Regal Blend was formed in August of 2001. The quartet is a part of the Stevens Point, Wisconsin Northern Gateway Chorus, located it the Land O Lakes District of the Barbershop Harmony Society. The beta version of Regal Blend was formed two years prior to this when Jack Edgerton, Joe Larson, Ron Moe and Bill Loos got together to try their voices in a Packerland Division contest. Now, with new personnel, a new foursome felt that there was a certain quality waiting to be let out of an unrehearsed, inexperienced shell.

The story goes something like this: In late July, perhaps early August of 2001, an otherwise normal chorus rehearsal at Stevens Point Wisconsin was winding down for the evening. Three (two?) other members of the chapter approached a member with a simple inquiry.

"Would you be interested in singing in a quartet?"

It isn't recorded as to whether these four guys sang a song that night or not, but they did agree to get together in the near future to see if the sound jelled enough to add encouragement to for all appearances was an already enthusiastic foursome.

Well, this story wouldn't have gotten this far if things had not sounded encouraging at that next meeting. Let's meet the individuals that became Regal Blend (v.2.0) back in 2001.

Joe Larson sings lead. For those of you who are not tuned in to barbershop jargon, the lead generally sings the melody line of the song. The lead is said to be the story teller.

Joe lives in Stevens Point (more properly Park Ridge) and has been a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society since 1999.  His musical talents include piano and we have encouraged him to arrange several songs for us. Perhaps the most notable and fun song being the revival of the Point Beer jingle that we used to hear as college students on the radio.

Joe also sings with the Monteverdi Master Chorale, and plays piano and guitar with Norm Dombrowski and the Happy Notes polka band.

Providing the tenor is Brent Frankenhoff. Brent had the tough job of replacing Andy Ruplinger, our original tenor, after Andy needed to step away due to family and job obligations.  Brent is our youngest member, both in age and longevity in this style of music. The tenor part of four part a cappella harmony in the barbershop style adds the sparkle to the chords created.

Brent lives in Iola, Wisconsin, and has a family at home to keep him busy when he's not busy.

Every organization has to have a good foundation to build on and in the four part chord of barbershop harmony, that foundation is the bass part. Ron Moe provides that foundation for Regal Blend. The bass, of course, is the lowest part of the four part barbershop chord and is probably the part that gives the chord that male resonance that is distinctive to the style.

Ron lives in Stevens Point, when he isn't on the job. His job takes him all over the mid-west and plains states. Quartet rehearsals are usually planned around when we can have him. Ron came to us from Iowa where he sang with Algona Cornbelt Chorus.

Three parts of the four part chord are covered so far and that leaves the baritone part. Norm Barnard sings baritone, which can be described as the part left over. The baritone is charged with balancing out the chord with whatever niche seems to be left over. Because of the way the baritone part will sometimes be below the melody line at other times it will be above the melody line, if it were sung by itself, it sounds pretty strange. Norm calls it the weird part. The baritone part is described as adding dignity to the barbershop sound. (Insert giggle here.)

Norm lives in Westfield and has been singing barbershop harmony for 45 years. Norm started with a quartet in high school that was an off shoot of the local chapter known as the Marchords. It was a county wide chapter started in Marquette County Wisconsin. His next chapter was the Ripon Harmony Kings after the dissolution of the Marchords and a sabbatical during college. He transferred from the Ripon chapter to Stevens Point in the late 1980's.