Our History

 

The Sacramento Capitolaires is one of the original barbershop chapters on the west coast, having been founded more than 60 years ago. The Capitolaires received their charter from the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing In America, Inc.  (SPEBSQSA) on June 17, 1946.

SPEBSQSA Logo

The origin of the society owes it's existence to a chance meeting in March 1938, in Kansas City, Missouri. The Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America "SPEBSQSA" Now known as The Barbershop Harmony Society was formed in 1938, by O. C. Cash and Rupert Hall, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was a dark and stormy night ... well, okay, not really. But it was rather foggy, a front was moving in, and flights out of Kansas City were canceled. O.C. Cash, a businessman from Tulsa, made his way to the Hotel Muehlebach to pass the time until he could continue his trip. Looking around, he spotted a vaguely familiar face, walked over, and asked the fellow if he could sing tenor. Rupert Hall allowed as he could. After securing a lead and bass, the foursome retired to Rupert’s room and spent the evening harmonizing. That chance meeting at Kansas City’s Hotel Muehlebach led to the founding of the largest all-male singing society in the world. O.C. decided to go ahead with an idea that had been in the back of his mind for a while: to draw up a list of close-harmony singers in the towns he visited on business. That way, when he had some time on his hands, he could call up three like-minded men and get in a little good singing. He and Rupert agreed to invite some friends to a song-filled meeting when they were both back in Tulsa. They sent out 14 invitations; one month later 26 men showed up on the evening of April 11, 1938. And after that ... well, you have a pretty good idea what happened after that.