Who are the Red Rose Chorus?

We are a group of men whose common interest is singing four-part harmony in the Barbershop style. We meet every Thursday at BAC/EE Sports and Social Club to rehearse and we regularly sing for charity and for local events. Every year, we meet our fellow Barbershoppers from all over the United Kingdom to take part in our Convention to find our National Champions. We have so much fun singing in this great style and we would love to share it with you.

What is Barbershop singing?

Barbershop is unaccompanied four part harmony singing, characterised by the phenomenon of the overtone or fifth voice. Certain chords really do appear to have an additional "phantom" fifth harmony part which contributes greatly to the richness of the sound. The overtone effect seldom occurs in any other form of music - it is not a feature of most other types of singing and no western instrument naturally produces this sound.

The origins of this kind of harmony go back centuries, but the modern revival of Barbershop was started by the snappily-named Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Signing in America (SPEBSQSA), now mercifully renamed as the Barbershop Harmony Society. Since SPEBSQSA formed in 1938, the style has spread well outside its American base to Britain, Europe and even the Far East and Australia.

Beyond singing, the perfomance is intended to be good fun for both the audience and the singers. Elaborate movements, costumes and often humour all contribute to the Barbershop experience.

Interested?

Anyone wanting to listen in on our rehearsal night will be most welcome. Becoming a member is straightforward - see the About page for details. We should make it clear that no previous musical background is required or expected - we have yet to meet someone who couldn't learn to sing with a little practice!