Barbershop Quartet Day
Barbershop Quartet Day is observed next on Friday, April 11th, 2025 (237 days from today).
![Barbershop](/wwholidays/1024/barbershop-quartet-day_1136.png)
Barbershop Quartet Day is held on April 11 every year. The barbershop quartet is a barbershop music performed by a group of four male or female singers. Music using four-part harmony; the style is called Capella. The four parts of the singer's voice are lead, bass, tenor and baritone. Straw-hat singers sing along. Barbershop Quartet's music is amazing because the music is made of nothing but four voices. Take a minute on this day to appreciate the path; music has gone throughout the years.
Some truths about Barbershop Quartet Day
Barbershop Quartet Day was established to celebrate the birth of the organized barber movement. This was when 26 men gathered together for a performance of the song at the invitation of O.C. Cash, "Third Assistant to Interim Vice President" and Rupert Hall, "The Little Key Holder of the Royal Family." This gathering took place on April 11, 1938, and subsequent gatherings were followed. This led to what is known as the Barbershop Harmony today. At the time, however, it was known as the American Association for the Preservation and Promotion of the Barber Quartet.
They describe this musical form as:
“Songs have easy-to-understand lyrics and melodies, plus a timbre that defines the timbre center and includes barbershop major, minor, and seventh chords to solve the problem. Resolve weak keys around the circle in number five, while frequently using other resolutions. "
If you have ever been to a Barber Shop before, you know that they can have an amazing effect on us, taking us back to simpler and easier times in life! They are not only incredibly talented but their personalities also shine through. For those who have never heard of this type of music, the barbershop quartet is a kind of singing accompaniment also known as a cappella. The songs they perform have easy to sing tunes and easy to understand lyrics.
However, you do not have to be a man to join the barbershop quartet! There were many women around the country participating in the four-part mix. One of the most famous is Sweet Adelines, but there are several others as well. They bring women of all ages together. They will sing fun tunes together and put on beautiful performances. Both the boys and girls quartet also enter competitions, both locally and nationally, and so this is something you might want to research online to get a feel for how the real barbershop quartet is.
History of Barbershop Quartet Day
Music in the barbershop is deeply ingrained in African-American history. During the 1880s in the South, men mingled with barbers and others in salons while waiting to get their hair cut. They sang and sang together for fun. This sound became a genre known as barbershop music and continued to thrive from there until the early 1900s. In 1910, a song titled "Play That Barbershop Chord" was played, recorded and released to the public as a prime example of barbershop harmony. This art of harmony singing is to create a cappella style without the need for music to accompany. Each quartet sang songs with easy-to-understand lyrics and catchy tunes.
After 1929, barbershop music began to be less common and even less popular during the Great Depression. In 1938, two men, named Rupert Hall and O.C. Cash sent out invitations to a musical performance for 14 people and this is encouraged to invite others. On April 11, about 25 men met in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for a quartet singing contest. After that, they continued to meet more and more and gradually grew in number of members, thus creating a revival in barbershop music and the Association for the Conservation and Promotion of Barbers. Haircut Quartet Singing in America, Inc. (SPEBSQSA) has been around ever since. Thankfully, since 2004, they have been known as the Barber Harmony Association.
Not long after the founding of SPEBSQSA, a Tulsa women's organization called Sweet Adelines International was born in 1945. Less than a decade later, in 1957, several women separated from Sweet Adelines in an effort to be more accepted among admissions from African-Americans. Out of this act of protest, Harmony, a group of five women founded Incorporated, in 1959 in Rhode Island. Now, diverse men and women are allowed and accepted in the same quartet and compete worldwide.
Reasons for Barbershop Quartet Day being lo.ved
- We learn about its timeline
From the late 1880s until today, music can be found in barbershops and it evolved from inside the barbershop to on-screen production. Barbershop music is featured in movies and TV shows like “The Music Man,” “Sing,” and “The Simpsons.”
- Barbershop entertains us
The song's arrangement from a quartet gives listeners something to pique their interest. Since the quartet sang popular songs with a clear melody, we were able to sing and nod along.
- We can experience a traditional pastime
In the 1880s, Barbershop Music was somewhat of a good start as people gathered together to listen and report the news, to sing, and to have fun. Some of them even went on to produce jazz music. This day allows us to step back in time and focus on overall musical enjoyment and creation.
How to celebrate Barbershop Quartet Day
- Listen to music at the barbershop
If you are not familiar with the music in the barbershop, then we recommend you be more acquainted with its amusing sound. You can type “barbershop quartet” into YouTube, or look up a specific quartet like the Buffalo Bills, American Quartet, or After Hours.
- Join a quartet
For those who can take a note, share your musical taste with others by joining a quartet. Check out your local area to see where the nearest choir organization or group is, or pick up three of your friends and start a quartet!
- Attend a musical performance at the barbershop
It is possible for you and your friends to find some barbershop quartet performances celebrating somewhere near you, especially, in National Barbershop Quartet Day. Experience something unique from your daily routine and attend a local performance.
Observed
Barbershop Quartet Day has been observed annually on April 11th.Dates
Tuesday, April 11th, 2023
Thursday, April 11th, 2024
Friday, April 11th, 2025
Saturday, April 11th, 2026
Sunday, April 11th, 2027