Barbershop - A Little History

Barbershop harmony is vocal harmony produced by four parts - tenor, lead, baritone, and bass.  It is performed a cappella - without any instrumental accompaniment.  Barbershop has its roots in the American gospel and minstrel quartets of the last century.  It is one of the recognised indigenous American musical genres, along with country-western, dixieland jazz and the American spiritual.

Barbershop-style harmony is different from any other kind of choral or group singing.  It is characterized by a “cone-shaped sound” where the broadest strength is at the lowest part of the chord and the lightest is at the top.  Specific chord structures, delivery and interpretation all contribute to the “lock-and-ring”.  This sound is created by a perfectly balanced and in-tune chord, which produces harmonic overtones.  Listen closely to a barbershop-style song and you will often hear a note (or notes!) “ringing” above the highest tone - without anyone singing them!

Hillfoot Harmony is a member of Sweet Adelines International (SAI), headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  SAI was founded in 1945 and has grown to be one of the largest women singers' organisations in the world, committed to advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education and performance.  More than 30,000 members sing in either choruses or quartets located in Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Wales and almost every state in America.