The Jubil-Aires rehearse Wednesdays from 7-9 pm at King of Kings Lutheran Church, 4025 Kings Way, Fairfax, VA.
The Fairfax Jubil-Aires are members of the Fairfax County Virginia chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, formerly known as the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA). BHS is the largest singing society in the world, with over 750 chapters in the U.S. and Canada, and with affiliate groups in eight other countries. In each chapter, members combine to form a chorus and quartets that entertain by performing a cappela vocal music in close harmony for a fee or just for fun. Each year, in addition to an annual show and Singing Valentines, the Jubil-Aires chorus and quartets perform throughout the area at such places as the White House Ellipse, Fairfax City parade and fireworks displays, county and city parks, cable TV, ball parks, senior citizen residences, conventions, banquets, and other social events.
The Fairfax Chapter consists of approximately 70 members who come from many backgrounds but share a love of singing a cappella close harmony. They meet at 7:00 PM each Wednesday at King of Kings Lutheran Church, 4025 Kings Way, Fairfax, VA 22033. Director Richard Lewellen is a dynamic and innovative barbershopper and leader. If you enjoy singing, whether or not you have any musical training, this group may be right for you. Visitors are encouraged and always welcomed, whether they come to sing or just to enjoy listening to a musical style that has pleased people for over a hundred years.
The Jubil-Aires Chorus is a mixed chorus, accepting applicants from all genders. But we are more than just an a cappella chorus. We are truly a family, dedicated to great singing and the wonderful fellowship that comes with it. Wives, husbands, sweethearts, and significant others are actively involved, and we are especially proud of the support we receive from our Jubil-Ladies and Lads. If you and your family are looking for an extended family and the chance to sing, JOIN US!
The Fairfax Jubil-Aires are proud to have Richard R. Lewellen as their Director of Music and Performance. Richard is well known in the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) as an accomplished a cappella vocalist (see below), chorus director (see below), barbershop harmony coach and former Singing Category judge. He started his career in barbershop as a teenager and has over 45 years of experience, and he has served as a faculty member for the Society’s annual Harmony College/Director’s College, the premier educational event for the BHS. He has also produced professional recordings, contributing as a vocalist and managing a significant portion of the post-production process. Richard has a master’s degree in Music Therapy from Shenandoah University’s Conservatory in Winchester, VA.
Richard began singing barbershop harmony in his first year of high school at Beverly Hills HS in 1978. “During my first year of High School, I met a guy who became my best friend,” he recalls. “He had just started barbershopping and his Dad had started a few months earlier. I’ve enjoyed being a part of the Barbershop Harmony Society ever since.”