WBarbershop 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 predominantly homophonic 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.
WThe Alexandria Harmonizers are an international champion barbershop chorus based in Alexandria, Virginia. Numbering 110 men in 2013, the chorus is the performing arm of the Alexandria Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, under the direction of Joseph Cerutti, Jr. The Harmonizers have performed at the Kennedy Center Honors, Carnegie Hall, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, the Supreme Court the Great Wall of China, and the White House. It is a member of several choral associations in addition to the Barbershop Harmony Society, including Chorus America and the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America.
WThe 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, under the co-direction of Jonny Moroni and Dr. Henry. Their 2009 victory broke a nearly three-decade winning streak by the Vocal Majority.
WAmerican Harmony is a 2009 documentary film directed and produced by Aengus James, produced by Colin Miller, and edited by Kate Amend.
WBarbershop arranging is the art of creating arrangements of barbershop music. The Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) and Sweet Adelines International (SAI) have prescribed rules that dictate what is an acceptable arrangement, particularly with regard to singing in competition. This makes barbershop arranging a specialist form of arranging, rarely tackled by those outside Barbershop; likewise, barbershop arrangers tend to be known only for their barbershop arrangements rather than for their work in any other musical form.
WBarbershop 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.
WA barbershop quartet is a group of four singers who sing music in the barbershop style, characterized by four-part harmony without instrumental accompaniment, or a cappella. The four voices are: the lead, the vocal part which typically carries the melody; a bass, the part which provides the bass line to the melody; a tenor, the part which harmonizes above the lead; and a baritone, the part that frequently completes the chord. The baritone sings either above or below the lead singer as the harmony requires. Barbershop music is typified by close harmony— the upper three voices generally remain within one octave of each other.
WThe Big Apple Chorus is a barbershop chorus based in Manhattan, New York. The chorus, directed by Jack Pinto, was founded in 1983 and has close to 100 members. The Big Apple Chorus has competed in the Barbershop Harmony Society's international chorus competition, with a best finish of 2nd in 1987.
WThe Big Orange Chorus is a men's chorus and chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society based in Jacksonville, Florida. The chorus became a chartered member of the Sunshine District in Orange Park, a suburb of Jacksonville in 1980, and also attributes its name to this community. The primary musical focus of the chorus is a cappella music in the style of barbershop harmony, however their repertoire of music spans many styles and difficulty levels in addition to traditional barbershop. Over the years the membership of the chorus has grown to include men from all over the Jacksonville metropolitan area and beyond in the tri-state area of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
WBlue Skies is an a cappella album by a barbershop chorus called the Virginians, the Richmond chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society.
WA boater is a semi-formal summer hat for men, which was popularised in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
WThe Chordettes were an American female popular singing quartet, usually singing a cappella, and specializing in traditional popular music. They are best known for their songs "Mr. Sandman" and "Lollipop".
WHallmark of Harmony is the male barbershop chorus of the Sheffield Barbershop Harmony Club, based in Sheffield, England. The chorus formed in 1978 and has won the British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS) gold medal eight times, in 1986, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2014 and 2019. It won the silver medal in 1983, 1984, 1988, 1993, 1996, 1999 and 2013 & bronze in 1985 and 2012.
WThe harmonic seventh chord is a major triad plus the harmonic seventh interval. This interval is somewhat narrower and is "sweeter in quality" than an "ordinary" minor seventh, which has a just intonation ratio of 9:5, or an equal-temperament ratio of 1000 cents.
WHarmony Classic is a women's barbershop competition for small and mid-sized choruses run by Sweet Adelines International as part of the organisation's annual convention since 2010. The results of the competition are as follows. For a full explanation of the scoring system, qualification process, awards and records, see Sweet Adelines International competition.
WHarmony Express is a 4-part a cappella chorus for both women and men based in Germantown, Maryland. The non-profit chorus is under the direction of Frank Kirschner as of 2017. It is the performing arm of the Germantown Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. The chorus was featured in the documentary Barbershop Singing Old and New.
WThe Homestead Harmonizers is a chorus created in response to a charter to operate a barbershop chorus in Beatrice, Nebraska issued on December 12, 1988 by the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc.. The members of the Homestead Harmonizers range in age as young as the early teens to 80 plus years, including men from 23 different communities in southeast Nebraska and northeast Kansas.
W"I Want a Girl " is a popular song of 1911 composed by Harry Von Tilzer and with lyrics by William Dillon, which has become a barbershop quartet standard.
WThe Marcsmen are a premier men’s a cappella group based in San Antonio, Texas. Chartered by the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) in 2008, the chorus has qualified for International Chorus competitions of the BHS 6 times, most recently for the 2020 competition in Los Angeles, California. They won their first Southwestern District championship in 2012, and won back-to-back championships in 2018 and 2019.
WThe MegaCity Chorus is a Toronto, Ontario-based men's chorus of about 60 singers drawn from the Ontario District of the Barbershop Harmony Society.
WThe Mid-Atlantic District is one of 17 districts of the Barbershop Harmony Society. The district, with three regional divisions, has approximately 90 chapters in the following states: VA, MD, PA, NJ, DE, DC, WV, NY.
WMoth Fight is an Austin, Texas-based experimental pop outfit. Their sound is a blend of orchestral instrumentation, tape loops, samples, synthesizers, and circuit bent toys.
WThe New Tradition Chorus is a men's barbershop chorus based in Northbrook, IL, in the Chicago area. Founded in 1982, they have competed at the International Chorus Contest of the Barbershop Harmony Society 19 times, winning a medal on every attempt until the 2009 competition, where they finished 15th. They have won ten bronze medals, a record eight consecutive silver medals (1993–2000), and the gold medal in 2001.
WSweet Adelines International is a worldwide organization of women singers, established in 1945, committed to advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education and performances. This independent, nonprofit music education association is one of the world's largest singing organizations for women. "Harmonize the World" is the organization's motto. It has a current membership of 21,000 and holds an annual international singing competition.
WThe Sweet Adelines International Competitions are the annual global championships for women's barbershop harmony a cappella singing – in quartets and choruses – for members of Sweet Adelines International (SAI) and have been held annually between September and November since 1947. They are now the largest women's singing competition in the world with over 8000 participants at the 2014 convention. There are two competitions for choruses, and two competitions for quartets. Currently, the first three of these competitions are held together and form the Sweet Adelines International Convention. Over the course of competition history, the most successful chorus has been Melodeers Chorus from Chicago with seven championship titles, and the most successful quartet singer was Connie Noble who won with four separate quartets. Lustre Quartet from Baltimore holds the record for highest quartet score, and Rönninge Show Chorus from Stockholm for highest ever chorus score.
WVocal 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.
WThe 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.
WThe White Rose Chorus is the York, Pennsylvania chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, under the direction of Bob Crist III.
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