The Barberettes began life singing as female Barbershoppers. Barbershop singing is four-part unaccompanied close harmony with three of the voices harmonising the melody. It's unique sound is created by using a predominance of specific chords in the arrangements, which are usually of popular songs from throughout the 20th century.

Our Sections

The four parts are known as Baritone, Bass, Lead and Tenor.

Baritone: All Over The Place

Baritones sing in a similar pitch range to the Leads, weaving their notes above and below the melody to fill out any missing notes in the chords. They listen carefully to the sound around them, adjusting their notes subtly to balance the pitch and volume.

Bass: As Low As You Can Go

A strong bass section is important to any barbershop chorus. They sing the lowest notes in the chord, giving the essential foundation for the harmonies above.

Lead: Out In Front Without Fear

Our leads take the melody line most of the time, confidently singing the 'tune'. They are often the main part responsible for conveying the emotion and inflections in songs, adding warmth and colour but without too much vibrato which might upset the chords.

Tenor: Fairies On Top

The tenors are the smallest section in any barbershop chorus and sing the highest harmony notes in the chord, consistently above the melody line. A light and pure tone allows this not to overpower the melody below, as the tenors sit as the 'fairies on top' of the ringing barbershop chords.