The Counterparts are a mixed five part singing group with sopranos, first and second altos, tenors and basses.  Our ages range from mid-twenties to mid-sixties.  We rehearse for two hours every Monday night and perform as often as someone will listen to us.  

The Counterparts were formed in 1960 as successors to a group called "The Roaring Twenty" which in turn went back to "The Music Crafters" who put on Broadway Musicals in the 1950's. In the early days, many of its members came from the Savoy Company, Philadelphia's noted Gilbert and Sullivan group.  Currently we have two active Savoyards and a few former members.  Hugh Hanson, the creator of the Counterparts, was director and principal arranger from the beginning until 1987.  Hugh’s successor as director was Ed Schultheiss. Ed came directly from the University of Pennsylvania where he had been the director of an undergraduate a cappella group called (by coincidence) The Counterparts. Our director from 1991 to 2001 was Bob Rowland, senior music master at the Shipley School. Lisa Bennett, graduate of James Madison University and mother of three, has been our director ever since.

Our big annual event, Spring Sing, a formal annual gathering of eleven a cappella groups based across the country. Starting in 1957, it has been hosted by each member group in rotation. The Counterparts are the senior group still participating, having first performed as "The Roaring Twenty" in 1962. The Counterparts were inactive from 1967 until 1982 after all but two of the men were transferred out of the area. By coincidence several old members returned to the area in 1978, and by 1982 The Counterparts were asked back to Spring Sing 25 as a guest group.  In 1985 we became the only group ever to return to Spring Sing.  For a few years we were both the senior and junior group at Spring Sing, which confused everybody, but makes a great story. If you'd like to learn more about Spring Sing, take a look at the AACA website: www.springsing.org