Our Quartets

In addition to our full Barbershop Chorus, quite a few of our members participate in individual quartets. These quartets enter competitions and perform at both concerts and at small and large events. Some of our quartets are available for hire for your wedding, birthday party, a cheerful greeting, bar or bat mitzvah, or other function. 

Four in the morning

Four in the morning is an energetic a cappella quartet sharing a common passion for close vocal harmony. From barbershop to doo-wop, gospel to familiar favorites, Four In The Morning has been entertaining audiences for over 17 years throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.

These guys don't even need a "hat to drop" to burst into song! Four in the Morning has performed at almost every kind of venue imaginable: weddings, country clubs, church services, parties, restaurants, business meetings, air shows, radio and television, and even parades with bagpipes, just to name a few. They love to entertain audiences with the barbershop style of close harmony as a quartet, while supporting the Virginians Chorus and the hobby they love.

Members include Mike Geipel (tenor), Ron Nichols (lead), Emmitt Totty (bass), and Gene Thompson (baritone).

masquerade

Masquerade, originally formed in April 2002, as a local area quartet comprised of Paul Hutnyan (lead), Roy Foster (tenor), Bill Grosskopf (bass), and Rick Cox (baritone), three like-minded guys who love to sing and are motivated to improve as a quartet and to entertain the audience. They have quite a long history, 70 years collectively, of barbershop quartet and chorus singing experience. They have performed in a number of area churches, private functions, the Virginians Spring and Christmas shows, and have delivered many of their ever-popular Singing Valentines!

Paul Hutnyan is from Warsaw, Virginia and is a retired educator; Roy is from Tappahannock and is the minister of Upper Essex Baptist Church; Bill is from Fredericksburg and is a systems engineer at Dahlgren; and Rick, also from Warsaw, is retired from the Virginia Department of Health.

The joy of the experience and their love of barbershop harmony motivates Masquerade to continue to expand and improve their unique repertoire, hone their harmonizing skills, and above all, entertain their audiences!

in a chord

In A Chord has over 100 years of experience in Barbershop singing and just getting started as an official quartet. Consisting of Zack Owen (lead), Mark Bentley (tenor), Bill Ballinger (baritone), and Pete Adler (bass), this quartet boasts a unique sound with its blend of voices.

Mark Bentley is the tenor and has been a member of the Society for 62 years (and counting).  He sang with the quartets Cap’n Billy’s Whizbang, Plead the Fifth and Rockitz. He was the Baritone and Tenor Section Leader for the Hunterdon Harmonizers in New Jersey, and relocated to Virginia at the beginning of the Pandemic and joined the Virginians, where he is delighted to be singing with the chorus and now with In A Chord.

Zack Owen recently joined us as the Lead. He has had a long-storied history with the Virginians beginning at age 10 joining to sing beside his dad, Vic!  In A Chord is honored that he has chosen us to begin a quartet career in Barbershop.

Pete Adler, our bass, always enjoyed singing and first sang in an organized group in his church choir. He was introduced to the hobby of barbershop singing in 2013 and joined the Society. In addition to numerous shows and performances as a member of the Virginians Barbershop Chorus and in a quartet, he has competed in BHS competitions as the Bass for the senior quartet, Rewind.

Bill Ballinger, the baritone, has been in the Society since 2000 finding peace and enjoyment in the Barbershop style both in the Virginians and several quartets on the way. He was fortunate to win the District Seniors Championship with the quartet, Dockside Harmony.