BARBERSHOP MUSIC
Barbershop music, with its close harmonies and ringing chords, is a uniquely American folk art. This makes barbershop singing challenging but also rewarding.

The barbershop style is four-part, a cappella harmony—music created from four different voice parts that beautifully blend into one chord.

TENOR sings a harmony part consistently above the lead. The tenor should have a light, sweet, pure tone that will complement the lead voice. This voice part is equivalent to Soprano I.

LEAD sings the melody and must be sung with authority, clarity, and consistent quality throughout the vocal range. The lead is responsible for conveying the interpretation, emotion, and inflections of the song. This voice part is equivalent to Soprano II.

BARITONE fills in the all-important missing note in a chord that may be sung above or below the lead. Baritones typically have a good ear for complex harmonies and add a finishing touch to the barbershop sound. The voice part is equivalent to Alto I.

BASS sings the lowest note in the barbershop chord. The bass should have a rich, resonant voice. The bass part provides chord foundation and rhythm. The voice part is equivalent to Alto II.

LEARNING YOUR PART
While knowing how to read music is very helpful, we have many members who do not read music. We provide part-predominant learning tracks to help you learn your part. Working on individual parts is part of learning new songs during rehearsals. Your Section Leader may schedule a separate sectional rehearsal and your Section Leader/mentor is also available to help or answer questions.

MEMBERSHIP AND AUDITION PROCESS

Chorus membership requires several steps and the process can take several months to complete. We ask guests to come to two or three consecutive rehearsals to get a general idea of how our chorus operates. We share details about barbershop singing and how we rehearse and our director will assess your vocal range and invite you to learn a song.