What was Hourglass?

We were a quartet from Butler, PA (about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh). We sang together from late 1990 until the fall of 1996. We sang in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Michigan. We performed for groups of all sizes and shapes -- from kids' groups to nursing-home parties; from Sweet Adelines' chapter shows to the Pittsburgh Symphony's "Fiddlesticks" concert to the National Anthem for the Pittsburgh Pirates; from the nationally syndicated Jim Hightower radio show to the Discovery Channel's "Amazing America" show.

We enjoyed each other's company.

We sang a mix of music, mostly in the barbershop style. Like the 35,000-or-so other members of SPEBSQSA. (the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America), we enjoyed singing in the barbershop style, and are still individually dedicated to helping to preserve this American art form. We also enjoyed singing some music that wasn't strictly barbershop, such as Boyz-II-Men's arrangement of "In the Still of the Night," and the Four Freshmen's arrangement of "Blue World." We did old-fashioned, tear-jerking barbershop ballads, toe-tapping rhythm stuff, and a wide range of pretty off-the-wall comedy.

We also recorded two albums that are still available. "Hourglass is Home for the Holidays" was released in late September 1995. It's available on CD and cassette. It was our second serious recording effort, and the process was nearly as much fun as the product. Our first recording, "Spending Time with Hourglass," was released in August 1994 (on cassette only), and is no longer available . If you'd like to learn more about how to order the holiday album, go back to the home page.