Our Directors
Bob O'Connell, Jr., Director
Bob O’Connell assumed duties as the Musical Director of the Narragansett Bay Chorus in May 2010. A very talented lead singer sang with the Northeastern District Medalists, Yankee Tradition, in 2001 he won the Northeastern District Quartet Championship with Road Show and has competed on the International level several times. One of his quartets, Trade Secret, was a NED Senior Champ and International Medalist. Bob also directs Harmony Heritage Chorus, a Harmony Incorporated barbershop chorus for the past five years. Music has always been a major part of his life, as he started playing the organ at the ripe old age of 5! He has continued his love of singing with a wide range of styles and venues, including classical, opera, religious, and contemporary music. A graduate of the University of Lowell, MA with degrees in Music Education and Performance and has recorded a number of original compositions on his two CDs that are available and can be purchased at any of our shows. When not singing with his quartet, Bob can be found writing and arranging tunes for the quartet and NBC, and many other barbershop groups.
Assistant Directors
Fred Kingsbury, Assistant Director
Fred started singing barbershop in 1970 as a senior in high school with the then Walpole Massachusetts chapter. His dad went with him the following week, and Fred sang tenor with his Dad in his first quartet called Three Dads and Lad. Fred entered college the next year as a music major and 2 years later became the director of the merged chapters of Walpole and Canton. Fred’s next quartet, in which he sang lead was Norfolk County Music Company, which attained 2nd place in the Northeast District in 1981. Fred joined NBC in 1980
and has sung tenor, lead, and baritone as the need arose. Fast forward a couple of decades and Fred is singing in a quartet with his son, David. Fred and his wife, Carol (tenor) formed Southeast Light, a mixed quartet singing baritone this time. They sang for about 15 wonderful years and still ring a chord when they get together. There was a five period where Fred enjoyed directing the Harmony Heritage chapter of Harmony Incorporated, taking them to their International Contest each year. Fred is a Northeastern District Senior Champion with X-Men and competed at mid-winter twice.
Fred and Carol’s current quartet is called Serotonin. Carol has moved down to baritone and Fred is now singing bass. Both Fred and Carol are members of the Voices United mixed chorus. He has also been involved with the Harmony Brigade for about 10 years (ask him about it).
The moral of this story is that if you start young enough and keep singing, you get to sing all four parts.
Past Chorus Directors
Year | Receipients |
1949 | George Arkwell |
1950-1954 | Bob Carter |
1955-1956 | Campbell Bunting |
1957-1964 | Ev Wood |
1965-1968 | Tom Sando |
1968-1969 | Nat Loomis |
1969-1972 | Gary Bolles |
1973 | Ev Wood |
1974-1976 | Gary Bolles |
1977 | John Spence |
1978-1979 | Mike Maino |
1979-1990 | Ted Doran |
1990-1991 | Mark Goodney |
1992-1993 | Rick Lepore |
1993-1994 | Brian O'Leary |
1994-1996 | Kirk Young |
1996-2004 | Ted Doran |
2005-2010 | Gail Jencik |
2010 - Present | Bob O'Connell |