Spreading Joy and Harmony Since 1966

Mad Hatter Barbershop Chorus

Hear Us!

Following are a few recordings made at recent rehearsals, contests, conventions, and "singouts." Enjoy!

"It's You," sung by Rare Occasion

Rare Occasion is a barbershop quartet comprising four members of the Mad Hatter Chorus. In this recording, they rehearse a famous number from The Music Man for "Phantom of the Barbershop," our 2007 annual show.

"Heart," a contest winner

This number, from the Broadway hit Damn Yankees, helped us win Best Small Chorus and Most Improved Chorus in the 2008 Yankee Division championships. Details.

"When I'm Sixty-Four," sung by the HatterTones

The HatterTones, another of the four quartets formed by our members, demonstrates that barbershop is not a genre, but a style that can be applied to many kinds of music—in this case, to a popular Beatles song.

"What'll I Do?" sung by Rare Occasion

Rare Occasion here performs an Irving Berlin classic that is a favorite at our "singouts" for audiences at nursing homes, schools, civic events, and other occasions..

"Amazing Grace," sung by our full chorus

This recording was made in July 2008, just a few weeks after we began learning the song. Generally, it takes us about two months to bring a new song to performance quality.

"Keep the Whole World Singing," sung at the close of Harmony College Northeast, August 2007

"Keep," as members call it for short, is the official theme song of the Barbershop Harmony Society, performed at the climax of every chapter's rehearsals. Here it is sung by more than 150 barbershoppers at the Northeast District's 2007 annual convention, held in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.

What Is  Barbershop?

Barbershop is not a genre, but a style. It began in the early years of the 20th century as a kind of four-part harmony sung in barbershops and other places where men liked to congregate. Its distinctive style has been applied to music of many eras, however—from Victorian to Jazz to Swing to Doo-Wop and modern Broadway. (While we're at it, most barbershoppers don't wear straw boaters, arm bands, and mustaches. Although a few are famous for their zany attire, most wear tuxedos, business suits, or some variation thereon. They don't want their clothes to be louder than their music.)

Three features distinguish the barbershop style from all others:

1. Barbershop doesn't give the melody to the highest voice, as Soprano/Alto/Tenor/Bass ("church harmony") does. Instead, the second highest part, called Lead, usually sings the melody. The highest part, called Tenor, sings harmony—as do the two lowest parts, Baritone and Bass.
2. Barbershop is no place for soloists. The music—the thrill—lies in the chords. That's why barbershoppers look down their noses at singers who practice vibrato (the subtle quavering heard in most soloists). If you want a perfectly blended chord, you can't have four singers jiggling their pitches at four different rates and degrees; it would sound like the auditory equivalent of bumper cars, when what you want is the smooth and streamlined precision of a fighter-jet squadron.
3. Barbershop favors a certain type of chord: the Dominant Seventh. Instead of do, mi, sol, do (the chord that ignorant folks sing when they think they're imitating barbershop), barbershoppers love to sign do, mi, sol, te. The top note—te—is the seventh note on the scale, hence the name "seventh." To hear a dominant seventh right now, click here and listen to our Mount Rushmore Quartet.

                                    —Terry Dunkle