We are excited to announce Garry "Butch" Ashdown as our new director!
Garry “Butch” Ashdown joined Evergreen Chorus as musical director in July 2024. However, Butch is no stranger to barbershop. Butch is a well versed musician with perfect pitch. (Both, a blessing and a curse). Butch has almost 30 years of barbershop background and has sung with quartets and choruses in New York and Connecticut. Butch began with the Poughkeepsie Newyorkers in 1994 as a tenor and sang with Hudson Valley Connection, which then transcended into his longest running quartet, “Swing Shift”. As Butch moved to the Baritone part , Swing Shift won their division quartet contests 3 times and Bronze medaled in 3 Northeastern District contests between 1999 and 2008. Butch would also sing with the Big Apple Chorus from Manhattan NY and sang on the BHS International stage for the first time! Butch has also sung with the Connecticut Yankee Chorus and currently sings with the Danbury Madhatters in Connecticut. Butch was then able to find a new quartet with his old bass friend John Hadigan and sing with SUREFIRE! They won a couple of division contests and also won 2 Bronze medals in recent years. Butch is still singing with SUREFIRE! and is excited for their future.
But Butch states he hit his pinnacle barbershop wish to direct a chorus. Butch states, “This is a golden opportunity for me to share my talent with one of the best women’s barbershop choruses in the USA. I’ve been blessed to have been one of Evergreen’s coaches for over 20 years and to be with them at many competitions including the 2017 Harmony Classic in Las Vegas where they finished in 3rd place.” Butch is certainly looking forward to having Evergreen sing well, have fun, and share their love for singing with many audiences to enjoy.
Butch is a retired career firefighter from the City of Kingston Fire Dept. He also served as a police officer in a couple of Ulster County towns for 17 years. Butch enjoys baseball and is an umpire in retirement and a 100% diehard New York Yankees fan. The only thing better than his hobbies are his family. Butch has been married to Sherie for 36 years. He has 2 grown kids and he absolutely adores his “Punka Wunkins”, Ava, his precious granddaughter. When Butch and Sherie are not on a cruise ship, they make their home in Modena, NY.
