The Mainliners of Philadelphia,
PA |
CELEBRATING AN
AMERICAN MUSICAL ART FORM FOR NEARLY 70 YEARS: The
Barbershop Harmony Society
As much a part of American culture as Old Glory, Mom and apple pie, barbershop
quartet singing is an original American musical art form. It thrives today
through the efforts of an organization originally named the Society for the
Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, now
known as the Barbershop Harmony Society.
Though the roots of four-part harmony go
back more than a century, it was not until the near-accidental formation
of the Society that barbershop quartet music was actively promoted. The
Society's founding was whimsical, but it takes its mission to "Keep
The Whole World Singing" very seriously indeed.
The Barbershop Harmony Society has grown into the world's largest all-male
singing organization, with more than 30,000 singers in more than 800 chapters
in the United States and Canada. Another 4,000 barbershoppers are members of
affiliated organizations in Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, The
Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa and Sweden.
The Barbershop Harmony Society is
headquartered in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Harmony Hall is home to the Old
Songs Library, the world's largest privately held collection of sheet
music, containing 750,000 sheets and 125,000 titles from the heyday
of Tin Pan Alley. The Heritage Hall Museum of Barbershop Harmony, also
located in Harmony Hall, serves as a repository for barbershop memorabilia,
early recordings, costumes, research materials and historical documents
tracing the roots of the barbershop style.
What is barbershop
harmony?
• Four-part, unaccompanied, close-harmony singing, with melody in the second
voice, called the "lead."
• Tenor (counter-tenor voice) harmonizes
above the lead singer; bass sings the lowest harmonizing notes, and the
baritone provides in-between notes, to form consonant, pleasing chords.
• Barbershop is a "melting pot" product
of African-American musical devices, European hymn-singing culture, and
an American tradition of recreational music.
• Melodies in the vocal and
skill range of the average singer, with lyrical emphasis on simple,
heartfelt emotions: love, friendship, mother, moon & June & the
girl next door.
Barbershop in
the community
Barbershoppers actively support community service projects and local charities,
and contribute many man-hours singing for churches, schools, and hospitals.
In addition, most of the organization's chapters stage at least one annual
show, bringing featured quartets and choruses to the community.
Harmony Foundation is the Society’s
fundraising arm. It coordinates an Annual Fund campaign to support special
projects of the Barbershop Harmony Society, including Directors College
scholarships, Harmony Explosion Camps, Heritage Hall Museum of Barbershop
Harmony. The Foundation also maintains an endowment program and oversees
grant education and services.
With such a wide range of activities to
enjoy, it's easy to understand why Barbershop Harmony Society members
tend toward long terms of membership. Although most men join for the
music, most stay in the organization because of the strong, deep friendships
they build by raising their voices in song with other "congenial
men of good character."
Activities of
the organization
• Education of members and the general public in music appreciation, particularly
barbershop singing.
• Advocacy at all levels of society
to keep recreational and social singing an important part of our culture.
• Charitable projects on a local
and national basis, including many funded through Harmony Foundation,
the Society's official charity.
• Public performances enhance community
cultural life, preserve the art form, and bring cheer to all.
• Quartets and choruses contribute
more than 100,000 man-hours per year singing for more than half a million
people at churches, schools, hospitals, senior centers,
etc.
• Music publishing and distribution
of cassettes, compact discs, DVDs and videotapes for entertainment and
education.
• Contests in quartet and chorus
singing at local, regional, and international levels.
• International champions named in
chorus, quartet, and college-quartet divisions at international convention
each July; international seniors champions named at midwinter convention
each January
Education programs
• Harmony University, a week-long school held each summer, brings together
more than 600 Barber-shoppers from around the world with a world-class faculty
of vocal coaches, arrangers, choreographers, and educators to explore all facets
of the barbershop hobby. HU offers special tracks for directors, quartets, and
general barbershop singing. Continuing Education Units available for music educators.
• Regional Chapter Operations Training
Seminars held each fall teach members how to run their local chapters,
recruit members, develop musically and better serve their communities.
• Visits by staff music specialists
enhance performance and education programs in local chapters.
• The Society publishes numerous
manuals and produces videos on vocal techniques, singing skills and chapter
administration
Charitable and
community activities
• Harmony Foundation, Inc., is the Society’s official charity. Donations
made to the Foundation’s general fund special projects of the Barbershop
Harmony Society, including Directors College scholarships, Harmony Explosion
Camps, Heritage Hall Museum of Barbershop Harmony.
• Barbershoppers donate sizeable
amounts of money and time, and numerous performances to local charitable
activities and vocal music education programs in their communities.
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