About the Vocal Majority

Imagine a group of 100+ men volunteering from all walks of life with varying degrees of musical talent and experience, with hearts full of joy, excitement and passion for singing. Call them The Vocal Majority(R), then be prepared for an extraordinary musical experience that has touched millions of people around the world. Our tagline says it best: we're "pure harmony."

Over the years, the Vocal Majority has released more than two-dozen recordings that feature their diverse musical repertoire that spans from sacred and inspirational, patriotic, time-honored barbershop, jazz, Broadway, pops, and Christmas.  

Officially known as the Dallas Metropolitan Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, The Vocal Majority was formed by 12 men who gathered on December 2, 1971. Their vision was to create a chapter that would become the finest singing group in the world. The Chorus was born and Ray Anthony became the first director in April of 1972. Three men are listed on our Articles of Incorporation as Incorporators: Robert L. Arnold, Larry C. Roseborough, and William B. Vandivort II. Our Articles of Incorporation also list ten men who constituted the original Board of Directors: Bob Arnold, Jim Clancy, Harrold Gorgan, Art Haynes, Burton Jones, Al Kvanli, Charles Lyman, Larry C. Roseborough, Bill Thornton, and Bill Vandivort. A copy of the original 1972 Charter, Board of Directors, and Charter Members can be viewed here.

With the burning desire to compete, Vocal Majority won its first Southwestern District Chorus Championship in the fall of 1973. During the summer of 1974, VM entered its first international competition with seventy-three men who brought home a third place finish. Director Ray Anthony persuaded VM member Jim Clancy to take over the role of director in August of 1974. In 1975, when Vocal Majority returned to international competition in Indianapolis, they brought home their first gold medal. Regrettably, the chorus was financially unable to attend the 1976 international swan song performance. In 1977 during the Houston Southwestern District Chorus competition, VM was awarded their third championship. In their quest to win in Cincinnati in the summer of 1978, the chorus endured a heart-breaking 10 point loss to the Louisville Thoroughbreds. As Clancy recalls...”That one loss was the best thing that ever happened to us, because learning to overcome that loss helped us develop heart and character. It (the loss) is when the real heart and soul of the Vocal Majority began.” 

Vocal Majority has medaled in every international competition in which it has competed. The medal count includes thirteen gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze medal. The men of the VM are honored to have earned an unprecedented ten gold medals in a row from 1979 to 2006, with our most recent Gold Medal won in 2018. Society rules only allow choruses to win gold once every three years.

In its 40-year history, the VM has been known for its a cappella music, but the chorus has also enthralled new audiences by singing with many symphony orchestras including the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Texas Wind Symphony, Las Colinas Symphony, Mid-Cities Orchestra, Richardson Symphony, Irving Symphony, San Angelo Symphony, Utah State Symphony and the Constitution Symphony Orchestra. The Chorus was also featured on national television along with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in a 1986 broadcast for the CBS Masterworks project titled Voices In Harmony. However, it is the 1998 performance with The Atlanta Symphony in Olympic Centennial Park that stands out as the Vocal Majority’s largest audience with over 135,000 people in attendance.

The chorus has also performed at home in many of our United States, as well as abroad in England, Scotland, Wales, and Canada. In addition, the VM has sung in front of U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush and have been privileged to share the stage with The Four Freshmen, The Lettermen, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Suntones, the Texas Boys Choir, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Glen Campbell, Jimmy Dean, Bob Flanagan, John Gary, Lee Greenwood, Jack Jones and Johnny Mann. 

Vocal Majority is proud to present their extensive discography which extends from the nostalgic yesteryears of 1975 running through today, all of which are available here.

The men of Vocal Majority wish to thank you for your continued support and for being such an integral part of the VM’s history “in the making.”