Bay Area Showcase Chorus sings 4-part a cappella music that has been arranged in the barbershop harmony style.   This style is one of the few music forms that originated in the United States.  Songs that are considered barbershop were written near the beginning of the 20th century or have been written to meet the specific criteria that defines barbershop.

Barbershop music is sung unaccompanied with four voice parts.  Tenor, the highest part, is sung above the melody. Lead, one of the 2 middle parts, is generally the melody.  Baritone, also a middle part, is harmony usually below the melody.   Bass, the lowest part, is harmony sung below the melody.   This wide range of voice parts offers women with high or low voices a comfortable part to sing. Learn more about Barbershop style by visiting some of the links on our Links page below.

Although Bay Area Showcase Chorus sings many songs that can be categorized as strictly barbershop, the chorus puts a contemporary spin on the traditional notion of barbershop.   The chorus performs music made popular by such artists as Elvis Presley, Manhattan Transfer, Stevie Wonder, the Beach Boys, Gloria Estefan, and Kenny Rogers.