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Music Library

Louisville Thoroughbred Chorus Archives: Finding Aid

Descriptive Summary

Summary of Louisville Thoroughbred Chorus Archives
Creator The Thoroughbreds, 1946-present
Title Thoroughbred Chorus Collection
Call Number Thoroughbred Chorus Collection
Extent 1946-present
Abstract Collection of materials pertaining to The Thoroughbred Chorus, a Louisville-based men’s barbershop chorus founded in 1946. Included in this collection are official meeting minutes, newsletters, photographs, concert programs, administrative materials, sheet music, correspondence, audio recordings, and other chapter and society materials.
Language Materials in English

 

Administrative Information

Restrictions on Access

Access to materials in this collection is open to researchers and requires permission of the library director.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

All requests subject to limitations noted in departmental policies on reproduction.

Related Materials in This Repository

n/a

Citation

[after identification of item(s)], Thoroughbred Chorus Collection, Dwight Anderson Memorial Music Library, University of Louisville.

Processing

Processed by Zach Willman, September 2017-December 2018.

Collection Description

Biographical Note

The Thoroughbreds are the Louisville, Kentucky chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. They are a seven-time international champion chorus, winning Barbershop Harmony Society International championships in 1962, 1966, 1969, 1974, 1978, 1981, and 1984. The chapter has also produced several championship quartets, including the Bluegrass Student Union, Interstate Rivals, Second Edition, and Seniors Quartet Champions the Barons. The Louisville chapter was founded in 1945 by Fritz W. Drybrough with an initial membership of thirty-three men. Since then, membership has grown immensely and the chorus is still very active, performing and competing annually.

Container List

Container List
Box Folder / Item Content
1 1 Minutes/Documents, 1956-1961
  2 Sage Lake Roundup history and roster
  3 INKY Notes, 1964-1974 
  4 INKY Notes, 1975-1977 
  5 INKY Notes, 1978-1979
  6 INKY Notes, 1980
2 1 INKY Notes, 1981-1983 
  2 INKY Notes, 1984-1987
  3 INKY Notes, 1988-1993
  4 INKY Notes, 1994-1998 
  5 Harmony Swipes, 1963-1969 
  6 Starting Gate, 1969-1976
3 1 Starting Gate, 1977-1978
  2 Starting Gate, 1979-1980
  3 Starting Gate, 1981-1983
  4 Starting Gate, 1984-1991
  5 Starting Gate, 1993-1994
4 1 Starting Gate, 1995-2012
  2 Annual Show Programs Vol. I 
5 1 Annual Show Programs Vol. II 
  2 Annual Show Programs Vol. III
6 1 Discography Through the Years 
  2 Photo Album - Quartets, Thoroughbreds and Friends
7 1 Photo Album - Thoroughbreds Out and About
  2 Photo Album - Thoroughbreds Through the Years
8 1 Miscellaneous items including historical information, membership and new member materials, and an issue of The Harmonizer magazine 
  2 International Convention materials 
  3 Miscellaneous concert programs
  4 Miscellaneous concert programs
  5 Miscellaneous marketing materials
  6 Newspaper clippings
  7 Miscellaneous items including letters of correspondence, a SPEBSQSA bumper sticker, a Barbershop Coloring Book, sheet music, chorus bulletins, an Annual Show script, and SPEBSQSA merchandise materials
9 1 Cardinal District Convention materials 
  2 From the collection of Harold Fow – Miscellaneous materials including SPEBSQSA patches, quartet business cards, membership cards, obituaries, original arrangements and other materials for the December 1971 Annual Show, and awards granted to Mr. Fow as a member of the Thoroughbred Chorus
  3 The Tote Board 1967-1972; Other Chorus bulletins and correspondence
  4 Photos from a chorus picnic outing
  5 Board meeting materials 1980-1981, The Harmonizer – The 1966 International Convention Issue
10 1 The Tote Board September 1967 – December 1968; Thoroughbreds guest book
  2 Barbershop Songs for men book 10 - 1958; Hymns for Men book 1 – 1959; Songs for Men book 8 – 1955; The Thoroughbreds Competitive Music: District Contest October 5, 1968
  3 The Thoroughbreds in Vaudeville – February 1, 1969 full show script and sheet music; Thoroughbreds on Television December 4-11, 1971 full show script and sheet music
  4 1974 administrative materials pertaining to Kansas City International Competition March 18, 1974; and Chorditorium Appearance Kansas City, Mo. – Thursday July 11, 1974; sheet music
  5 The Thoroughbreds production of Go West, Young Man June 10, 1967 full show script and sheet music; and other arrangements
  6 Guest Book 1971 Show – Pamona Valley Chapter; The Tote Board Volume III 1969
11 1 Barbershop Craft; The Thoroughbreds Craft of Barbershop Harmony by Ed Gentry; Lyrics to songs featured by the Chorus of the Louisville Chapter, S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A., Inc. in Annual Shows 1946- 1950
  2 Show scripts/set lists/cue sheets – Elgin September 11, 1982; Thoroughbred Show Galt House August 11, 1982; Thoroughbreds On Campus December 12, 1970; Thoroughbreds on Television December 4-11, 1971; Doc Finkstadders Minstrels; Melodies for Millions: a Harmony College Show; Thorobred Annual Show “One for the Record” Friday March 30, 1962; Holidays in Hollywood December 16, 1967; The Thoroughbreds’ Production of “You Ain’t Heard Nothin’ Yet” December 17, 1966; Those Good Old Days Thoroughbred Chapter Show January 30, 1965; College Years – Harmony Reunion 1969 Annual Show – Ambassadors of Harmony. Chapter Show December 8, 1962 “Harmony Holidays” Script. Thoroughbred Chapter Winter Show December 3, 1960 “It’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas” Script; Correspondence, sheet music, show scripts, show posters
  3 “Salute to America” Bicentennial Music; Script and lighting cue sheet for Thoroughbreds production of “Girls, Girls, Girls”; 1972 Show Script for The Bryn Mawr chapter’s production of Barbershopping is Fun, featuring The Citations
  4 Arrangements, concert programs, district and chapter bulletins, administrative materials, correspondence , barbershop diction study guide, concert posters, Thoroughbred Barbershop Craft “Mini” Manual 
  5 Barbershop Craft Manual; Thoroughbred Annual Show Fri. March 30, 1962 Script “One for the Record”; Show Scripts 1960-1961 
12 1 Society arrangements/Armed Forces Song Folio arrangements 1954-1956
  2 Jim Miller’s Administration Binder – Chorus Administration, Personnel and Training, Barbershop Craft, Rehearsal Schedules
  3 Miscellaneous Board of Directors materials 2002-2008
  4 Harmony heritage songs 1957 nos. 6-11, 22; Songs for men Book 9, 1956
13 1 Photo Album – Lois and Harold Fow – ca. 1954-1978; chorus and quartet photos, chorus outings and events, quartet business cards, Miller Family photos
  2 Scrap book/photo album – Michael C. Kippes – material from ca. 1973-1976
  3 Scrap book/photo album – The Crows – material from ca. 1972-1973
14 - International and District Convention and Contest materials
  1
  • 1963: Toronto, Ontario, Canada (no content)
  • 1974: Kansas City, Missouri – Convention Information 
  • 1975: Cardinal District International Preliminary Quartet Contest, Evansville, Indiana; other convention materials
  • 1979: International Convention Minneapolis, Minnesota – Convention Information; Cardinal District International Preliminary Quartet Contest, Indianapolis, Indiana
  • 1980: Cardinal District International Preliminary Quartet Contest, Lafayette, Indiana; other convention materials
  • 1981: Detroit, Michigan (no content) 
  • 1982: Pittsburg, Pennsylvania – Cardinal District Master Convention Manual
  • 1983: Seattle, Washington – Cardinal District Quartet and Chorus Contests, Louisville, Kentucky; other materials: Minutes of Think Tank Meeting; Thoroughbred Chorus Membership Roster
  • 1984: International Quartet and Chorus Contest, St. Louis, Missouri; Cardinal District Chorus Contest, Paducah, Kentucky; other convention materials
  • 1985: International Quartet Contest, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Cardinal District Quartet and Chorus Contests, Indianapolis, Indiana 
  • 1986: Salt Lake City, Utah (no content)
  • 1987: International Chorus Contest, Hartford, Connecticut; Cardinal District International Preliminary Quartet Contest, Indianapolis, Indiana; Cardinal District Chorus Contest, Lexington, Kentucky; other convention materials
  2
  • 1988: International Quartet and Chorus Contest, San Antonio, Texas; Cardinal District Quartet Contest and Chorus Contest to Select the International Chorus Representative, Evansville, Indiana; other convention materials
  • 1989: International Quartet and Chorus Contests, Kansas City, Missouri; Cardinal District Chorus Contest and International Quartet Preliminary Quartet Contest, Fort Wayne, Indiana; Cardinal District Quartet and Chorus Contests, Columbus, Indiana; other convention materials 
  • 1990: International Quartet Contest, San Francisco, California; Cardinal District Chorus Contest and International Preliminary Quartet Contest, Indianapolis, Indiana; Cardinal District Quartet and Chorus Contest, Evansville, Indiana; other convention materials
  3
  • 1991: International Quartet and Chorus Contests, Louisville, Kentucky; Cardinal District Chorus Contest and International Preliminary Quartet Contest, Columbus, Indiana; Cardinal District Chorus Contest, Evansville, Indiana; other convention materials
  • 1992: International Quartet and Chorus Contests, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 1993: International Quartet and Chorus Contests, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Cardinal District Quartet Contest and International Preliminary Chorus Contest, Louisville, Kentucky; other convention materials 
  4
  • 1994: International Quartet and Chorus Contests, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; Cardinal District International Preliminary Quartet Contest, Columbus, Indiana; Cardinal District Quartet Contest and International Preliminary Chorus Contest, Columbus, Indiana; other convention materials
  • Bolton Landing, New York Trip, September 1-5, 1994
  • 1995: International Quartet Contest, Miami Beach, Florida; Cardinal District Quartet Contest and International Preliminary Chorus Contest, Columbus, Indiana; other convention materials
  • 1996: International Quartet and Chorus Contests, Salt Lake City, Utah; other convention materials; Cardinal District International Preliminary Chorus Contest, Muncie, Indiana
  5
  • 1997: International Chorus Contest, Indianapolis, Indiana; other convention materials
  • 1998: International Quartet and Chorus Contests, Atlanta, Georgia; Cardinal District Chorus Contest and International Preliminary Quartet Contest, Muncie, Indiana; other convention materials
15 1 Materials from other conventions: 1965, 1969, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1999, 2000
  2 Miscellaneous materials including chapter roster and photo, chapter and society correspondence, concert programs, etc.
  3 Society and chapter arrangements
  4 Cardinal District Directories – various ranging from 1958 to 1991
16 1 The Derbytowners concert programs 1960-1965
  2 The Citations concert programs 1966-1967
  3 The Citations concert programs 1969-April 1971
  4 The Citations concert programs May 1971-September 1971
  5 The Citations concert programs 1972
  6 The Citations concert programs 1973
  7 Framed Photo – The Citations Crow Boat Ride August 14, 1966
  8 Citation declaring The Citations honorary Phoenicians, March 22-23, 1974
  9 Plaque presented to The Citations by The Thoroughbreds, December 10, 1977
17 1 Louisville Chapter Quartet and Chorus photos
  2 Louisville Chapter photos, correspondence, awards
  3 Society and Louisville Chapter Quartet and Chorus photos
18 1 Derbytowners framed photos 1959-1965
19 1 Derbytowners framed photos 1961-1966
20 1 Thoroughbreds framed photos 1958-1975
21 1 Plaques presented to Jim Miller 1964-2002
22 1 Box of negatives 1958-1986
  2 Sheet of slides from Christmas show 1982; Sheets of undated negatives of headshots of each chorus member
23 1 Jim Miller’s awards – 1960-1996
  2 Chorus and Quartet photos

 

Music Librarian

James Procell

James Procell

Director, Music Library

Music Library 160E