Barbershop Music

Where can someone better learn about what is going on in a small town than by visiting the local barbershop? You might think this is an assumption - just ask your hairdresser!

There was a lot of singing done in the English barbershops in the 18th century. Hairdressers would entertain their regular customers spontaneoulsy with their singing (due to the fact that in those "good old days" alcohol was consumed and enjoyed during these visits). Nowadays barbershop singing is done without the help of alcohol and shampoo. Originally a purely mens domain, the increasing number of womens choruses show that emancipation takes place in all facettes of life and culture.

In those days, the barbershoppers sang just for fun in England and later in America, where the European immigrants cultivated this style of singing. It was still done just for "fun", but with the transition from quartet to choral singing, the originally improvised style has changed to a more structured system.

Barbershop is a four-part a cappella singing. The highest voice does not have the melody part as in conventional choruses. The "tenor", the highest voice, accompanies the "lead". The two lower parts "baritone" and "bass" provide the harmonic and rhythmic foundation.