About Longs Peak Chorus


                                                       WELCOME 
                                                                to 
                                        THE LONGMONT CHAPTER
                                                                of 
                            THE BARBERSHOP HARMONY SOCIETY
                                                              and
                                       THE LONGS PEAK CHORUS

The Longmont chapter is affiliated with the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS).  The performing chorus is known as the Longs Peak Chorus.

This document is designed to answer some of the questions you may have concerning this wonderful hobby of ours, the international organization in general, and the Longs Peak Chorus, as well as the barbershop style of singing.

Members of the Barbershop Harmony Society know that the joy and fellowship we get from joining our voices in song is a wonderful escape from the stresses of everyday life. It has been said that when one is singing, there is no hate! It is a lifelong hobby, there is no age limit on either end.

E-mail – longspeakchorus@gmail.com
Follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/longspeakchorus
Our website: www.longspeakchorus.org

What is Barbershop Harmony?
Barbershop harmony” is a unique American art form of a cappella four-part vocal harmony that hasn’t changed basically since the early 20th century. The Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) was established in 1938.  It was originally formed as the SPEBSQSA, the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America, but is now known as the BHS.

The melody line is sung by the “lead” (second tenor in a men’s choral group or soprano in a mixed chorus) with the “bass” singing the notes below, the “baritone” singing both above and below the lead, and almost always above the bass, and the “tenor” singing the notes above the lead.

What makes barbershop harmony so enjoyable is that when four notes or tones are sung at or in perfect intervals, and the vowel being sung is the same in all four parts, a phenomenon known as “overtone” is produced.  Overtones are the additional notes, or tones on the chromatic scale set up by sympathetic vibrations and can be clearly heard.  Barbershoppers refer to this as “expanded sound” or “ringing” chords.  Because four voices singing correctly and in perfect harmony can sound like many more than four, a volume of music is produced which is much greater than the sum of the four individual parts.

The most profound effect of this overtone phenomenon is upon the individual singers within the quartet or chorus.  It is a physical effect that is felt, often causing odd reactions such as goose bumps, or hair standing on end.  This is one of the greatest attractions of barbershop harmony.

About the Longs Peak Chorus
The Longs Peak Chorus is the performing unit of the Longmont Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, which is the largest singing organization in the world with more than 22,000 congenial men who love to sing four-part harmony in the barbershop style. The Longmont Chapter was chartered in 1948. We are part of the Rocky Mountain District, one of 17 in the BHS.