Cape Breton award winning barber shop group invite new singers

The sound of the Cape Breton Chords men warming up for Monday night’s practice was like music from the heavens.

Which makes the rehearsal space the award-winning barber shop group use for their weekly rehearsals, the United Heritage Church on Charlotte Street, very fitting.

“The accoustics are so good in here,” said Chordsmen music director Hal Higgins, who took over the second part of the Monday night warm up.

Around 25 men sang in four-part harmony the notes as Higgins, a Chordsmen membr for 45, directed them through the warm-ups.

The Cape Breton Chordsmen have been around since 1972, performing barbershop music, an a ccapella vocal style, characterized with four-part harmonies on every melody note.

Over the decades, the Cape Breton Chordsmen have performed in front of hundreds of people and won many top awards at barbershop competitions. (link: https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/cape-breton-chordsmen-take-home-top-honours-at-barbershop-singing-competition-100787455)

Always looking for new members, the Chordsmen will be at the Mayflower Mall, answer questions and hopefully performing a few songs.

“I’m hoping we have one or two barbershop quartets,” said Higgins. “We’re always looking for new members…you don’t have to have any experience. You do have to be able to keep a tune and you do have to be willing to make the commitment.”

SINGING IN HARMONIES

Barbershop music is traditionally sung by men in a cappella four-part harmony; lead, tenor, baritone and bass. It is normally sung in quartets or choruses.

According to the Barbershop Harmony Society, an organization founded in 1938 to preserve and promote the art form, the music features recognizable songs with “understandable lyrics and easily singable melodies.”

The Cape Breton chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, it takes a lot of practice for the Chordsmen to get ready for a show, like the one they have on Nov. 7 at 2 p.m. at NSCC Sydney Waterfront Campus theatre.

“There’s no piano accompaniment, so, you’re singing these four parts and you have to be able to carry that part without being thrown off by the other three parts,” Higgins explained, adding.

“It’s fun and when you do it right, nothing sounds better.”

SINGERS ALWAYS WELCOME

Along with the weekly two-hour practices on Monday nights in Sydney, Higgins said members are expected to practice at home.

“You won’t remember your part if you only do it once a week,” he said.

Chordsmen members get sheet music and, usually, audio learning tracks for them to practice at home.

The barbershop group is looking for members who sing in all four sections. However, they are in greatest need of more tenors

“For males, that’s way up there. It’s called the first tenor part,” Higgins said. “Baritones, they’re a rare kind of breed too, because it’s the most difficult part because it’s not intuitive.”

MORE INFORMATION AND CONCERTS

Members of the Cape Breton Chordsmen will be at the Mayflower Mall on Sunday to answer questions to people interested in learning more about the barbershop group or their upcoming show.

The Nov. 7 concert at the NSCC (Nova Scotia Community College) downtown Sydney campus starts at 2 p.m. and tickets are $25 each.

Information on upcoming concerts can be found on the Cape Breton Chordsmen website.