ALEXANDRIA — Touted as a superb tenor, Keith Olson of Alexandria says barbershop style singing “gets in your blood.”

Olson, who moved to Alexandria in 2023, is performing with the premier Journeymen Chorus at a concert Sunday, March 23, in Alexandria The free event, courtesy of the Red Willow Arts Coalition , will take place at 1:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at the Alexandria Area High School. Free will donations are being accepted at the door, which opens at 12:45 p.m.

The Journeymen will be performing along with two quartets – Chord Smash and Kordal Kombat .

Olson says singing is way of sharing a message

Olson said in an email to the newspaper that he has been a member of the Journeymen Chorus since 2022. He has also served on the board of directors as the secretary, show committee chair and tenor section leader from the beginning of when the group was formed.

Growing up in Ortonville, Olson got his start with a barbershop group in Milbank, South Dakota, when he was in high school. He has been singing music in the barbershop style for 35 years and he says, “It absolutely gets in your blood.”

The award-winning tenor also said that singing is his way of sharing a message. And, it is especially moving when he gets to do it with other singers in the barbershop style.

“It's a wonderful feeling to be able to share those harmonies with guys who share the same passion,” said Olson. “The camaraderie that I experience is definitely worth the three hour drive – one way – to rehearsal (with the Journeymen group).”

According to Olson, the idea for the Journeymen Chorus was to bring together some of the best barbershop singers in the Upper Midwest while also having a lot of fun together.

He added that the group likes to believe they are good musicians and even better guys. Olson said the group of guys are driven to learn difficult music for heartfelt performances in the barbershop style as well as a wide variety of other music.

Journeymen Chorus brought Olson back to singing

After high school, Olson continued singing and competing in barbershop choruses and quartets in the Twin Cities area for many years.

However, he said he took a short time away from the demands of performing while his children were in high school.

“It was the Journeymen Chorus that brought me back to singing again,” said Olson. “Sometimes you don’t realize how much you miss something, and then it hits you.”

Olson said he not only enjoys singing, but is thankful to be singing with his son, Seth, in the Journeymen Chorus.

“The positive energy from this group is so infectious and we hope that you sense the brotherhood in the audience,” he said.

In addition to singing with the Journeymen Chorus , Olson also sings in a quartet called Rhapsody. The group is currently the Barbershop Harmony Society's International Seniors Silver Medalist quartet.

“I have known these guys for over 20 years, so it's like sharing success with family,” Olson said of receiving the silver medal. He also shared that the group rehearses in Phoenix, Arizona.

Why did he choose Alexandria?

Olson shared in his email that Alexandria is a special place for his family. His mother grew up in Parkers Prairie and because of that, he said lake life is in the fabric of their family.

His career was in dentistry in Montevideo, but his family also had a cabin on Lake Ida for about 20 years.

“At retirement in 2023, it just felt right to lay down new roots here (in Alexandria),” he said. “This community has been so welcoming and I'm thankful for the people who we now call our friends.”

About the Journeymen Chorus

According to a news release from Kyle Weaver from the Journeymen Chorus, the group was established in the post-COVID world of summer 2022. Founding director Scott Perau began meeting with a group of his close friends and fellow barbershop singers who, at the time, were not doing a whole lot of organized singing.

The idea was to bring together some of the most accomplished barbershop singers in the Upper Midwest, guys who could not only sing and perform at a high level, but also would have a boatload of fun together before, during and after each gathering.

The resulting ensemble counts among its members more than a dozen Land O’Lakes District Barbershop Quartet champions, several experienced music educators and singers who hail from three different states. The Journeymen Chorus said it's committed to making great men's vocal harmony that has a positive emotional impact on audiences while offering its members the opportunity to experience fun, camaraderie and brotherhood.

To learn more, visit the Journeymen Chorus website at journeymenchorus.org .