About Us

 

What is barbershop harmony? 

The Barbershop Harmony Society is dedicated to enjoying, promoting, and preserving the unique form of harmony known as barbershop. 

In 1938 a small group of men gathered one evening to sing their favorite old-time songs. From this first informal meeting and the singers' enthusiasm, grew an international organization dedicated to preserving one of America's unique song styles, barbershop harmony. 

The founders of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA) named their organization as a parody of the multi-initialed government agencies that existed at the time such as CCC, WPA, etc. The original group of 26 men would have taken great pride in a Society that, today, numbers more than 30,000 members from the United States and Canada, with affiliated organizations in Great Britain, Germany, Sweden, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Holland and South Africa.

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The following video will give you a history of barbershop harmony and the Akron Derbytown Chorus.