FAQs

  • The BHS has a fantastic, detailed explanation on their website here.

    Here are the basics:

    “Barbershop harmony is generally considered to be one of the few uniquely American-born musical styles, alongside jazz, with which it shares origins. The simplest definition of barbershop centers around relatively simple melodies, sung in four-part harmony without instruments (a cappella), and with the melody carried in the second-highest voice part (barbershop “lead”), a high tenor harmonizing above that, a bass singer singing fundamental harmonies (mainly roots and fifths), and a baritone filling in above and below the melody.

    Building on that working definition, there are specific benchmarks around the “barbershop seventh” chord and other common chord progressions, but that’s the essence. Within that definition lies a wide range of music under the “barbershop umbrella”: contest music, show music, “barberpop,” gospel, religious, and patriotic music.”

    While our organization centers around barbershop, you’ll sometimes hear us sing in 5-part harmony, and sometimes even 8 parts! We choose music that inspires us, so that sometimes means that we deviate from the traditional barbershop style for some charts!

  • “Founded in 1938 as the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. (SPEBSQSA), the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) preserves and extends the reach of a uniquely American close harmony musical art form whose roots lie in African-American improvisation and European harmony traditions. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee since 2007, our nonprofit organization provides active programs and resources in music education, publishing, performance, and community outreach.” - Barbershop Harmony Society

    The BHS is organized into districts. The Pittsburgh Metro Chapter is part of the Johnny Appleseed District. When we perform at our district conventions, we compete with other chapters within this district. If a chorus obtains a certain score at fall contest, they qualify for the International contest in July of that year, where they compete with choruses from other districts all over the world!

  • No! Members of all musical abilities are invited to visit our rehearsals and join in on the fun. Our members have experience in traditional choirs, contemporary a cappella, musical theater, and other singing groups. While we provide sheet music, there are also learning audio tracks available for those who are not as proficient at reading music. We also have a music team that is always happy to help those who may be having trouble learning a song.

  • Head over to our “Sing With Us” Page for all the details on how to get involved! You’ll start by completing the Guest Intake Form so we can learn a little more about you before your first visit!

  • VC performs at various events throughout the year.

    We produce our own shows and concerts - our chapter show in the spring, and our holiday show in December. We also sing at various gigs in the greater Pittsburgh area throughout the year. We are available for hire and would love to make your event special!

    We also compete at conventions through the Barbershop Harmony Society. There is a district convention in the spring and fall where we compete with other choruses around the region. We are proud to say that we also compete at the international level at the Barbershop Harmony Society International Conventions in the summer.

  • Vocal Confluence is available for hire and would love to sing at your event! Our chorus and chapter quartets have sung at community events, weddings, private parties, and even opened for Foreigner at Star Lake Pavilion. Our Chorus Manager and Director would love to discuss your specific event and your vision for how we can make it unique and special. Head over to our "Hire Us" page to learn more!

  • Yes! “Vocal Confluence” is the name of our performing ensemble within the Pittsburgh Metro Chapter SPEBSQSA 501c3 nonprofit organization. Our EIN is 23-2889568 and you can find more details regarding our status here.

  • Yes! You can access the full document here.