Arranged Marriage - Christina Lewellen, tenor; Jessi Nasto, lead; Richard Lewellen, baritone, and Tony Nasto, bass; won the MBHA Quartet Champion trophy at Harmony, Inc.'s Area 3 convention in May and are now headed to compete for the first MBHA International Champion title at the HI annual convention in Louisville, Kentucky this November.

Arranged Marriage is a brand new ensemble born out of love for the barbershop art form and love for their spouses. The quartet is comprised of two married couples with over one hundred years experience in barbershop singing and will celebrate their first anniversary as a foursome during the Harmony Inc. International Convention in Louisville this November.

Jessi and Tony Nasto fill in the center section of the quartet providing the lead and bass roles. Jessi is a Harmony Queen with Livewire, having won the championship in 2015 singing bass and currently also sings bass Vivàce, HI Area 3 2024 Silver medalist, as well as singing with Northern Blend Chorus, 2022 Harmony, Inc. International Chorus Champion. This is her first time stepping into the lead slot and the other three in the quartet definitely feel her natural abilities pouring out with effortless beauty.

Tony most notably sang tenor with Men in Black, 2005 BHS International Collegiate Quartet Champion and perennial top 10 finalists. He was originally a bass and is loving being able to return to that role. Jessi and Tony live in Dryden, New York, with their two daughters, Nova, and Atlas. They are involved in many community organizations including Risen Hope Community Church where they serve on the worship team.

Christina and Richard Lewellen occupy the "bookend" spots of tenor and baritone for Arranged Marriage. Christina sang tenor with EPIC, 2012 Harmony Queens and also currently sings bass in Legacy, HI Area 3 2024 Bronze medalist, and in Bella Nova Chorus, 2023 Harmony, Inc. Silver medalist.

Richard is best known for his ninja baritone singing with Riptide, multi-time Bronze medalist quartet in BHS. He is currently the musical director of Bella Nova Chorus and coach extraordinaire for many ensembles throughout the country. Christina and Richard have a home in Stephens City, Virginia, where they live with their four daughters, Bryn, Morgan, Kaitlyn, and Kenzie.

Performing at Area 3 convention
To say that Arranged Marriage was thrilled to have their first public performance be at the Area 3 convention would be quite an understatement. Area 3 is more than a convention, more than choruses and quartets, and even more than friends. Area 3 is home. The response even from just being present was so loving and heartfelt that when the quartet reached the stage it felt like our hundredth performance instead of our first.

We especially want to thank all the volunteers and members who did all the work behind the scenes to make our weekend so exceptional and to the esteemed judges who stayed up so late to make sure we received top level evals that excited the quartet into an even deeper commitment and love for the mission of bringing high level singing performances and breaking down the barriers of gender exclusivity within the barbershop genre along with so many other mixed quartets and choruses with that same focus.

Arranged Marriage is excited to have qualified for the MBHA International Championship contest this November, but are also just as overjoyed to have multiple performance opportunities through the fall and being able to enjoy each other’s company and produce what we call "pretty sounds". If you who are reading this and are interested in including our group on your performance, please contact Tony to get that ball rolling.

Thank you to all those who support us and show us the love that only a barbershop audience can give. "Pretty sounds" is the goal. Anything more is a gift.

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Prime Time loves Area 5 convention
'...like kids singing all night on Halloween!'
By Dick Powell, Editor  
“We spend more time just laughing and joking than actually rehearsing,” says Steve Boone, bass of MBHA quartet Prime Time. “We really enjoy each other’s company,” he adds when asked to describe what it is like to be part of his first mixed voice quartet.

All members of Prime Time have sung in HI and BHS ensembles, but this is their first experience with a mixed-voice quartet.  In addition to Steve, the group includes Barry Towner as baritone, Mary Allin on lead, and Judi Johnston singing tenor.  After three months together, they entered their first HI Area 5 competition in 2023. They enjoyed the experience so much they came back for the 2024 convention and qualified for the Harmony, Inc. International Convention and Contests. Unfortunately, previous commitments preclude their attendance so they hope to qualify again and attend the 2025 HI IC&C.

“It just seems natural to want to compete - to improve our sound and all aspects of our performance,” Steve adds.

The convention at Area 5 was a real eye opener for Steve. “Everyone was so encouraging. I had never experienced anything like the Moon Glow on Saturday night.  The theme, the costumes, the music, the food, - it was like kids singing all night on Halloween!”

For now, Prime Time will be singing together everywhere they can, expanding their repertoire, and polishing their performance to be even better entertainers. Want to find them?  Just follow the sound of laughter and beautiful barbershop chords!