The Gold Standard Chorus Mixed Voice Clarification
The Gold Standard Chorus Mixed Voice Clarification
The Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) is a national
and international men's singing society, a "male voices only" organization.
Women have
Sweet Adelines International and
Harmony Incorporated choruses available as "women only" barbershop singing
organizations. (The closest of these is an hour's drive away.)
The BHS has rules which preclude women singing in BHS-sponsored competitive
events (although women may currently serve as chorus directors of all-male
choruses at these events.) The Gold Standard Chorus is a non-competing chorus,
and is one of the few barbershop choruses nationwide to have women participating
in the chorus as "auxiliary singers."
The Santa Cruz Chapter of the BHS has only male members. In 2005, in order to
remain an active chorus with all four parts, the chapter voted to allow females
to sing in the chorus as "auxiliary singers," in order to fill in some of the
parts where male singers were sparse or - at some rehearsals - non-existent. The
female singers are not members of the Santa Cruz Chapter of the BHS, but they
are considered fully participating members of the local performing barbershop
chorus, known as the Gold Standard Chorus. Besides singing, they hold many of
the "jobs" that keep the chorus functioning smoothly.
In order to preserve the male barbershop sound, the Santa Cruz Chapter has
adopted rules at the chapter level. These rules are not in any way endorsed by
the BHS, but are the result of conferring with several top individuals at
Society Headquarters via the auspices of the Mixed Harmony Barbershop Quartet
Association. The primary rule is that the ratio of male to female voices must be
no more than 1/3 active female voices to 2/3 active male voices. The chorus
sings only men's arrangements, in the men's key; women must sing their part in
the same octave as the men.
Typical vocal range for singers in the Gold Standard Chorus |
|||
| Vocal range for tenors | D above the C above middle C to the B just below middle C | ||
| Vocal range for leads and baritones | F above middle C down to the D below middle C (and very occasionally the C below middle C.) | ||
| For more detailed information on mixed voicing, see http://www.mixedbarbershop.com/ | |||
As of January, 2008, there are 2 active female
tenors (until recently, there were 4; one has gone to inactive status, another
is on extended sick leave) and no male tenors. There are 3 active female leads
(a fourth is on extended sick leave) and 6 active male leads. There are 2 active
female baritones and 2 active male baritones, plus 8 male basses, to make a
chorus total of 23 active voices (including our director.)
When applying for "auxiliary singer" status in the Gold Standard Chorus, ladies
sign an agreement which states, in part:
| "I understand that, as an auxiliary singer with the Gold
Standard Chorus, I will be welcome to sing with the Chapter members
at rehearsal, and in shows and other performances at the Director's
discretion (eg, if I know the music well enough), but I will not be
eligible to sing in any Barbershop Harmony Society (formerly
SPEBSQSA) competition or other official function. "I understand that as I will not be a member of the BHS, the Chapter insurance does not cover any injury I might sustain while performing or rehearsing with the chorus, except as might be extended to guests, and I will not hold the Chapter or the Society responsible for any such injury. "I understand that I will be expected to attend as many rehearsals as possible in order to be eligible to sing with the chorus. I will learn my part accurately for the current chorus repertoire as soon as possible. Within a reasonable time I will memorize any new songs taught to the chorus. "I am attaching a check (or cash) in the amount of $30 for payment of the first three months of the chapter voluntary contributions, and will keep current with this in the following months (suggested contribution can be from $5 to $20 per month). I will purchase any chorus uniform as needed; currently this is the red informal shirt @ $26, red/black jacket @ $30 (chorus pays the remainder of the cost, and the jacket remains the property of the chorus), & white chiffon scarf for formal outfit at $5. "And I will attempt to do these four things during the coming year: 1) Sing in a quartet at every opportunity 2) Introduce somebody new to barbershop (as a listener or a singer) 3) Decide in advance before each rehearsal that I'm going to have FUN 4) Treat the chorus as if it was my own quartet of friends." |
The Santa Cruz area of California has long been known for doing things a bit
differently... so it is only to be expected that we would find this rather
unusual way to maintain our barbershop harmony. But it is certainly working, and
we are definitely having fun, bringing lots of barbershop harmony to our schools
and community, and still ringing those barbershop chords!
