive Director/CEO of Barbershop Harmony Society commented: "Great job!"

All singers in 4 Rent Quartet are members of FABS. They also are members of the male barbershop chorus RingChorus.

From left: Heikki Norio, Mikko Boberg, Mikko Kinnanen, Christian Carlsson

There has been activity in barbershop singing in Finland for several decades and it has not been documented properly. FABS has started an initiative to collect more details and document everything. Here are some facts that have came up in the beginning of this process. Please help us to find out more.
 
There have been individuals like Erik Läckström and Zache Johansson who have had barbershop quartets 30-40 years ago. They inspired others, for example Dan Lindroos, Chris Carlsson and Kurre Förström, who are still active barbershoppers. They have all been members of several quartets and VLQs during the last 20 years, and inspired the next generations of barbershoppers.VLQ Gamla Filurer never became the chorus it was intended to grow to. However, this group performed very actively starting in 2001. Many new quartets were started on this foundation. Gamla Filurer also was the first group that took barbershop to the Vaasa Chorus festival.

The choir-festival in the city of Vaasa, Erkki Mendelin as a producer, has for many years brought American top-quartets to perform in Finland. A very important person in this co-operation has been Markku Kanervikkoaho from Mt. Baker Toppers Chorus.

FABS was founded 2004, and Tuomo Ketomaki was the first president. The association was needed to develope relationships with SNOBS (Sweden) and BHS. In fact the most important starting point was a convention SNOBS was asked to arrange in Finland and the arrangers in Finland needed an organisation to administrate things legally. The convention was held in the city of Järvenpää near Helsinki and the first Finnish male barbershop chorus "Part A Boys" was founded during that occasion. FABS is now an affiliate of BHS.

Long before FABS was established, Per Jocum Sångförening was supporting barbershop in Finland, by arranging demos, lectures and singing all over the country. Per Jocum continues to arrange events for swedish-speaking Finns, and has managed to attract young singers to a series of workshops.

Rakmaskinen Quartet won the first national quartet contest in 2005. The next year the winner was Upper Cut. In 2006, the winner was Carpe Diem Quartet. Rakmaskinen's roots was in VLQ Gamla Filurer, that started already in 2000. Later, mostly the same singers turned the chorus Sällskapet Svenska Sångare into a barbershop chorus. This group still exists, at this moment as a quartet.

One important group is Sweet Adelines chorus "LadyShave - Porvoo Chorus" that is our only female barbershop chorus in Finland. It was established 25 years ago and is active still. They are members of FABS, too.

In 2009 a new male chorus "Ringchorus" was started, setting ambitious goals.

Juha Aunola
(edited and uploaded by CC)

Hollannin konventtiin 5-8.3.2009 osallistui Suomesta Part A Boys-kuoro ja Carpe Diem-kvartetti.

FABSin puheenjohtaja ja Part A Boys-kuoron johtaja Juha Aunola palattuaan Suomeen:

Partapojat lauloivat tämänhetkisten taitojensa ylärajalla, joten tyytyväinen voi sikäli olla . Vielä kuorolla on potentiaalia kehittyäkin, näin uskon. Taso oli huikea, paljon kuultiin , nähtiin ja opittiin. Hyviä kontaktejakin syntyi. Ruotsista saamme varmasti jatkossa enemmän apua ja vierailuja.

Olimme molemmissa sarjoissa 11. (enempää osallistujia ei ko. sarjoissa ollutkaan). Naisten kuorosarjassa sentään jäi pari kuoroa pisteissä jälkeen, ja miesten kuorosarjassa ero seuraavaan ei ollut kovin suuri.

Vain osallistumalla aktiivisesti voi lähestyä huippujen tasoa. On erittäin hienoa, että Suomesta osallistuttiin sekä kuoro- että kvartettisarjaan. Tätä perinnettä on ehdottomasti jatkettava.