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.

Will Rogers, Assistant Director

Will, a second-generation barbershopper hailing from New Bedford, MA, boasts more than a decade of experience as a quartet-er, chorus director, coach, and chapter leader. His journey into the world of Barbershop Harmony began in 2010 when his father introduced him to a rehearsal for what would evolve into the Fall River, MA chapter (G-20), sparking a lifelong passion. Taking after his father's legacy, Will assumed the directorship of the New Bedford, MA chapter (Harpoon Harmonizers) in 2015, a role he fulfilled until 2018. In 2018, he played a pivotal role in co-founding the Southern New England Chapter (Voices United), contributing to the forefront of the Mixed Harmony movement. Will is the Baritone of the 2018 Northeastern District Quartet Champions, Greenlight, a perennial international quartet contest qualifier. Beyond his musical pursuits, Will has been actively involved in administrative capacities across various BHS chapters and Northeastern District programs, earning membership in the Northeastern District's Honor Society. When not immersed in Barbershop, he finds joy in disc golfing, sailing, and chess. Additionally, Will holds a Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. During the day, Will is a Procurement Analyst, serving as a valuable asset for a publicly traded manufacturing company in the electrical industry.

Past Chorus Directors