In Celebration of the Human Voice - The Essential Musical Instrument

Lads of Enchantment History

Based in: United States
While some quartets continue singing for years as International Champions, others are forced, for one reason or another, to "hang up the pitch pipe" soon after winning the gold. The Lads of Enchantment, 1957 winners, was one of the latter.

And yet tenor Don Pitts, lead Dan Aycock, bari Carl Wright and bass Gil Wallace, all from Albuquerque, left their mark in some areas as indelibly as did the Suntones.

How many quartets since then, for example, have sung Hal Staab's There's a Rose on Your Cheek or Ro-Ro-Rollin' Along, borrowed from the Sweet Adelines' Big Four Quartet and arranged by Floyd Connett? The "Lads" introduced both songs. When they sang what they thought was Frank Thorne's version of Love Me and the World is Mine, Frank asked THEM for the arrangement.

They proved, also, that at least for two successive years, they were the best in their league. In the 1956 International preliminary contest, they qualified although losing to Lou Laurel's Desertaires.

In Minneapolis they won third-place medals, while the Desertaires placed ninth. The following year the Gaynotes beat them in the prelims. But in Los Angeles the Lads took the gold, and the Gaynotes had to wait until 1958.

Awards
1957 - Barbershop Quartet Champions