Pine Baron FAQ's?
What is "The
Barbershop Harmony Society?"
The Barbershop Harmony Society preserves the unique singing style of barbershop harmony. Barbershop music is distinguished by close harmony and uniformity of word sounds. This style calls forth strong overtones, the "ringing" that makes barbershop singing famous.
Songs are sung in four parts, with three of the voices harmonizing to the melody. The voice parts are called lead, tenor, baritone, and bass. The lead sings the melody, the tenor harmonizes above the lead and the baritone and bass anchor the lower notes of the chord. Each voice is essential to the chords, so singers of all parts are prized.
The Barbershop Harmony Society is the world's largest organized singing fraternity, with more than 38,000 members world wide. You may be familiar with our sister organization, the Sweet Adelines. In
the Barbershop Harmony Society, local groups are called chapters — now more than 850 — which usually meet once a week. Each chapter belongs to one of 16 districts.
SPEBSQSA (The Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop
Quartet Singing in America, Inc.) was founded in 1938 by Owen C. Cash and Rupert I. Hall. Cash, a Tulsa, Oklahoma, tax attorney, and Hall, an investment banker, decided to try to preserve the American tradition of barbershop quartet singing. They distributed a flyer announcing their intentions, and were pleasantly surprised when 26 men attended the first meeting. A story reporting the meeting was published in the local newspaper and the newswire services quickly picked it up.
In a matter of weeks, chapters were springing up all over the Midwest. The Society for the Preservation
and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America, Inc., was on its way.
(SPEBSQSA is now known as "The Barbershop Harmony Society.")
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When did the Pine Barons start?
On December 1, 1949, a barbershop chapter was formed in Woodbury, New Jersey. In 1955, the chapter moved to Audubon, New Jersey and adopted that town's name. In 1964, the chapter moved again, to the organization's present location, and the official name was changed to the "Cherry Hill" chapter.
Meanwhile, another chapter had been chartered in 1961 in nearby Medford Lakes. Six years later, when this chapter disbanded, many of its members transferred to Cherry Hill. They brought their name with them and we have been "The Pine Barons" of Cherry Hill ever since.
In 1973, the chorus first participated in the East Central Division barbershop contest. We qualified for and participated in the Mid-Atlantic District contest, where the experience (and a third-place finish) hooked all our members on competitive singing.
It took eight long, hard years, but the chorus finally broke through the ranks of the incredibly tough Mid-Atlantic District and won the championship in 1980. For the first time, we were qualified to sing in international competition. In 1981, we sang in Detroit, Michigan, where we finished fifth out of the 850 chapters in the running when the competition began.
Since those days, the Pine Barons have seen many changes, as we've explored all the possibilities of barbershop harmony. Our moment in the international spotlight has infused us with the pride that still beams out every time we strike the distinctive Pine Barons stance.
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Where do the Pine Barons sing?
We sing everywhere, in performances at retirement homes, at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, for the Philadelphia Phillies, Eagles and the 76ers. We've performed at restaurants, country clubs, inns and theaters throughout the Delaware Valley. We develop an annual show that plays to packed houses, and travel twice a year to competitions within
The Barbershop Harmony Society's Mid-Atlantic region.
Our registered quartets keep full schedules, too. You may have seen them perform in malls, various club and social functions, synagogues and churches, or even in local television commercials.
Great competition quartets come from somewhere; that's where informal, "pick-up" quartets come in. Wherever barber-shoppers gather around, you will see them form quartets, and hear them trying out old songs in new combinations of voices. We even have an annual "Quartet Showcase" to give the newer quartets a chance to show their stuff.
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Who's that up front waving his arms?
The Pine Barons is proud of its Music Director,
Bud Miller. Bringing more than a decade of barbershopping experience to the Pine Barons,
Bud's expertise and dynamic style will bring new energy to our performances, hone our singing abilities and take us to a higher competitive level.
We are proud, too, of our Associate Directors, four men who support Bud Miller's efforts to shape the chorus, and who have proven their dedication to the Pine Barons over many years. Their widely varied directorial styles provide an unlimited scope of interpretation to Pine Barons' performances. Their talents are a boundless resource that few choruses can match.
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Did you enjoy hearing us sing?
Barbershop harmony is a great sound. Imagine being included as part of that sound every week. Many men come to barbershop just for the enjoyment that comes from singing close harmony with friends.
The Pine Barons not only provide a great place to hone your singing skills, but also to learn and practice the craft of musicmaking. For singers who want to develop their musical skills beyond chorus singing,
The Barbershop Harmony Society makes workshops and courses available at nominal cost and at convenient times. Many of our members take advantage of these opportunities. Several of our members arrange music for our annual show and for contests.
When you become part of this great singing organization, you can sing in our chorus, form your own quartet, and best of all, enjoy the fellowship!
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How do you become a Pine Baron?
The Pine Barons invite men of all ages (we range from 17 to 76 years old), interested in barbershop harmony, to join our organization. Come visit us any Monday evening at 7:30 p.m. in our rehearsal hall at St. Andrews United Methodist Church, located on Route 70 (just west of what used to be Ellisburg Circle, now the junction of Rt 70 and 41), in Cherry Hill, NJ. As one of our many weekly guests, we'll do our best to make you feel at home.
We welcome all talented musicians. Our only requirements are that you enjoy singing and can show that you can sing in tune. The ability to read music isn't necessary; although we admit it's helpful.
If you are interested
and want to know more about us, stop any of the Pine Barons and ask! If you
missed the chance to talk to us face-to-face, call Rich Wolff, our Membership Vice President, at
(856-547-7282). Rich will be glad to answer your questions about the Pine Barons,
The Barbershop Harmony Society, and barbershop harmony.
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How can I hire the Pine Barons?
We would LOVE to perform for your organization!
Let us entertain you!!! The Pine Barons can provide a show program to meet your most exacting requirements. Our chorus offers groups that range in size from a quartet to more than 50 men — enough to fill any auditorium or hall with harmonious sound. We will present a customized program filled with a variety of songs in our unique singing style, providing "G-rated" family entertainment that can last from 20 minutes to an hour or more.
When your organization is planning an event, let the Pine Barons chorus provide your musical entertainment in that nostalgic barbershop style. For more information, or to learn how to schedule the Pine Barons, send an email to
The Pine Barons Chorus or contact our Business Manager,
John Felthaus, at (856) 461-5211 or send him an email at
buddycap719@aol.com
As the Pine Barons perform the "old songs" for you today, the aspirations of our founders will be realized if our singing evokes the feeling that you are hearing part of America's rich musical history: BARBERSHOP HARMONY!
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