Barbershop is an exciting and vibrant style of unaccompanied four part singing, which involves three parts harmonising around a melody line. It uses chord arrangements rarely used in other types of singing. Barbershop singers adjust pitches to achieve perfectly tuned chords while remaining true to the established tonal centre. The barbershop arrangements help produce a ringing quality which in turn creates the uniquely distinctive sound of barbershop singing.

This form of singing actually did originate with customers singing in barber shops in America before the start of the 20th century. Before long the shops recruited singing barbers, and it rapidly became a very popular form of singing as it spread into vaudeville and minstrel shows. Much of the music originates from European migrants (a host of Irish songs are to be found), together with the emerging Negro influences on American music.

There are four voice parts in barbershop singing: Lead, Tenor, Bass and Baritone. The song's melody is almost always sung by the lead, with the tenor harmonising above the melody, the bass singing the lowest harmonising notes and the baritone completing the chord. Occasional brief passages may be sung by fewer than four voice parts.

But the unique sound and energy is not all. The barbershop performance also involves movement and expression by the singers, which together with effective stage costumes aims to provide a dazzling spectacle to the audience.

There are many national associations. They often have their own guild of judges and run many educational events. In the UK for example there is an annual Harmony College, a residential weekend course for which runs numerous classes on music skills, stage performance, directing, show production etc. It is always a sell-out.

 Barbershop singing at its best exhibits a fullness or expansion of sound, precise intonation, a high degree of vocal skill and a high level of unity and consistency within the chorus. Over twenty five years ago the British Association of Barbershop Singers was established and affiliated to the American Society. Now there are over 50 clubs in the UK, with a huge annual Convention which includes chorus and quartet competitions.

Barbershop is well covered on television with frequent appearances by British choruses, including the Sainsbury's Choir of the Year contest, at which barbershop choruses have excelled in recent years. In 2004 Cambridge barbershop chorus won the Choir of The World title at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod.

In 1938 the Society for the Preservation of Barbershop Singing in America (SPEBSQSA) was formed, and currently it has over 30,000 members, making it the largest singing organisation in the world. Today there are barbershop organisations in most civilised countries of the world, as this unique style of singing becomes ever more popular.

Return toPage Top