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The Barbershop Harmony Society, legally and historically named the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. (SPEBSQSA), is the first of several organizations to promote and preserve barbershop music as an art form. Founded by Owen C. Cash and Rupert I. Hall in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1938, the organization quickly grew, promoting barbershop harmony among men of all ages. As of 2014, just under 23,000 men in the United States and Canada were members of this organization whose focus is on a cappella music. The international headquarters was in Kenosha, Wisconsin for fifty years before moving to Nashville, Tennessee in 2007. In June 2018, the society announced it would allow women to join as full members.
Acoustix is a Dallas, Texas-based quartet that won the 1990 International Quartet Championship of SPEBSQSA. They have all, at different times, been members of the Dallas-based Vocal Majority chorus.
Barbershop vocal harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era (1930s–present), is a style of a cappella close harmony, or unaccompanied vocal music, characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a primarily homorhythmic texture. Each of the four parts has its own role: generally, the lead sings the melody, the tenor harmonizes above the melody, the bass sings the lowest harmonizing notes, and the baritone completes the chord, usually below the lead. The melody is not usually sung by the tenor or baritone, except for an infrequent note or two to avoid awkward voice leading, in tags or codas, or when some appropriate embellishment can be created. One characteristic feature of barbershop harmony is the use of what is known as "snakes" and "swipes". This is when a chord is altered by a change in one or more non-melodic voices. Occasional passages may be sung by fewer than four voice parts.
Vocal Majority (VM) is a Dallas, Texas-based men's chorus of over 150 singers, who bill themselves with the tagline "Pure Harmony." VM is the performing chorus of the Dallas Metro chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS). Vocal Majority has won thirteen International Chorus Championships, a Barbershop Harmony Society record. The first eleven gold medals were earned under the direction of Jim Clancy, who retired from International competition after 2010. The most recent championships, in 2014 and 2018, came under the direction of Jim's son Greg Clancy, the current Musical Director of VM.
Barbershop in Germany is the association for barbershop music in Germany. It was founded in October 1991 and has an official alliance with the US-based Barbershop Harmony Society.
The Ambassadors of Harmony (AOH) is a 120+ member men's barbershop chorus, based in St. Charles, Missouri. The chorus won International Championship gold medals in 2004, 2009, and 2012 – each time singing two arrangements by David Wright, under the direction of Dr. Jim Henry – and then again in 2016 and 2023, under the co-direction of Jonny Moroni and Dr. Henry. Their 2009 victory broke a nearly three-decade winning streak by the Vocal Majority.
The Westminster Chorus is a men's a cappella chorus based in Westminster, California. International Chorus Champions of the Barbershop Harmony Society in 2007, 2010, 2015, and 2019, and Choir of the World in 2009, they are composed almost entirely of men under the age of 40.
The British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS) is a British organisation of male barbershop singers. It was formed in 1974 and is affiliated with the Barbershop Harmony Society. Since 2023, BABS and its female counterpart in the UK, the Ladies' Association of British Barbershop Singers, have been in talks to consider proposals to work more closely together.
Vocal Spectrum is a barbershop quartet from St. Charles, Missouri. In 2004, Vocal Spectrum won the Barbershop Harmony Society's International Collegiate Quartet Contest, and on July 8, 2006, they became International Champions, winning the society's International Quartet Contest. A distinctive feature of the quartet is tenor Tim Waurick's ability to sustain notes for upwards of 30 seconds, and the tenor's and lead's incredibly high vocal range, featured in many of the group's recordings and live shows.
Ringmasters is a Swedish barbershop quartet affiliated with the Society of Nordic Barbershop Singers (SNOBS). The quartet received first place gold medals at the Nordic Barbershop Quartet Contest in Stockholm, and won the Barbershop Harmony Society International Collegiate Championship in July 2008 in Nashville, Tennessee. On July 8, 2012, at the Society's International Convention in Portland, Oregon, they became the first quartet from outside North America to win the prestigious gold medal as International Quartet Champions. The quartet sings non-traditional barbershop harmonies with a contemporary touch. They still tour and perform all over the world.
The Jazz Firm was a British vocal quartet specialising in close harmony jazz and barbershop arrangements. The quartet won the Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers (LABBS) quartet competition in 2003.
Max Q is the barbershop quartet that won the gold medal Barbershop Harmony Society International Barbershop Quartet Contest at Denver's Pepsi Center July 7, 2007. The quartet's run for the title is featured in the 2009 feature documentary American Harmony.
Amersham A Cappella is a ladies' barbershop chorus affiliated with LABBS. The chorus is based in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.
The Great Western Chorus of Bristol is a men's a cappella chorus singing primarily in the Barbershop style. It is a founder member of the British Association of Barbershop Singers, with whom the chorus shared its 40th anniversary in 2014. The Great Western Chorus is the most successful chorus in the association.
The Grand Central Chorus are members of the British Association of Barbershop Singers. They are five-time BABS National Chorus Champions.
Finest Hour is the 2017 European barbershop quartet champion. The quartet also won the 2016 British barbershop quartet championship in Harrogate in May 2016. Finest Hour went to Las Vegas for the international competition in 2017, placing 28th in the world. Since then, their qualifying score of 83%, the UK record for a male quartet, scored in May 2018 in Harrogate, qualified them again to represent the British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS) at the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS)'s 2019 international competition held in Salt Lake City, where they placed 22nd.
Cottontown Chorus is a male a cappella group from Bolton, England, formed in 1979. The group is affiliated with the British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS) and has won the BABS gold medal in the category for national chorus eight times since 2005,, close to the record of The Great Western Chorus of Bristol who have won the gold medal ten times.
The Cambridge Chord Company was a male a cappella group from Cambridge, England, formed in 1990 and disbanded in 2022. The group was affiliated with the British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS) and won the BABS gold medal in the category for national chorus four times in 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2006.
References
- ↑ "Barbershop timeline". Cottontown Chorus. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
- ↑ "First meeting of the Crawley Chordsmen". Harmony UK Podcast (on Facebook). Retrieved 28 August 2023.
- ↑ "Contest results". singbarbershop.com. British Association of Barbershop Singers. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
- ↑ "Results archive". singbarbershop.com. British Association of Barbershop Singers. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
- ↑ "1976 Chorus Champions Crawley Chordsmen - There's a Ring to the Name of Rosie". youtube.com. British Association of Barbershop Singers. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
- ↑ "1984 Chorus Champions The Crawley Chordsmen - There'll Be No New Tunes On This Old Piano". youtube.com. British Association of Barbershop Singers. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
- ↑ "Contest rules - article 7(j)". singbarbershop.com. British Association of Barbershop Singers. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
- ↑ "Double Gold". discogs.com. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
- ↑ "Roll of honour". singbarbershop.com. British Association of Barbershop Singers. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
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