A
barbershop quartet is normally a group of four men who sing simple harmonies
a capella. Each person sings a different part. The highest is the
Tenor part. He sings so high you could easily mistake him as a girly girl. Next down, is the
Lead part. He sings the main melody of the song. Then
Baritone and
Bass at the bottom. Perhaps the most famous of barbershop quartets would be the School Board Members in the play
The Music Man.
Many barbershop quartets are members of
SPEBSQSA or
Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of BarberShop Quartet Singing in America, the largest male singing organization in the world.
The female counter-organization is known as the
Sweet Adelines. Where in male barbershop singing, the Lead and Tenor sing an
octave lower than their part is writen, Sweet Adeline basses and baritones sing an
octave higher than what is writen.