Barbershop quartet

While the regional origins of barbershop quartet singing are not wholly agreed upon,[1] current organizations that promote the style typify it as an "old American institution.

[10] In 1971, president of BHS Ralph Ribble launched the "Barberpole Cat Program" to encourage barbershop singing as widely as possible.

These songs, plus the tag end of two others, are: In competition, barbershop quartets generally wear coordinated outfits to mark them as members of the same group.

"[15] 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.

The outfits worn by these performers vary depending on location but do feature vests and straw hats.

Since the 1940s, barbershop singers have tuned their seventh chords with just intonation to maximize the overtones, yielding a distinctive "ringing" sound.

[19] Notable examples of barbershop quartets which made use of the full-voiced tenor include The Buffalo Bills and Boston Common.