Bridge Town Sound - a Portland Men's Chorus
Barbershop Music
What is barbershop music, anyway? This uniquely American art form is based on the early-20th-century practice of four men, perhaps waiting for a haircut, harmonizing to the popular songs of the day. One would sing the melody, and the others would harmonize by ear, with one singing generally above the melody and the others below.
In 1938 Owen C. Cash and Rupert Hall founded SPEBSQSA, the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of BarberShop Quartet Singing in America, currently known as the Barbershop Harmony Society. The Society sponsors chapters throughout North America and promotes contests among quartets and choruses that represent those chapters.
The official definition of barbershop harmony as adopted by the Society is as follows:
Barbershop harmony is a style of unaccompanied vocal music characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note. Occasional brief passages may be sung by fewer than four voice-parts.
The voice-parts are called tenor, lead, baritone and bass. The melody is consistently sung by the lead, with the tenor harmonizing above the melody, the bass singing the lowest harmonizing notes below the melody, and the baritone completing the chord either above or below the melody. The melody may be sung occasionally by the bass, but not by the tenor, except for an infrequent note or two to avoid awkward voice leading, and in introductions or tags (codas).
Barbershop music features Major and minor chords and barbershop (dominant-type) seventh chords, resolving primarily on the Circle of Fifths. Sixth, ninth, and Major seventh chords are avoided except where demanded by the melody, while chords containing the minor second interval are not used. The basic harmonization may be embellished with additional chord progressions to provide harmonic interest and rhythmic momentum, to carry over between phrases, or to introduce or close the song effectively.
Barbershop interpretive style permits relatively wide liberties in the treatment of note values -- staying within proper musical form -- and uses changes in tempo and volume to more effectively create a mood and tell a story artistically.
Relative to an established sense of tonality, the melody line and the harmony parts are enharmonically adjusted in pitch to produce an optimum consonant sound. The resulting pitch relationships are often considerably at variance with those defined by the equal temperament of fixed-pitch instruments. Use of similar word sounds in good quality and optimum volume relationships by each of the voice parts further enhances the sensation of consonance by mutual reinforcement of the harmonics (overtones) to produce the unique full or "expanded" sound characteristic of barbershop harmony.
The Organization
The Society, which exists in the United States and Canada, is composed of 17 Districts. The Evergreen District (EVG) to which Bridge Town Sound belongs, is made up of the states of Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho, western Montana, and the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia.
Barbershop organizations in other countries are considered affiliate organizations to the Society, and they participate in the International Convention that is held in July of each year. These affiliates include SNOBS (Society of Nordic Barbershop Singers), BABS (British Association of Barbershop Singers), AAMBS (Australian Association of Men Barbershop Singers), and others.
Barbershop choruses in the Portland area besides Bridge Town Sound include: the Tualatin Valley Harmony Masters, the Rose City Timberliners, and the Oregon Trail PitchPipers.