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27-539: Typically (but not always) one of the Tenor parts is the melody, with the other parts as harmony(s). In music for barbershop quartets , which predominantly use the TTBB arrangement, the 2nd Tenor is almost always the melody. In musical notation, these four voices are represented across two staves (a "close score") with the orientation of the stems indicating which voice should sing those notes. Tenor 1 and Tenor 2 are notated in

54-509: A tenor 's range in Classical repertoire, often being more in the range of the classical countertenor range. Lead: The lead, often a lower or second tenor or even more recently a higher or lighter baritone, usually sings the main melody . Baritone: The baritone often completes the chord with a medium voice, usually slightly below the lead, but sometimes above it. While the baritone's part by itself does not sound as "melodious" as

81-419: A general rule, barbershop quartets use a TTBB (tenor—tenor—baritone—bass) arrangement, with the second tenor singing the lead. Since the 1940s, barbershop singers have tuned their seventh chords with just intonation to maximize the overtones , yielding a distinctive "ringing" sound. Tenor: The tenor generally harmonizes above the lead, making the part the highest in the quartet. So as not to overpower

108-593: A group forum. A contest was held for the best female barbershop quartet in Tulsa, Oklahoma . The winners that first year were the Decaturettes from Decatur, Illinois . The members were Viola Phillips singing Tenor, Mary Minton singing Lead, Myrtle Vest singing Baritone, and Eva Adams singing Bass. In 1973, the organization held its first international chorus competition in Washington, D.C. The contest presented

135-485: A new and exciting experience for all competing Sweet Adelines. With 64 members on stage singing Heart of My Heart/That Old Gang of Mine medley and There's a New Gang on the Corner , Racine Chorus from Racine, Wisconsin were the first chorus to receive the "international champion chorus" title. With Racine Chorus' international win, chorus director Jarmela Speta, member of 1955 International Champion The Nota-Belles, became

162-423: A term that has fallen out of favor. The voice parts for women's and mixed barbershop groups use the same names as those for male groups since the roles perform similar functions in the quartet although the vocal ranges may be different. While the regional origins of barbershop quartet singing are not wholly agreed upon, current organizations that promote the style typify it as an "old American institution." While

189-408: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Barbershop quartet A 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

216-520: 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 23,000 and holds an annual international singing competition. Sweet Adelines International

243-690: The Barbershop Harmony Society . By year's end, the first chapter incorporated in Oklahoma with Anderson as its president. It had 85 members and a chapter name, Atomaton (for "an atom of an idea and a ton of energy") that recognized the Atomic Age . Sweet Adelines went international on March 23, 1953, when the first chapter outside the U.S. was chartered in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. Even though there were international chapters, it

270-497: The tag end of two others, are: In competition, barbershop quartets generally wear coordinated outfits to mark them as members of the same group. The Society Contest and Judging Committee of the Barbershop Harmony Society notes in their rule book that aesthetics are important to competitive success: "The judge responds to both the vocal and visual aspects of the performance, but the judge principally evaluates

297-526: The US, the vast majority of regions are allocated to geographic areas of the US. This is followed by five regions allocated to Canada, one each to Australia and New Zealand, one each to Great Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands, and Finland and Sweden. A final "satellite" region is reserved for anywhere else in the world. In 1947, the organization held a convention as a means to gather all members together in

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324-668: The first of only six Sweet Adelines to win gold medals as both a chorus director and a quartet member. Sweet Adelines International set the Guinness World Record for Largest Singing Lesson on October 24, 2009, at 7:30 p.m. The record-setting event coincided with the 63rd annual International Convention and Competition held at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee . Music professional and past Sweet Adelines International Quartet Champion Peggy Gram led

351-583: The globe. The organization includes women from a wide range of backgrounds who love to sing. In 2012, Sweet Adelines International claimed a membership of 24,000 women, all singing in English, includes choruses in most of the fifty United States as well as in Australia, Canada, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden, Wales and the Netherlands. Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma,

378-476: The highest pitch on each stave. Most of the time, this occurs where T1(B1) and T2(B3) are singing at the same time (in time and in unison). Sometimes the lead or melody part is sung as a solo, with the choir singing the harmony parts (support or backing vocals). The Tanunda Liedertafel employs this method of notation in their music. This article about a classical ensemble is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This music theory article

405-636: The interaction of those aspects as they work together to create the image of the song." Traditionally, barbershop quartet attire consisted of: vest, straw hat , and spats, often with bow tie and sleeve garters; this is known as the Gay Nineties style. In popular culture, this style exemplifies the stereotypical barbershop quartet. Several Walt Disney theme parks feature a dedicated barbershop quartet called The Dapper Dans (Disney World version pictured). The outfits worn by these performers vary depending on location but do feature vests and straw hats. As

432-550: The late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States of America, some maintain that the origins of barbershop singing are "obscure". The style is considered a blend of White and African American musical styles. Although the African American influence is sometimes overlooked, these quartets had a formative role in the development of the style. By the 1920s, the popularity of the style had begun to fade. It

459-450: The lead singer, who carries the tune, the part is often sung in falsetto , which is of a softer quality than singing in the modal register , though some quartets do make use of tenors with a softer full voice quality. Notable examples of barbershop quartets which made use of the full-voiced tenor include The Buffalo Bills and Boston Common . The range of a tenor in barbershop music does not necessarily closely correspond to that of

486-408: The lesson by demonstrating inspiring techniques for integrating the voice into the art form. The venue was filled with sound as 6,651 singers practiced the demonstrated techniques and sang simultaneously for the duration of the 10-minute lesson. Guinness World Records official adjudicator Danny Girton Jr. presided over the certificate ceremony to validate the record and confirm that the achievement met

513-564: The melody; a tenor , the part which harmonizes above the lead; and a baritone , the part that frequently completes the chord . The baritone normally sings just below the lead singer, sometimes just above as the harmony requires. Barbershop music is typified by close harmony — the upper three voices generally remain within one octave of each other. While the traditional barbershop quartet included only male singers, contemporary quartets can include any gender combination. All-female barbershop quartets were often called beauty shop quartets ,

540-547: The organization encompasses more than 1,200 registered quartets and 600 choruses. For organizational purposes, all choruses and quartets affiliate to SAI as members of a geographic "region", each region being approximately the same size in terms of total SAI members. The number and boundaries of the regions are adjusted periodically and as of 2015 there are 28 active regions numbered 1–35. (Region numbers 7, 18, 20, 24, 27–29, and 33 no longer exist, and were merged into neighboring regions.) Corresponding to its popularity and origin in

567-402: The other three, the baritone is a fundamental role in the quartet to filling in the missing notes and giving each chord a fuller sound. Bass: The bass always sings and harmonizes the lowest notes , often setting the root of the chord for root position chords, or singing the lowest note of the chord for inverted chords . Sweet Adelines International Sweet Adelines International

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594-540: The style is most popular in the United States, barbershop organizations exist in the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, South Africa, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. Barbershop quartets have been featured in popular culture in musical theater productions such as The Music Man , or lampooned in television series such as The Simpsons and Family Guy . While many sources claim that barbershop singing originated in

621-416: The top stave, with Tenor 1 with an upwards stem, and Tenor 2 (the lead melody) with a downward stem. Likewise, Bass 1 and Bass 2 are notated in the lower stave with Bass 1 (baritone) using an upwards stem and Bass 2 using a downwards stem. The above may not be true for some recently written (composed) music, however writers make it is easy to see which part sings their respective pitch. For example, T1 and B1

648-600: Was established in 1945 by Edna Mae Anderson of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The aim was to teach and train its members in music and to create and promote barbershop quartets and other musical groups. She gathered a group of women who wanted to participate in the "chord-ringing, fun-filled harmony" that their husbands, members of the men's Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA), were singing. SPEBSQSA has since changed its name to

675-473: Was established in Rhode Island in 1959. In 1971, president of BHS Ralph Ribble launched the "Barberpole Cat Program" to encourage barbershop singing as widely as possible. Well-known and popular barbershop songs were published and promoted in order to provide a core set of pieces for barbershop quartets. The current list of 12 songs, commonly known as "polecats", was selected in 1987. These songs, plus

702-421: Was not until May 1991 that the name officially changed to Sweet Adelines International. In 1957, Harmony, Incorporated split from Sweet Adelines over a dispute regarding admission of Black members. SPEBSQSA and Sweet Adelines at that time restricted their membership to whites, but both opened membership to all races a few years later. Today, Sweet Adelines International has a very diverse membership that spans

729-631: Was revived in the late 1930s along with the founding of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA), now known as the Barbershop Harmony Society , or BHS. The society's first meeting was held at the Tulsa Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on April 11, 1938, and it was open only to male singers. In 1945, a parallel organization for women was also founded in Tulsa, called Sweet Adelines International (SAI). Harmony, Incorporated (HI), also serving women,

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