The Valley of the Sun Chorus would like to thank you for showing an interest in our hobby:

Barbershop Harmony!

We are giving you this information to help raise awareness of our hobby.  We hope to  gain new singers for our organization.

The Valley of the Sun Chorus is one of about 800 chapters in the United States and Canada  that make up the Barbershop Harmony Society. Those 800 chapters are separated into 16 districts,  one of  which is the Evergreen District, that includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, parts of Montana and the Canadian Provinces of British Columbia and Alberta.  The Evergreen District has approximately 60 chapters with a total membership of about 1300 men.

Learning to sing correctly and performing music that touches the emotions of our audiences, is truly a rewarding experience.  There is nothing quite like Barbershop music.  When sung well it makes the singer as well as the listener feel as well as hear the song.  Barbershop Harmony is one of the few uniquely American art forms and was a staple in the minstrel and vaudeville shows of the late nineteenth century.  Pure Barbershop is an a capella singing style, without instruments or special effects. It consists of someone singing a known melody and 3 parts harmonizing to it.  In the chorus format, groups of men sing each of the four parts.  While Barbershop Harmony first flourished in the days before TV, Radio and Talking Pictures, barbershoppers of all ages still prefer songs from the early decades of the 20^th century, as those songs lend themselves especially well to the classic barbershop harmony style.  Like almost anything else, barbershop music is evolving, and songs by Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Beach Boys (among others) are being arranged and performed by barbershoppers, while still keeping the classics we know and love.

The Singers.  The Leads normally sing the melody of the song, and would be the equivalent of a first tenor in other types of vocal music.  The Tenors harmonize above the leads in what is considered a contratenor vocal range.  The Basses provide the resonant foundation for the chord, while the Baritones fill in the missing part usually between the leads and the basses, but sometimes above the leads.  When sung well, if you listen carefully,  you will be able to hear the “ring” or  “overtones” that pop out when everyone is in tune.  Barbershoppers live for the overtones!

The Valley of the Sun Chorus and its quartets can often be heard in many different venues around town and all over the Yakima Valley.  We do many paid and free performances throughout the year such as singing in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, birthday and anniversary parties, as well as our much loved Singing Valentines.

The Valley of the Sun Chorus meets on Monday nights 7pm at St.Timothy’s Episcopal Church at the corner of 40^th Ave & Richey Rd. under the direction of David Ramsey-Warner.   If you have any further questions about our hobby call Jerry @ 961-4890.  Please come and visit  and help us

Keep the Whole World Singing!