Barbershop Harmony Society

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Barbershop Harmony Society is the main group that promotes barbershop singing, a cappella four-part harmony. It began in 1938 in Tulsa, Oklahoma as the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. (SPEBSQSA). It has always focused on men singing together in barbershop style.

Branding and names
- The official legal name remains SPEBSQSA, Inc., but since 2004–2005 the organization has used Barbershop Harmony Society as its brand.
- SPEBSQSA is a long, hard-to-pronounce acronym, so members often just call it “The Society.”

Headquarters and location
- The international headquarters moved from Kenosha, Wisconsin to Nashville, Tennessee, in 2007.

Membership and access
- About 14,000 members lived in the United States and Canada in 2023.
- In 2018, the Society began allowing women to join as full members. Women could join as associates starting in 2009.

Related groups
- Women’s barbershop groups include Sweet Adelines International (founded 1945) and Harmony, Incorporated (started in 1959 after a split from Sweet Adelines).
- SPEBSQSA opened its membership to all races in 1963.

What the Society does
- It runs international and district contests for choruses and quartets.
- Winners earn ongoing status or must wait before competing again, depending on the category.

Publications and music
- The Harmonizer, the Society’s bi-monthly magazine, has been published since 1941.
- The Old Songs Library holds more than 100,000 titles (the largest collection outside the Library of Congress).
- The Barberpole Cat Program lists 12 standard songs that every member should know, so they’re ready to sing anytime.

Foundation and charity
- Harmony Foundation International is the Society’s charitable arm, supporting its programs.

History and branding details
- In 2003 the Society sold its Kenosha properties and moved its offices, consolidating operations. The Nashville headquarters were established in 2007.
- The Norman Rockwell painting Sharp Harmony helped promote the barbershop image.

Awards and recognition
- In 2020 the Society started an Awards Gala to honor achievements in many categories, including Hall of Fame and Lifetime Achievement. A virtual ceremony was held that year due to the pandemic.
- The Hall of Fame has recognized outstanding quartets and individuals since 2004.

Organization and districts
- The Society is divided into 17 districts for administration. As of April 2024, two chapters—Hell’s Kitchen in New York and Loveland, Colorado—operate outside any district.