What is the Barbershop Harmony Society?
In 1938, a small group of men gathered one evening to sing their favorite old-time songs. From this first informal meeting, and the singers' enthusiasm, grew an international organization dedicated to preserving one of America's unique song styles—barbershop harmony.
The founders of the Barbershop Harmony Society originally named their organization the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA) as a parody of the multi-initialed government agencies that existed at the time. The original group of 26 men would take great pride in a Society that today numbers 28,000 members from the United States and Canada, with affiliated organizations in Great Britain, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the Netherlands and South Africa. Other barbershop groups are singing in Israel, Japan, Wales, Spain, Saudi Arabia, China and Russia.
Barbershop singing, like jazz and the spiritual, is a truly American style of music. It is a chromatic four-part harmony sung by four unaccompanied voices. In barbershop harmony, the melody is sung by the lead, while the tenor part is sung above the lead. The bass sings lower than the lead and the baritone provides the in-between notes that complete the chords that give barbershop harmony its distinctive four-part sound.
Barbershop harmony may be sung by either a quartet or a chorus. While quartets have only four singers, choruses may number from as few as 12 to more than 100. The basic unit of the Society is the chapter. Chapter members usually sing in a chorus, but they may also sing in quartets. Quartets develop within the chapters as members become attracted to singing in the style that was promoted by the Society's founders.
The Barbershop Harmony Society is organized geographically, grouping states and provinces into 16 districts. A headquarters staff under the direction of the chief executive officer provides services to chapters, districts and Society members. The majority of Society activities are planned, organized and implemented by members who volunteer their time and talents. A Board of Directors guides the Society's development and provides leadership for the organization.