It started with an episode of The Simpsons, the one where Homer starts a barbershop quartet.
Inspired by the episode, four young Swedes just out of high school decided to start their own quartet.
“We didn’t know anything about barbershop, but we wanted to learn,” member Emanuel Roll said.
They practiced, perfected and performed. And six years later, they won.
Ringmasters, the 2012 International Quartet Champions, will perform July 1 at Kimball Theatre. As Ringmasters’ first performance in Virginia, the concert kicks off a U.S. tour marking the group’s first return to the states since 2014.
They come from a choir background. Jakob Stenberg, Rasmus Krigstrom, Marin Wahlgren and Emanuel Roll all attended the same music schools, Adolf Fredrik’s Music School and Stockholm’s Musikgymnasium. They formed Ringmasters in 2006.
“It was something about the raw sound of barbershop harmonies that was attractive to us,” Roll said, speaking from Stockholm the day before heading to the U.S.
They also enjoyed the relaxed nature of barbershop-style singing, Roll said.
“Sometimes classical music can be a bit stiff and serious,” he said, “and we learned from barbershop that music doesn’t always have to be like that, doesn’t have to be serious, even though everyone strives for musical excellence.”
Ringmasters pursued excellence from the start. The goal, from the beginning, was to become international champions.
“When people hear how much we practice for a song to become competition ready, they can’t believe that it’s true,” Roll said. “We put hundreds of hours into just a couple of songs, just to make them perfect.”
In 2012, Ringmasters competed against nearly 50 quartets, who qualified out of hundreds, and took the gold medal at Barbershop Harmony Society’s International Convention.
The members’ classical training is evident in Ringmasters’ performances and repertoire, though the group touches on a wide range of genres, from barbershop classics to Beatles hits.
Mostly, the members of Ringmaster hope audiences enjoy the same qualities that once drew them to the style.
“We will bring a lot of high energy to the stage,” Roll said. “We want audiences to feel very relaxed and entertained at the same time.”
Ticket proceeds benefit the Back to School project of Spirit Rising, an area nonprofit that supports Native Americans suffering from poverty.
Bridges can be reached by phone at 757-345-2342.
For more information
When: 7-9 p.m., Friday
Where: Kimball Theatre, 424 W. Duke of Gloucester St.
Tickets: $20
Purchase tickets at 888-965-7254 or colonialwilliamsburg.com/do/kimball-theatre.
