It's All About the Music, Harmony, and the Brotherhood​​. The Princeton Garden Statesmen Barbershop Chorus is an all male vocal group based in Mercer County, New Jersey, dedicated to singing quality four-part a cappella harmony. Formed in 1969, the Princeton Garden Statesmen Chorus won the Atlantic Division Intermediate Chorus Champions, and was New Jersey's Highest Scoring Barbershop Chorus for 2004. 2005 & 2006.

 

In addition to competing, we love to entertain and have performed at various venues including:

• Performances for Hospitals, Adult Communities, and Churches, Business, and Community Events

• Numerous Holiday Shows

• Singing Valentines

• Dinner Shows

 

Our repertoire has something for everyone, including contemporary pop, doo-wop, modern jazz, standards, inspirational hymns and show tunes, as well as traditional barbershop favorites.

 

The atmosphere of our gatherings is first and foremost FUN! Our members take up this hobby because they love to sing, perform and they enjoy the camaraderie. Rehearsals typically include vocal warm-up exercises, learning new songs and polishing existing repertoire.

 

In addition, they receive top-notch musical, vocal and performance training from Director Mark Van Bruggen.  As part of the chorus' continuous improvement process we also receive coaching from some of the world’s best Vocal and Presentation coaches.  While we are amateur singers, we do maintain a high standard of musical excellence. Our objective is to learn music quickly and accurately, so that they can concentrate on mastering the artistry of performance.

 

Though many members do read music, it is not required to join the chapter. Learning tracks are available and many members use hand held recorders to speed up the learning process. Seeking musical excellence is the common thread that links all the members.

 

This love for excellent music and for each other is what many of the audience feel when they articulate that the performances take them on a spiritual and emotional journey. Like so many other singing ensembles, there are very few individual voices that have the professional soloist quality, but together... well, you've seen the results.

 

The success of the chorus is indeed due to many factors. But the real heart of the Princeton Garden Statesmen comes from, not one, but all of these events that have impacted its members so much that they have seen, first hand, the emotional and spiritual power of music, and its positive influence on other people's lives.