What is Barbershop Singing? Barbershop singing, like jazz and the spiritual, is a truly American style of music. It is a chromatic four-part harmony sung by four unaccompanied voices. In barbershop harmony the melody is sung by the lead, while the tenor part is sung above the lead. The bass sings lower than the lead and the baritone provides the in-between notes that complete the chords that give barbershop harmony its distinctive four-part sound. It may be sung by a quartet or a chorus as is done by the Chordlighters. An introduction to the ... The Chordlighter Chorusof the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. (SPEBSQA)Q: What is the Chordlighter Chorus? A: The Chordlighter Chorus is the Barbershop chorus of the Columbus-Greenwood Chapter of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing of America, Inc. (SPEBSQSA). This means we sing music in the Barbershop style. The Society is an international organization, arranged in sixteen districts across the US and Canada. We are members of the Cardinal District, which consists of chapters located in Indiana and Kentucky. Our activities include organized quartets, tag singing, woodshedding, socializing and good fellowship, but we are all performers in the chorus with the responsibility of providing quality barbershop entertainment to our audiences. Our chorus strives to improve our singing and presentation. The chorus is a team, and as such, can excel only when each member of the team performs very well. Q: What is Barbershop Harmony? A: Barbershop, an original American art form, is four-part vocal music sung without any instrumental accompaniment. The four voice parts are Lead (the melody), Tenor (above the melody), Baritone (about the same range as the lead, but a harmony part), and Bass (below the melody). What makes Barbershop unique is that it is .close harmony,. meaning that the notes sung by the four parts, unlike traditional choral music, are placed very close together. Q: What do I have to do to join the chorus? A: Someone from the Music Team will listen to you sing and suggest a voice part for you to try. You will also be .musically approved. by the Music Team. During subsequent visits, you may try other voice parts if you wish until you find the voice part with which you feel most comfortable. Once you have filled out an application and paid your dues, the Board of Directors will vote on your membership. You will then be an official member of the Columbus-Greenwood Chapter and the Chordlighter Chorus. Q: Do I have to read music? Do I have to dance? A: No, and not really! The chorus will provide you with sheet music and learning tapes/CDs for new songs so that you may learn your notes and words without having to read music. Each tape is customized for your voice part, with the other three parts softer behind it. This has proven to be a very effective learning method for those who don.t read music or who would prefer to learn their music by hearing rather than seeing. It.s true that the chorus does some choreographed moves when performing some of the songs. The choreography, part of Presentation, will be taught to the chorus move by move, with each move carefully explained to help you achieve the right look with minimum effort and coordination. Q: When does the chorus perform, and for whom do they sing? A: The chorus does a combination of several types of performances. We put on stage and cabaret-style shows in Columbus, Franklin, and Greenwood at various times throughout the year. We sing in area church services three or four times each summer. Our annual Christmas Concerts are a highlight of the holiday season. We also compete at district conventions and contests. In addition to these activities, we do a variety of performances throughout the year. Performances average approximately one every four to five weeks. |