The Big Chicken Chorus has reached its 40th year of barbershop harmony in East Cobb. The group marked the milestone with its anniversary summer show at Lassiter Concert Hall on Sunday, July 12, a two-hour performance themed "A Day in the Life of A Big Chicken Barberhopper."
The full chorus shared the stage with three local quartets: Classic Cuts, Fourmation, and Avoid the Frogs, a ladies' quartet and Sweet Adelines Region 14 champions. Tickets were $15.
Bill Schreiner founded the chorus in April 1986, naming it after Marietta's iconic 56-foot-tall Big Chicken landmark at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 41 and Roswell Road. What started as a small group of singers meeting in a local basement has grown into an award-winning ensemble. More than 500 men have sung with the group over its four decades, according to East Cobber magazine.
During its competitive peak, the chorus appeared at the international Barbershop Harmony Society competition for 16 consecutive years, from 1990 through 2005, and placed third in the world in 1999. Members have also sung with internationally celebrated quartets, including champions FRED and Gentlemen's Agreement. The group has performed at the Fabulous Fox Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Hall, Centennial Olympic Park, and venues in Calgary, Montreal, and Harrogate, England. It holds "Georgia Touring Artist" status from the Georgia Council for the Arts.
Director Michaela Slamka-Johnston, a two-time international gold medalist, told East Cobber in June that the group's appeal endures because of its communal roots. "Barbershop harmony is powerful because it brings people together in a unique way," she said.
The chorus is the Marietta chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society and a Georgia 501(c)(3) nonprofit, receiving funding from the Marietta Kiwanis, Cobb EMC, United Arts of Cobb, and the Harmony Foundation.
Residents interested in joining or watching a rehearsal can visit Marietta Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1330 Cobb Parkway N., on Monday nights from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Rehearsals are open to the public. More information is available at BigChickenChorus.org.
Upcoming community events — Saturday, July 18
- Help Local Students donation drive, Cobb County Civic Center, 548 South Marietta Parkway SE, Marietta, 9 a.m.
- Praise Walk: Celebrating a Legacy of Faith, Service, Community, Pleasant Hill Church, 725 Pleasant Hill St., Roswell, 10 a.m.
- Back 2 School Collection for Homeless & Underserved Children, 11285 Elkins Rd., C-4, Roswell, 10 a.m.
