The North Carolina Harmony Brigade performs its 17th consecutive concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, at Owens Auditorium, Sandhills Community College.

The NCHB, a barbershop-style a cappella chorus, will entertain with tunes old and new. This group of 140 members and their guests congregate each January in Southern Pines to participate in what has been described as Extreme Quartet Singing. The members and guests are charged each year with memorizing 12 arrangements of songs that have been performed in international competition. These arrangements are generally very complex and require a wide range of octaves. They then pair up at random to have their own competition in a very light-hearted way and to enjoy ringing those beautiful barbershop chords. The event climaxes with all the competitors joining to perform as a chorus on Saturday evening.

A dozen members from the Golf Capital Chorus, the local chapter, hold dual membership with the North Carolina Harmony Brigade. NCHB membership is granted by invitation only from NCHB and only after the participant has attended as a guest for two to three consecutive years and has demonstrated a skill level that warrants membership.

The headliner quartet for the evening performance this year is Quadzilla. Quadzilla is currently the top-ranked men's barbershop quartet in North and South Carolina. Although barbershop is their style, they also perform "cutting edge" a cappella from such artists as The Gatlin Brothers, Harry Connick Jr. and the Byrds. They recently have appeared on NPR radio programs and sang the national anthem for the NBA Charlotte Bobcats.

Tickets can be purchased at the following locations: Arts Council of Moore County at the Campbell House; The Little River Golf and Resort (this year's NCHB headquarters); The Country Bookshop, at 692-3211 or from members, Larry Harter at 295-3529, Bob Tweed at 295-3199, Bob Boone at 715-1458. Tickets may be purchased at the box office of the auditorium Saturday evening.