Youth in Harmony Workshop

Explore the excitement and joy of a cappella singing! Pride of Portland and Bridge Town Sound Choruses are excited to offer a special event for young men and women of high school age. Our one-day festival will focus on the exciting elements of modern barbershop, four-part a cappella harmony.

Participants will learn two fun songs...with choreography...under the guidance of skilled musical and visual leaders. The workshop's grand finale will be a performance that night by the students, along with special appearances by both Pride of Portland and Bridge Town Sound Choruses, plus several chapter quartets.

The cost is minimal: $10 per participant, which includes all music, learning tracks, t-shirt, and dinner before the evening show, which is open to the family and friends and will begin at 7:00 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm; $5 donation).

• Date: Saturday, February 27, 2016
• Time: 11:30am registration starts / 12:00pm workshop begins
• Location: Vancouver School of the Arts and Academics, 3101 Main St. in Vancouver, WA
• Cost: $10 per participant / $15 after February 1

To register

Please print and return one of the forms below.

• Music educators packet, which includes introductory letter, timeline, student and school registration forms
• Individual student registration: PDF / DOC
• Share our flyer with your friends, too!

We will be learning two songs this year. Please download the sheet music and the learning tracks for your voice part below. Don't know what voice part to choose? Read the tips in the sidebar!

Remember, you are expected to know the music when you get to the workshop! No music should be held on the risers, so use those learning tracks!

Workshop Music

How to read your music!

Barbershop sheet music has a bass and treble clef, just like regular choral music. Each part takes a different line of of the music. However, there ARE a few differences, so check out below.

• Tenors read the treble clef using the notes that have stems going up, usually the top note, but not always. (Sometimes the tenors and leads swap positions!) In men's music, the treble clef is sung an octave lower; women sing it as written.
• Leads read the treble clef using the notes that have the stems going down, usually the bottom note, but not always. In men's music, the treble clef is sung an octave lower; women sing it as written.
• Baritones read the bass clef using the notes that have stems going up. For women's music, the bass clef is sung an octave higher; men sing it as written.
• Basses read the bass clef using the notes that have stems going down. For women's music, the bass clef is sung an octave higher; men sing it as written.

Music and Learning Tracks

WOMEN: We Go Together

• Sheet music
• 4-part mix
• Tenor
• Lead
• Baritone
• Bass

WOMEN: What a Wonderful World

• Sheet music
• 4-part mix
• Tenor: part alone / part predominant / part missing
• Lead: part alone / part predominant / part missing
• Bari: part alone / part predominant / part missing
• Bass: part alone / part predominant / part missing

MEN: Row, Row, Row

• Sheet music
• 4-part mix
• Tenor
• Lead
• Baritone
• Bass

MEN: Silhouettes

• Sheet music
• 4-part mix
• Tenor
• Lead
• Baritone
• Bass

What part should I sing?

Most of us are familiar with the SATB or SSAA choral music; however, the voice parts in barbershop harmony have different names and functions than they do in other most high school choral groups. Read on to learn more!

Voice Parts:
In barbershop harmony, both male and female voice parts are labeled similarly to the traditional, male choral voice parts. Unlike choral singing, where the top voice part usually has the melody, in barbershop harmony the top (or highest) voice part is a harmony part. We call that part the TENOR. If you usually sing Soprano I or Tenor I in your choir, you will sing tenor in barbershop harmony. The tenor should have a light, sweet, pure tone that will complement but not overpower or overshadow the lead voice. Occasionally you will have notes below the lead. When this happens, your tonal quality will need to change from being light and clear to being more full and round. Flexibility is the key and knowing when you need to change.

The second voice down has the melody and is called the LEAD. If you are a Soprano II or Tenor II you have the range of a lead. It must be sung with authority, clarity and consistent quality throughout the lead's range. The lead sings with limited vibrato to add color and warmth to the sound. With too much use of vibrato, the chord will not “lock” or “ring” or produce the unique, full and expanded sound that is characteristic of barbershop harmony. The lead is responsible for conveying the interpretation, emotion and inflections of the song. If you are in a quartet, the others will follow your lead. In a chorus, we all follow the director.

The third voice down is the BARITONE (or BARI). If you are an Alto I or Baritone then you will sing baritone. This part covers approximately the same range as lead and is similar to the equivalent of an Alto I except that baritone harmony notes cross the lead notes. Primarily sung below the lead--but sometimes sung above, depending on where the melody is situated--baritones must constantly adjust their balance to accommodate their position in the chord. They must have a good ear.

The bottom voice is the BASS and they sing the lowest notes in the barbershop chord. If you are an Alto II or a Bass then you will sing bass. Singers should have a rich, mellow voice. The bass sings a relatively straight, well-produced tone with a minimum of vibrato. Similar to the baritone, this part is written in the bass clef. A bass sings with a heavier tone quality than the others and generally with more volume, to fill out the “cone.” The bass part provides the foundation of each chord.